text:
This website uses cookies primarily for visitor analytics. Certain pages will ask you to fill in contact details to receive additional information. On these pages you have the option of having the site log your details for future visits. Indicating you want the site to remember your details will place a cookie on your device. To view our full cookie policy, please click here. You can also view it at any time by going to our Contact Us page.
Author : Josep Montanyà Silvestre, Baolab Microsystems
13 March 2013
The diminishing price-tag of motion sensors provides opportunity for these sensors to become ubiquitous.
The meteoric growth of motion sensor deployment in mobile phones and tablets has led to eye-watering price erosion. Consequently, whilst creating a profitability headache for many MEMS manufacturers, the diminishing price-tag provides opportunity for these sensors to become ubiquitous - enabling electronic gadgets, devices and accessories with motion and position awareness, adding to the appeal of existing products and opening the door to some exciting new concepts.
For the trend to advance, the ever decreasing price requires a fundamental change in the way sensors are traditionally made. Baolab's NanoEMS technology uniquely supports the fabrication of the entire set of motion sensors in standard CMOS fabs, resulting in a much reduced cost, thus enabling the continued proliferation. Even more significant is that NanoEMS allows all of those sensors to be simultaneously fabricated on a single chip - together with the supporting analogue (signal conditioning) and digital (DSP and intelligence) electronics, thus paving the way for smaller, smarter motion sensor modules at a much reduced cost. There are three key problems limiting the potential ubiquitous proliferation of motion sensors -- size, power consumption and complexity -- which drive manufacturing cost. NanoEMS is a radical new approach that shrinks all the motion sensors and integrates them together with control electronics onto a single chip in the standard CMOS wafer process, used to fabricate the majority of high-volume cost-sensitive chips today. To understand the significance of this breakthrough, we will describe the problems posed by traditional MEMS approaches and show how NanoEMS systematically removes the issues and provides a clear pathway to smaller, cheaper, lower power intelligent solutions that will drive exciting new consumer product innovation.
Discrete complexity Four different motion sensors are required to provide sufficient position and motion information: compass (absolute 2D angular position); pressure sensor (altitude); accelerometer (linear acceleration); and gyroscope (angular acceleration). Traditionally, each type of sensor is manufactured as discrete devices using specific, non-standard, manufacturing processes or materials, and each having its own ASIC for signal conditioning and conversion to a digital interface. Consolidating these devices is highly complex using traditional techniques. Even though a single CMOS control ASIC could unify and optimise the electronics required for all four sensors, most manufacturers do not have access to all the specific sensor processes and typically form partnerships to offer all devices. Furthermore, bringing MEMS devices together into the same package requires complex, specialist, multi-chip packaging that increases cost and size, and impacts reliability.
Incompatible processes limit integrationTraditional MEMS sensor devices (accelerometers, gyroscopes) are manufactured in specific MEMS fab lines, which enable the mechanical structures to be formed on top of a silicon substrate by depositing additional materials and using micromachining to define the structures, or within cavities in the wafer that are created using costly, non-standard additional processes such as isotropic Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) to produce vertical-sided cavities.
Heading sensors (three-dimensional electronic compasses) are traditionally created using either the Hall effect, or a magneto-resistive material deposited onto the silicon to detect the Earth's magnetic field. To measure the field in three dimensions, separate sensing elements are required – one for each dimensional component of the field, and additional complexity is required in the device construction. In some cases, special devices called magnetic concentrators are bonded to the chip to rotate the X and Y (horizontal) components of the magnetic field into the z (vertical) dimension so they are perpendicular to the plane of the chip. Alternatively, two separate sensor chips are arranged in horizontal and vertical planes within the device package to measure the magnetic field in three dimensions. Such techniques result in mechanical alignment difficulties, which lead to cross-axis measurement inaccuracies.
Gyroscopes are typically created using resonant structures, requiring the MEMS to reside in a partial vacuum. For traditional MEMS, this requires use of special manufacturing techniques, like wafer fusion bonding and wafer-level, eutectic-bonded, hermetic capping to create a vacuum within the package. The use of chemical getters required to mitigate outgassing add further to the cost of hermetic packaging: these chemically absorb gases that may be released from the silicon and other package materials, during periods of elevated temperature experienced during package processing or solder reflow.
A mixed-signal ASIC is required to accept the small signals from the MEMS or magnetic sensor devices, condition them with low-noise amplifiers and gain stages, convert to digital then apply further digital signal processing conditioning and provide a digital interface. The ASIC is a CMOS device and typically has to be manufactured separately from the MEMS devices and stacked with the MEMS in the final package using complex, multi-chip modules or specialist, wafer-bonding methods.
NanoEMS: a brief overview The Baolab NanoEMS technology uses the existing metal layers in a CMOS wafer to form the MEMS structure using standard mask techniques. The Inter Metal Dielectric (IMD) is then etched away through the pad openings in the passivation layer using vHF (vapour HF), releasing the metal MEMS structures. The low-cost isotropic etching uses equipment that is already available for volume production and takes less than an hour, which is insignificant compared to the overall production time: contrast this with the highly anisotropic DRIE process used by other MEMS manufacturers to create cavities and define structures in CMOS, requiring more elaborate equipment and costly process steps.
The holes are then hermetically sealed using a standard thin-film deposition applied to the whole wafer in a single step. Finally the chips are singulated and packaged as required.
Since only standard, high volume CMOS processes are used, NanoEMS structures may be monolithically integrated with other nanoEMS sensors and active circuitry as required enabling smart sensors to be created. The MEMS and electronics are formed simultaneously using a single, standard mask set.
A generic CMOS motion sensor cellNanoEMS resolves the previously mentioned complexities by creating generic motion sensor cells that may be adapted to create all of the motion sensor types. This not only provides the key to sensor integration but also enables exciting new concepts, like smart reconfigurable sensors.
In motion sensing, MEMS devices measure mechanical deflections caused by applied forces. The forces to be measured are those that are applied to the sensor by:
1. Linear acceleration, a (Newton: Force = mass x a)2. Angular velocity, ? (Coriolis: Force = 2 x mass x velocity x ?)3. Earth's magnetic field, BE(Lorentz Force = BE x conductor length x conductor current)4. Pressure, P (Force = P x Area)
The 'released' mechanical structures and the associated capacitive sensing structures that form a NanoEMSmotion sensor cell are designed in principle to detect and measure the presence of an applied force. The mechanical and electrical design criteria determine the range (expected maximum strength of the force) and resolution of the measurement of the force, given appropriate constraints: -? the bandwidth (BW) required of the measurement system (how fast the force is changing)? the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) required to provide the appropriate range and resolution? the sensor current (I) required for the measurement
So, in principle, each of the quantities of interest (a, ?, BE, P) translate to a force applied to the sensor device, and each can therefore be measured using the same 'generic' MEMS structure. The specific design constraints for the sensing structures are adjusted according to the characteristics of the force applied by the quantity of interest (a, ?, BE, P).
The generic motion sensor cell concept not only cracks the 'integration roadblock' of different processes for implementing the four different sensor types, but also allows all three axes of the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to be deployed in a single plane, i.e. the plane of the chip. Indeed, the generic nature of the motion cell design ensures a rapid time to market for different sensor variants.
Multiple sensors on a single chipUsing the NanoEMS generic sensor cell concept, each of the key issues limiting the cost-effectiveness of co-packaging all the motion sensors are systematically resolved. Monolithic, integrated NanoIMUs become an exciting and realistic prospect, bringing the complete set of motion sensors together on the same chip and in a package size similar to today's discrete motion sensors.
Low-cost manufacturing: NanoEMS enables all motion sensors and even other MEMS devices to be manufactured in standard CMOS. Manufacturing test time is reduced.
Reduced process complexity: All four motion sensor types can be manufactured in the same CMOS process with no special materials. By using the Lorentz force compass technique, no additional magneto-resistive material deposition or magneto-concentrator device is required, further reducing manufacturing cost and increasing cross-axis performance by virtue of the sensor alignment being defined by the very tight x-y alignment accuracy of conductors on a CMOS wafer.
Low-cost packaging: Since the sensors are created and sealed inside standard CMOS chips, they can be packaged in either standard, plastic moulded packaging, or, because the device is monolithic, a flip-ship style CSP (chip-scale package) for minimal PCB area.
Low-complexity packaging - even where a vacuum is required: The NanoEMS cavity inside the CMOS chip is sealed in a vacuum, sufficient to accommodate resonant devices requiring internal vacuum to provide the desired Q factor of resonance. This elegant solution precludes the need for specialist packaging and getters to form and maintain the vacuum: with the evacuated cavity sealed inside the silicon, the chip can once again be encapsulated in standard plastic molded packaging or flip-chipped.
The single-chip motion sensorWith all four motion sensors capable of being manufactured in the standard CMOS flow, NanoEMS uniquely enables them to be placed on the same CMOS chip. Indeed together with the sensors, the electronics can be consolidated, optimised, and deployed on the same chip: namely signal conditioning, digital conversion and 'intelligent' digital signal processing.
This prospect of a single-chip motion sensor delivers a host of benefits:? size: 10-axis motion sensor in the same tiny form factor as today's discrete sensors? cost: all standard processes - overall manufacturing costs can be reduced by at least two thirds? performance/features: co-design of electronics and MEMS enables performance optimisation, reduced power and smart new detection features
Single-chip to super-smartThe CMOS integration and simple packaging capabilities enabled by NanoEMS technology truly transform the roadmap for motion sensing devices, shifting the focus from today's discrete single and dual-function sensors implemented as multi-chip modules, to:
? single-chip, multi-function, motion sensors? single-chip, 9 or 10-axis NanoIMUs? smart, single-chip nanoIMUs with on-chip sensor fusion intelligence? and onwards to 'super-smart' reconfigurable sensors.
Fusion intelligence in its simplest form takes the individual data streams provided by the 2, 3 or 4 types of motion sensors, and processes them into simple, standard motion vectors that can be directly used by the application without preprocessing.
As well as combining the datastreams, internal corrections can be made to compensate the inherent weaknesses of each sensor: for instance, compass readings can compensate the gyroscope's inherent drift; gyro and accelerometer can be used to validate the compass reading against magnetic interference, and the accelerometer provides tilt-correction for the compass: accurate headings otherwise require the compass to be held 'flat' whereas phones are usually tilted towards the user.
With NanoEMS, the processing electronics required to implement the fusion intelligence (the 'fusion ASIC') can be co-designed and co-integrated with the sensor cells to create the smallest, most flexible smart sensor solution with lowest manufacturing cost. Clever codesign techniques allow the electronics to mitigate the effects of both temperature and time related changes in the MEMS structures, defined by the mechanical properties of the interconnect metal used to build them. This leads to the very beneficial side effect of autocalibration, significantly reducing and even eliminating the need to factory-calibrate each axis of each sensor: a significant fab-time cost adder for traditional approaches.
Even further flexibility and performance optimisation is offered by the concept of 'super-smart' reconfigurable sensors, made possible by the NanoEMS integration and generic sensor cell capabilities.
The futureBeyond the realisation of single-chip sensors, single-chip IMUs and single-chip intelligent IMUs, NanoEMS technology today enables the visionary concept of reconfigurable sensors, the benefits being:? optimum performance (accuracy and bandwidth) at the lowest power consumption? improved reliability? lowest cost
The reconfigurable sensor concept leverages the unique properties of NanoEMS technology: ? smaller NanoEMS sensor devices: at 100-300µm, sensor cells are typically 5-10 times smaller on a side than traditional MEMS equivalents;? Monolithic integration of MEMS sensors with electronics;? Dynamically scaleable performance: the MEMS structures used, and the co-design of MEMS with electronics allows dynamic adjustment of performance parameters to minimise power? MEMS 'for free': the next generation of NanoEMS sensors will use fewer metal layers to implement the mechanical structures, so MEMS may be deployed 'above' the electronics, so occupying no incremental real-estate.
Small MEMS devices, coupled with deploying the MEMS above the electronics allow placing many MEMS cells on the chip, introducing the idea of redundancy.
Firstly, redundancy improves yield (and hence, cost) and long-term reliability: any defective MEMS cells may be dynamically switched out, with another, on-chip MEMS deployed in its place automatically.
Secondly, redundancy may be used to realise reconfigurability. Imagine a 'fusion ASIC' with sufficient intelligence to control an array of NanoEMS sensor cells deployed above it. Depending on the type of motion currently experienced or expected by the application, the 'fusion ASIC' may choose to deploy one or any number of these sensors, dynamically switching in or switching out the sensor cells as required, thus providing the application with the optimum desired motion-tracking performance at minimum power at each instant in time. In this sense, there is no need to drive a sensor at 'rated power' at all times to cover the few situations where maximum sensitivity or range are required. The performance and hence the power is dynamically tuned. In this scenario the following strategies are possible:
? Any combination of accelerometer, compass, gyro or pressure sensor may be activated dynamically as needed, the others powered down to save current drain? 1, 2 or 3 axes of each of the motion sensors may be deployed dynamically as required by the application? deploying 2 or more similar axes of one type of sensor allows signal averaging, which effectively reduces noise and improves accuracy? performance (bandwidth, resolution or accuracy) may be dynamically adjusted to need by selecting different MEMS types and changing the active current in the MEMS? additional compass MEMS may be deployed to track ferrous materials and other magnetic sources (like loudspeakers) in the environment which would otherwise corrupt the heading reading. Similarly a compass device can be activated from time to time to compensate the long term drift of a gyroscope.
So 'super-smart' reconfigurability is achieved by deploying a 'fusion ASIC' and an array of tiny NanoEMS motion sensor cells on the same chip. According to the instantaneous sensing requirements of the application, the ASIC selects which sensor cells are to be used and configures their performance using the strategies described above: type of motion detection, range, resolution, tracking accuracy, noise, and current drain. The size, cost, scalability, flexibility, reliability and miserly current-drain promised by reconfigurability will result in a wealth of applications from exciting, new, motion-enabled, consumer applications including motion-enabled accessories, toys, games and sports/health equipment to low-energy sensor nodes in advanced remote sensor networks.
In ConclusionBaolab's nanoEMS concept has already demonstrated the lowest-cost single-chip 3D electronic compass device, but offers considerably more by virtue of its unique abilities to shrink the size of the mechanical elements of motion sensors, realise all motion sensors in standard CMOS using generic motion cells and integrate combinations of motion sensors with control and intelligence all on the same chip.
NanoEMS unlocks the barriers preventing integration of different sensor MEMS with the electronics, enabling an exciting motion sensor roadmap from lowest-cost single-chip discrete sensors, to multi-sensor nanoIMUsoffering up to 10 axes of motion sensing in the same tiny form factor as today's discrete sensors, to smart nanoIMUs with integrated sensor fusion intelligence, and ultimately to super-smart reconfigurable sensor modules.
NanoEMS is the radical change in MEMS manufacturing long sought-after to enable the ubiquitous proliferation of motion sensing innovation.
Figure 1 NanoEMS technologyFigure 2 Fusion intelligence takes individual data streams provided by the 2, 3 or 4 types of motion sensors, and processes them into simple, standard motion vectors
Print this page | E-mail this page


text:
Paper Embossed Flowers
Hi crafters! Today I wanted to share a card using Blazing Poppy patterned paper collection. I simply fussy cut the flowers from the sheet of paper and then embossed them with an embossing tool.
I then added some black seed beads to the flower centers and colored the flowers using some copic pens to add some extra color. R24, R29, E44, R46 were the colors I used.
A close up look at an angle you can see the 3d look better here. I hope everyone has enjoyed my post and thanks for stopping by!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Top StoriesCalendarResultsMore Headlines
Marcinkowski Named All-Conference for Second Straight Year The junior led Adrian's offense this year, setting program records in kills and service aces for the Second Team All-MCVL nod. Full Story
Curley Picks up Final Defensive Player of the Week Award of the Regular Season The Junior finished the season with 373 total digs, the most out of any player in Division III. Full Story
Bulldogs' Season Ends with Loss to Fontbonne The Griffins defeated Adrian in three sets to end the men's volleyball season. The season was the most successful in program history, with the team finishing with a winning record for the first time. Full Story
Bulldogs Take Down Panthers in Historic Senior Night Adrian defeated Greenville 3-1 on Friday in a senior night match that saw the first four-year class honored for their time in the Black and Gold and the team setting a program record for service aces in a match. Full Story
Men's Volleyball Falls to Top-Ranked Carthage The Red Men got the better of the Bulldogs on Saturday, winning in three sets. Full Story
Cardinals Sweep Bulldogs in Men's Volleyball's Return Home North Central defeated Adrian in three sets on Friday in AC's first home match since Feb. 27. Full Story
Gold Named Player of the Week for the Second Week in a Row The senior was named the MCVL's Offensive Player of the Week last week but picked up the Defensive Player of the Week award this week. Full Story
Men's Volleyball Goes Down in Five to Mount St. Joseph Adrian lost a hard-fought five-set match on the road to the Lions on Saturday afternoon. Full Story
Good as Gold: Senior Sets Another Record in Win at Trine Mike Gold set a program record for the second match in a row with his nine individual blocks as a part of the team's new record of 15 total blocks in Adrian's 3-1 win on Friday night. Full Story
Mike Gold Named MCVL Offensive Player of the Week Gold set a program record for hitting percentage in a match with his .882 in Adrian's win over North Park. Full Story
March 16, 2019 Bulldogs Get Back on Track with Record-Setting Performance Senior Mike Gold set a new school record for attacking percentage in Adrian's 3-0 win over North Park on Saturday.
March 16, 2019 Bulldogs Suffer First Conference Loss of the Season Adrian lost to Loras in three sets on Saturday to drop to 2-1 in MCVL play.
March 15, 2019 Men's Volleyball Improves to 2-0 in Conference Play Junior Kevin Curley set a new program record for digs in the match as Adrian took down Augustana in five sets to stay unbeaten in MCVL action.
March 14, 2019 Adrian Athletics Receives Prestigious NCSA Rankings for 2018 Several Bulldog programs rank among the nation's best in NCAA Division III and for all colleges and universities.
March 9, 2019 Men's Volleyball Falls in Final Match in California The Bulldogs lost to Johnson & Wales on Saturday to finish the Cal-Lu-Fornia Invitational.
March 9, 2019 Men's Volleyball Grinds Out Five-Set Victory Adrian took down Emmanuel 3-2 on Saturday in the final day of the Cal-Lu-Fornia Invitational.


text:
besthomeexpert is an independent review and comparison website dedicated to providing consumers with comparison tools, information, and educational materials about home improvement furniture & devices. We use the following criteria to evaluate and rank the home security systems on our website:
We factor in the number of security devices, monitoring services, mobile readiness and equipment.
Is the company up-to-date with the available technology for the industry? Are they a technological leader in the industry?
Value for Money
What do you get for the price you are paying? Are there additional fees/expenses included?
Customer Support
Is their customer support available, friendly and informative? We take into consideration: arrival time, 24/7 support, email and other customer support metrics.
Has this company been endorsed by other trusted third-party brands? Are they known as reliable and trustworthy according to industry standards?
We incorporate customer ratings and reviews, user feedback, and overall company popularity.
besthomeexpert is a professional review and comparison website. This means that we do in-depth research and pay our experienced editors to provide candid feedback about the products and services that they review. We are independently owned, and opinions expressed here are our own. In order to provide you with this free service, we provide contact information links to sign up for home improvements from multiple providers, some of which we receive compensation for. We guarantee that this does not influence any of the material we present, but may influence the rankings, and only supports our honest efforts to offer you the best and most thorough information possible.
The customer reviews you see here are the result of direct / indirect feedback from former or current home improvement customers. We do not pay customers for reviews. If they participate, reviewers do have the opportunity to enter various contests to be randomly selected as a winner. We do not reward reviewers based on whether their written analysis is positive or negative. Rather, we publish full and complete reviews from individuals with no alterations. We do select which reviews will be published excluding reviews due to language, inappropriate or irrelevant content.
We do not directly copy any feedbak from any website. However, we present a summery of their experience in a different manner – derived from thorough internet research.
Testimonials appearing on this site are actually received from consumers via text, audio and/or video submission. They are the individual experiences, reflecting real life experiences of those who have used the products and/or services in some way or another. However, they are individual results and results do vary. besthomeexpert does not claim that they are typical results that consumers will generally achieve. The testimonials are not necessarily representative of all of those who will use our products and/or services.
Testimonials displayed (text, audio and/or video) are given verbatim. besthomeexpert is not responsible for any of the opinions or comments posted on this site. besthomeexpert does not share the opinions, views or commentary of any testimonials on this site, which are strictly the views of the reviewer.


text:
About two months ago, while attending a conference on networks at Indiana University Bloomington (see photos on another of my blogs), I visited with psychology professor Steven "Jim" Sherman, whom I have known for over 20 years. I first met Jim in the spring of 1984, while visiting IUB on a trip to look at potential places to go to graduate school (I ultimately chose the University of Michigan).
I would occasionally see Jim at conferences over the years, and then out of the blue, I got a call from him some time in the fall of 2002. Jim invited me to a small, informal conference he was co-organizing on statistics and sports decision-making to be held in March 2003 in Scottsdale, Arizona (to enable conference attendees to attend spring training if they wanted!). A photo of the participants in that gathering is shown below.
Jim is shown front and center in the shorts, flanked to his right by University of Chicago professor Richard Thaler, the other co-organizer. Right behind Jim is Cornell's Tom Gilovich, who was the lead author on the 1985 article that introduced hot hand research. Right behind Tom (skipping the gap in the third row), is me, at the center of the back row. To my right is legendary baseball analyst Bill James, and in front of Bill, to his right, is fellow baseball expert Rob Neyer.
Anyway, back to my visit with Jim in May 2006. As I was entering his office for our meeting, I noticed he had a letter Scotch-taped to his door. The letter, dating back more than 20 years, was from former Indiana men's basketball coach Bob Knight, now, of course, the coach where I'm located, Texas Tech University. And the letter pertained to, of all things, the hot hand. As it turns out, Jim had sent Coach Knight a copy of the aforementioned mid-1980s article by Gilovich and colleagues, and Knight had sent this reply...
The letter has been on Sherman's door for over 20 years, for all passersby to see. Given the letter's status as an historic artifact (sometimes spelled artefact) in the annals of hot hand research, I asked Jim if we could make a copy of it for posting on my website, and he agreed. (I figured that most people probably wouldn't want their signature broadcast to the world, so I blocked out Coach Knight's.)
Coach Knight's skepticism of hot hand research -- the general finding of which is that making one or more shots in a row does not tend to raise a shooter's likelihood of making the next shot -- has been reported previously, in this Wikipedia entry on the "Clustering Illusion" (of which I am not the author). Still, I thought it would be neat to display a copy of the original letter. By the way, Boston Celtic coaching great Red Auerbach has also expressed skepticism.
Knight is absolutely right about the multitude of factors that determine whether a basketball shot will go in or not. Many researchers have voiced similar concerns, such as the possibility that the inability to detect streakiness could stem from players who just made a shot being guarded more closely the next time, or feeling more confident and shooting from farther away. In an attempt to eliminate as many extraneous factors as possible, researchers have used controlled shooting exercises, such as the NBA three-point shooting contest the night before the All-Star Game. Still, little evidence of streakiness has been observed (see the Koehler & Conley [2003] paper at the following site).


text:
Archived reviews and profiles by independent writer Steve Stratford of live theatre, music and dance. If you're viewing this site on your mobile, scroll to the bottom for the desktop view/ index.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Land of Our Fathers (Venue Cymru, Llandudno)
Land of Our Fathers is set on Thursday, May 3rd, 1979. Or rather, the story begins on that day. It's more accurate to say that Land of Our Fathers is set throughout May 1979, because the protagonists are six South Walian coal miners trapped hundreds of feet beneath ground following a colliery accident. It's a chamber piece boasting a bland but beautifully realised set (well done Signe Beckman) and six wonderfully written characters. But is the story strong enough to hold the attention for two and a half hours?
A play this long needs to have enough twists and turns to really demand the attention of the audience, and indeed Land of Our Fathers does have its fair share of soapy revelations and melodrama. I'm not altogether sure what does happen warrants such a taxing duration; it could have been shorter without much damage to the plot. Some might say the play is as much an endurance test for those watching as being trapped beneath ground for days on end is for the miners. That's one way of looking at it. But to be honest, the audience is not trapped down a mine and might appreciate a little more brevity.
Posted by My Old School Books at 9:51 am No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Land of Our Fathers, Venue Cymru
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
My People (Theatr Clwyd, Mold)
|Pic: Catherine Ashmore
"There is no Wales to speak of, no real national life: no art, no dance, no folklore; no literature... except for the foolish mouthing of its preachers."
So said Caradoc Evans, writer of My People and once (and, for some, perhaps still) the "most hated man in Wales". Evans's short stories, published 100 years ago, portrayed life in Nonconformist Wales for what he believed it really was - hypocritical, stunted, short-sighted and ultimately self-deceived. He saw the power that the chapels of Wales had over their congregations - who, remember, were far greater in number then than today - as limiting to people's spiritual development. Without the luxury of self-expression and the freedom to lead life as one chooses (rather than by the rigid guidelines of organised religion), the Welsh culture could not develop or grow, and may never be a part of the wider world around it.
Posted by My Old School Books at 9:53 am No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Clwyd Theatr Cymru, My People, Theatr Clwyd
Monday, November 09, 2015
Pomona (Royal Exchange, Manchester)
Every time I catch a Metrolink tram between Salford Quays and Manchester city centre, I'm fascinated by the stop at Pomona. It's an empty, soulless, despairing place. Nobody ever gets on, and nobody ever gets off. The tram stops, waits a few seconds, then continues on its way. Nobody is ever seen there, and there's barely any movement beyond tumbling litter and the occasional disorientated pigeon.
Pomona is a lonesome place in the heart of Manchester which seems to exist outside of normal reality. There's just nothing there, apart from graffiti-scrawled walls and what appear to be empty office blocks. And it's this same experience that inspired 28-year-old Alistair McDowall to write Pomona, which has won him a London Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for Most Promising Playwright.
Posted by My Old School Books at 1:18 pm No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Manchester Royal Exchange, Pomona
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
I am in the process of packing up my house and moving everything into storage. I have the movers coming on Thursday the 28th. In the meantime I have been packing like mad and moving as much as I can to storage myself, to try to minimize how much the movers have to do. I'm a little ahead of the game here and I already packed all the dishes and moved them to storage. I forgot to leave out a coffee cup which kind of bums me out. I am drinking my morning coffee out of one of those big plastic cups with a lid and a straw that you get when you're in the hospital. Somehow it's just not as satisfying as drinking out of a favorite coffee cup.
This may sound shallow or idiotic but I really am attached to my "things". Practically everything I own has a story attached to it. I was telling my sister yesterday as we packed, this coffee cup was our Aunt Joann's (who died tragically immediately following a lung transplant), and this coffee cup was a gift from another Aunt, and this paring knife was actually my sister's in COLLEGE over twenty years ago!! I still have a nightshirt that my Aunt Mary (now deceased) gave me about 25 years ago and I still wear it. I still have a long-sleeved t-shirt my brother gave me for my birthday about twenty years ago. Still wear it. I'm a sentimental fool. So, my point is, I'm going to miss all my crap when I put it in storage for God knows how long. When will I have my own home again? That thought scares the shit out of me.
I'm planning on couch-surfing with different family members until around November, at which time I will run away to Florida. I'm trying this novel idea called "Let's Skip Winter And Not End Up In The Looney Bin". I really really hope that being away from the Colorado winter allows me to hold my shit together and stay out of the hospital. The last two winters I had several stays in the bin. There are just so many unknowns attached to this plan. Although I believe it's a good idea, I'm afraid. I'm trying to look at it as an adventure. Fortunately I will have you, my lovely readers, to go along with me. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.
Have a wonderful weekend and GO BRONCOS!!!


text:
Canon Photochains at World of EOS
Canon's "Photochain" campaign, developed to promote the Canon EOS DSLR camera range, has won a handful of awards at Cannes International Advertising Festival. Canon Australia used national television, print and online advertising to invite photographers of all skill levels to upload photographs to a chain started by Canon on the World of EOS website. Once online, people could also start their own photochains, or join those created by others.
Click on the image below to play Leo Burnett's case study video.
Click on the image below to play the launch commercial
People soon became the medium for the campaign, inviting friends, family and colleagues to join their photochains. As the photochains network grew, national advertising incorporated user generated photochains and the photographers who had created them.
Click on the image below to play the Rockpool commercial in YouTube
Click on the image below to play the Bubble Blower commercial in YouTube
Click on the image below to play the Milk Doof commercial in YouTube
Click on the image below to play the Dog commercial in YouTube
Photochains is now growing as its own social media platform which continues to grow with every photo, as a way for Canon EOS to be a brand which stands for creative inspiration. Photochains has created a new way for photographers to connect through photography, as well as a new dialogue between Canon EOS and the photographic community: – 94 photos uploaded every day since launch, which is 4 photos an hour – 12 minutes average time on website – Over 20,000 photos uploaded from around Australia to date – Canon EOS has risen to a record 67% market share in Australia since launch.
The Photochain campaign was developed at Leo Burnett, Sydney, by executive creative director Andy DiLallo, executive creative director Jay Benjamin, creative group head Michael Canning, art director Kieran Antill, digital creative director/designer Kieran Ots, group account director Amanda Quested, account director Jodi McLeod, planner Kirsty Angus, TV producer Rita Galiardi, head of digital Dominique Hind, digital producer Tristan Parker, developer Nick McGrath, interface developer Keong Seet.
Filming for the commercials was shot by director Darryl Ward via Curious Film, Sydney, with producer Seth Wilson and director of photography Derek Henderson. Music is by Elliott Wheeler at Turning Studios. Sound was designed at Nylon Studios.
The Photochains campaign has won a Gold and two Silver Direct Lions, a Silver PR Lion, and a Silver Promo Lion.
Filed under: Canon, Commercials, Interactive, Print
Tagged: Andy Dilallo, Curious Film, Darryl Ward, Derek Henderson, Elliott Wheeler, Jay Benjamin, Kieran Antill, Leo Burnett Australia, Michael Canning, Nylon Studios, Turning Studios
Location: Australia


text:
It's a Kydex Cover Up IWB.
Lead time from date of order is 4 weeks. ***Be sure to check the Kydex Gun List. The list is limited to very common pistols.***
The Secret Strike is a fully tuckable Kydex Holster, adjustable for ride height and cant. The Sweat Shield comes standard.
The Secret Strike comes two ways, plain kydex or leather-lined kydex
This is a great concealed carry holster - provides all-day comfort.
Been searching for the perfect IWB Holster?
1. Based of years of customer feedback, you'll have a 95% chance of success with us!
2. Every Tucker Gun Leather's IWB holster is guaranteed comfortable and concealable. ALL are tuckable!
3. Read the reviews. Check the gun forums, Do a search for comments on our leather IWB holsters.
4. If you get one and it just isn't a fit for you, we understand. Just send it back for a quick refund.
PAYMENT: Both PayPal and Credit Card payment methods will be charged immediately.*
*If payment is declined for any reason, do NOT repeatedly try to pay. Call us at 800-308-6628 for assistance.
You can use the Pay by Phone payment method. This allows for a 50% deposit and the remaining 50% when we ship and we'll call you for your credit card info.
Checks and Money Orders are welcome with notification.
Accessory Rail: We're asking if your pistol has an accessory rail or not. Most new pistols do have accessory rails for mounting lights or lasers. We're not asking if you have a light or laser mounted on the rail. (1911's come with or without, as do some other pistols, so that's why we're asking.)
Front Sight Style: If your front sight came on the gun from the factory it's "standard." Most night sights are also "standard". If you added a taller front sight, if it's a "fiber optic" front sight or it you just know it's a tall front sight select "Extra Tall."


text:
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Norfolk has challenged the Government to guarantee the right of the 110,000 EU nationals working in the NHS and social care system to remain in the UK.
The Government has so far refused to guarantee the rights of EU citizens to remain in the UK following the decision to leave the European Union, with the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stating that any guarantee would have to be negotiated in Brexit talks as part of a deal for Britons living abroad.
Speaking at Health Questions in the House of Commons (5th July), Norman Lamb spoke out in support of EU migrants working in the health and care system, and attacked "the despicable suggestion that they should be used as a bargaining pawn in negotiations with the EU".
The Lib Dem Health Spokesperson challenged the Health Secretary to work with the Government urgently to secure the right of EU citizens to remain in the UK. However, Jeremy Hunt fell short of any such commitment, and could only offer vague assurances that the Government "wants to find a way" of allowing them to stay in the UK for as long as they wish.
Speaking afterwards, Norman Lamb said: "It's important that we recognise and pay tribute to the dedicated staff from across the EU, and indeed the rest of the world, who play an essential role in our NHS and social care services.
"Our entire health and care system would be brought to the point of collapse if hardworking EU citizens were forced to return to their native countries – and it would be a travesty if they were made to feel so unwelcome in the UK that they decided to leave of their own accord.
"Britain is the home of everybody who was living and working here on June 23rd. It should be their fundamental right to stay in this country, and I'm horrified that the Conservative Government doesn't seem to share this view. The Liberal Democrats will continue to speak out to defend the rights of EU migrants living in the UK, so that they can continue to enrich our society and carry on making an invaluable contribution to our public services."
The full exchange in the House of Commons is below:
Norman Lamb MP: Very many of those 110,000 people are now acutely anxious about their future in this country, because of the despicable suggestion that they should be used as a bargaining pawn in negotiations with the EU. Will the Secretary of State ensure that the Government, as a matter of urgency, guarantee their future in this country doing their dedicated work in our NHS and care system?
Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP: I can reassure the right hon. Gentleman that we are incredibly aware of the brilliant work that EU nationals do, not just in the NHS but in the social care system, which he was responsible for, in care homes up and down the country. We recognise that, and I hope that he will be reassured by statements made by the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary yesterday that we want to find a way of allowing those people to stay in the UK for as long as they wish to. We recognise the incredibly valuable contribution that they make, and we are confident in the negotiations ahead that we will be able to secure the outcome that they and we all want.


text: Lindsay & Ryan are from Utah County and came down to go to Lake Powell! They stopped for a session with me on their way and I was so glad because they are such fun and beautiful people! Lindsay owns LC Photography, she does a lot of portrait, family, wedding and fashion photography in the Utah county area and she is amazing at it! She and I have been close for a long time and I am so grateful to be able to capture her and her sweetheart Ryan while they were here in Southern Utah!


text:
Tuesday, 27 December 2016
Day 6 Activity 1
6 comments:
- Mark Barlow said...
Kia ora Harrison! What a great poem!
For the most part when we get another language wrong the locals just laugh. I was once in a restaurant in South Korea and I accidentally called the older woman serving us "Honey" instead of calling out "Over here please" hahaha! All my Korean friends laughed and the older lady was really nice to me all night.
Keep up the great work!
- 28 December 2016 at 11:35
- Harrison said...
My Dad has had one or two of those conversations when we have been in a foreign country...but surley its better to try than be ignorant and expect them to speak our language?!
- 4 January 2017 at 10:46
- Mark Barlow said...
Absolutely agree! I feel it is so rude for travelers to expect all locals to speak English. It is lucky for us though, that English is considered the worlds second language.
- 4 January 2017 at 12:01
- Harrison said...
Well if english is the worlds second language then what is the first?
- 18 January 2017 at 09:11
- Mark Barlow said...
Most countries official language will be their first language.
- 18 January 2017 at 09:31
- Harrison said...
Yeah that is why the world is so unique.
- 23 January 2017 at 15:07


text:
Here's the latest article from the Fiction Writing site at BellaOnline.com.
Magic Bridge - a Review
"It isn't your first meeting, getting married, or making love. It is the strength to do the hardest thing imaginable to ease the suffering of the one you love at the darkest moment of their life " - Thomasina Burke
My Interview with Thomasina Burke
Thomasina Burke, the author of "Magic Bridge", agreed to answer some questions for me. With her permission, I share these answers with you. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.
Continuation of Interview with Thomasina Burke
This is a continuation of my interview with Thomasina Burke
More of Interview with Thomasina Burke
More of my interview with Thomasina Burke
Conclusion of Interview with Thomasina Burke
This is the conclusion of my interview with Thomasina Burke.
Please visit fictionwriting.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Fiction Writing.
To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Fiction Writing located here -
I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I thrive on your feedback!
Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!
Lisa Binion, Fiction Writing Editor
One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com


text:
Nawabi Mutton dum biryani
Nawabi Mutton dum biryani is a one pot dish which is made by cooking meat and rice together with nuts and dry fruits on a slow flame. Nawabi lamb/ Mutton dum Biryani (gosht ki dum biryani), I prepared this for eid- ul -fitr, with nuts and dry fruits. In this, Nawabi mutton dum Biryani, the marinate is easy and I prepared a fragrant and flavoured stock for rice, so that rice absorbs all the flavour and whole spices wont disturb us while eating. I have prepared this lamb biryani as per my taste and with my home made biryani masala. The lamb biryani is full of flavour when cooked with home made biryani masala. The method I used for this lamb biryani is kacche gosht ki biryani style. This means that the meat is marinated with spices, and then half cooked rice layered over marinated meat and cooked on slow flame for 30 to 45 mins depending upon the quantity used. Kacche gosht ki biryani is easy if we cook the rice rightly and leave for dum for the appropriate time.
Dum means simmering or slow cooking process. The lid is sealed over the biryani vessel with wheat dough tightly. You can view in one of my biryani recipe or as a easy process, just close it with a cloth or aluminium foil and then put the lid on tightly. In the marriages, the biryani is cooked on firewood in big vessels, put off the fire and then the hot charcoal is used for dum. Some charcoal is also put on top of the biryani vessel to ensure heat is provided from both top and bottom, which will cook the biryani more evenly. Biryani vessel is sealed with the lid by using wheat dough and then dum is given on a low flame. But at home we can adopt easy process like closing the lid and keeping it inside the oven for dum. You can also give dum in a rice cooker or place a chapathi tava below the biryani vessel to provide heat from the bottom and placing boiling hot water on the top for heat from above, so that the biryani cooks more evenly.
In this Nawabi lamb/mutton dum biryani, I have used 800 gms of lamb/mutton and 500 gms of rice, which is more of meat and less of rice. You can use equal quantity also. The meat I have used is spring lamb, which is tender and gets cooked easily. My butcher sells good quality meat and good quality meat is very much essential for a good biryani.
Serve this Nawabi lamb/Mutton biryani with raitha (yoghurt mixture) or brinjal curry (brinjal pacchadi or yennai kathirikkai (in Tamil)), chicken fry or chicken 65. In Chennai, we serve like this in our home.
Preparation time: 45 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Cuisine: North Indian
Serves: 4 to 5
Spiciness: Medium
- Mutton – 800gms with bones, (medium size)
- Curd – 11/2cup
- Chilli powder – 3tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1tsp
- Biryani masala – 2tsp
- Ginger garlic paste – 2tbsp
- Garam masala – 1tsp
- Oil – 3/4th cup
- Onion – 450gms or 4 big
- Rice – 500 gms
- Water 2litres
- Black cumin or dill seeds – 1tsp
- Black cardamom – 1
- Star anise – 2
- Green cardamom – 10
- Cloves – 10
- Cinnamon stick – 2(1inch)
- Mace – 1flower
- Black pepper seeds -1tsp
- Coriander leaves – 10gms or handful
- mint – 10gms or handful , chopped
- Cashew – 15
- Badam - 15
- Raisins - 2tbsp
- Ghee - 2tbsp
- Yellow colour – a pinch
- Rose water or kewra water – 4tbsp
- Lemon juice – 4tbsp
- Green chillies – 2(chopped)
Frying onion
For cooking rice
Additional ingredients/garnishing
- Slice onion; chop mint and coriander leaves finely or in a food processor.
- Soak almonds in hot water for 30minutes, peel the skin, chop or slice and keep it aside.
- Chop or slice cashew nuts, keep it ready.
- Take a small pan or vessel, heat ghee 1tbsp , when hot add cashew nuts and almonds and raisins, roast until raisin swells up and nuts are golden colour, keep it aside.
- First put all the ingredients in a big vessel or any bowl add all the ingredients and mix it well. Then add mutton pieces and mix well and marinate for 4hrs to overnight in the fridge.
- In the marinate if you want can add the ½ or 50% of fried onions and mix it, if onions are fried in advance, but in this I have not added in the marinate. The pieces of mutton should be in medium size not very big.
- Take a big utensil and add oil. When it gets hot add bay leaves and stir it. Then add onions and fry until it is soft and brown. It will take about 15-20 mins. Stir the onion in between for even colour of the onions. You can close the lid and cook.
- When it is cooked, switch off. Keep the onions ready. In while cook the rice.
- Soak the rice in water for about 1/2 hr. drain and keep it aside.
- Add 1500litres of water to a wider vessel for preparing stock: add all the spices in the water , boil for 5min and simmer for 15min, by closing the lid. Switch off; the stock will be like tea decaution colour or light brown colour.
- Drain the water, the stock is ready.
- Boil the stock, when boil comes, add rice and required amount of salt.
- Boil for about 4 to 5 mins only. The rice has to be cooked roughly about 50%. Drain the rice and rinse under cold tap water to stop further cooking.
- while boiling, do not stir very often as the grains may break. The grains will be longer after cooking, but still raw.
- Put the rice in the wider bowl, add mint, coriander leaves, remaining fried onions(save some fried onions to put on the marinated meat), fried nuts and raisins, yellow or lime colour, rose water add all the garnishing ingredients except lemon juice, green chillies and ghee, mix with the rice, without breaking it. Mix it partly so that white rice is still seen. Keep it aside.
- Add the marinated meat in the same vessel in which onions were cooked, add 50% or ½ of fried onions, mix with the meat. Heat the vessel, keep it at simmer flame.
- Sprinkle again few fried onions evenly on the marinated meat, add the rice on the marinated meat. Spread evenly on the heated marinated mutton.
- Sprinkle few chopped green chillies, lemon juice and ghee on top evenly.
- After the layering is done, keeps the flame to high for about 5 mins until you see some steam coming from the corners below the rice.
- Now immediately put the flame to simmer and then cover the biryani vessel with aluminium foil and close the lid tightly or with wheat dough. After closing the lid, put the flame to high for 5min, then medium flame for 10 and lower the flame 15 min.
- The sign of whether the biryani is cooked and ready is when you can smell its aroma from the nearby rooms.
- Switch off and let it rest for 15 mins. Do not open the lid immediately because the steam inside the vessel will continue to cook the biryani.
- When the biryani is cooked, you need to be careful while serving. Take the biryani out with a wide spoon or a saucer slowly from one side to prevent the rice grains from breaking.
- Serve it with raitha or mirchi ka saalan (chilli curry) or brinjal curry (chutney) or with chicken 65 as a side dish.
There are four stages to cook the nawabi mutton biryani.
1. Marination
2. Cooking rice
3. Layering
4. Dum
Frying the onions
Cooking rice
Layering (mixing marinate and rice)
Dum process
- Instead of putting whole spices in water for the rice, you can put in a muslin cloth, tie and boil and then just remove the muslin cloth.
- Rice should be only 50% cooked. While cooking the rice you can add a few drops of oil or vinegar and while draining wash it under cold water. This will keep the rice grains all nice and separated.
- Rice has to be cooked in advance and kept aside, readily available for layering.
- You can buy ready made good quality biryani masala. If you want to make it yourself, refer to my biryani masala recipe.
- Add salt carefully for the marinade and rice. Divide the salt quantity to portions and add as it will be easier this way and will not risk adding more salt.
- Mix colour with 2 tbsp of water or milk and then add to the rice. Alternatively, you can..


text:
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Most people have been teased at some point in their lives, so what is the difference between teasing and bullying and what is the big deal? When the teasing is meant to be harmful, becomes repetitive and begins to have a negative impact on the person being teased, it crosses the line into bullying. And it does not matter what anyone else thinks, if the person being targeted believes it is bullying, then it is. Their perspective is the most important.
Bullying can be verbal, physical or psychological. It can include hitting, name-calling, avoidance, destroying the victim's property, etc. In addition, with the increase of social media, cyber-bullying is on the rise. Most bullying is targeted towards the same gender, with boys tending to be more physical and girls tending to be more verbal. Bullying most often occurs in school and it can turn daily occurrences such as waiting for the bus or eating lunch into a nightmare. Bullying can lead to emotional, physical and social consequences inclusive of headaches, low self-esteem, depression, substance abuse and even suicidal or homicidal acts. Therefore, bullying IS a big deal and it's important to take it seriously. Here are some tips to help your child or teen deal with bullies.
First, talk about bullying. Start at a young age, making it part of your child's social development. Encourage positive social interactions such as sharing in order to build empathy. Talk about what makes someone a good friend. These strategies are important to both prevent your child from becoming a bully and to help them recognize when they are being bullied. We try to protect our children against danger such as warning them not to talk with strangers. Talking about bullying behavior should be no different. Do not wait until it becomes a problem to talk about it.
Second, listen to your child and ask questions. One of the most important differences between teasing and bullying is how the victim perceives the situation. What one child may take as teasing, may have a significant impact on a different child. Ask your child questions such as how such interactions make them feel. How did they respond? Will the incident alter their behaviors? Ask how you or anyone else may be of help.
Third, watch for signs and symptoms. Your child might not tell you that they are the victim of bullying but their behaviors will. Does your child suddenly not want to attend school? Does your child or teen appear sad, withdrawn or irritable? Do they avoid socializing outside of school? As a parent, you will most likely be able to tell when something is not right with your child or teen. It might take a little investigative work, or even the help of a counselor for your child or teen to talk with, but don't ignore behavioral or emotional signs. Even if you think you are overreacting, it is better to be safe than to be in denial.
Fourth, enhance self-esteem. This is quite important for several reasons. A child or teen with low self-esteem is often an easy target for bullies. And then a cycle is begun, whereby the bullying behavior leads to even lower self-esteem which leads to even more bullying. Also, a higher level of self-esteem is a protective factor against bullying. If your child or teen is teased yet they feel good about themselves, the teasing is less likely to have a negative impact. So, praise your child or teen, focusing on their positive actions and achievements. Involve them in an activity which they enjoy, so that they feel that they have a support group and a space to belong. Encourage them to participate in activities which they are good at. And also encourage them to challenge themselves, as the pride that accompanies overcoming difficulties is a great self-confidence booster.
Finally, the above suggestions also apply if your child IS the bully. After all, children who bully have just as many difficulties as their victims do. Children often bully to gain attention, to feel a sense of power or control and to feel important. This can be taken to mean that bullies often feel a sense of powerlessness or that they feel poorly about themselves. Again, talk with your children, listen to them, pay attention to their behaviors, build their self-esteem and encourage empathy. And above all, do not tolerate meanness, gossip, bigotry, belittling or hatred towards others no matter what!


text:
Butterfly Ideas For Preschoolers
Butterfly Ideas For Preschoolers
Butterfly Ideas For Preschoolers to use in class or at home.
Read the story "A Very Hungry Caterpillar" to the children. Hold up a caterpillar puppet while reading the story to the children. Cut out of construction paper all the food the caterpillar ate in the story. Make a hole in these cutouts big enough to go around your wrist. As you read have the students bring up the food pieces and feed them to the caterpillar by putting them around your wrist.
Sandwich Bag Butterflies: Fill a sandwich bag with precut small squares of colorful tissue paper then use a chenille stem to make the butterfly antenna. It fun and simple!!
We did a week on caterpillars and butterflies. we did it in 5 steps. 1. we had the children put a seed (brown paper cutout) on a leaf (green paper cut out). 2. Then we had the children color clothespins (without the spring) with markers. These are the caterpillars. 3. next we had then decorate a TP roll for a cocoon and had the kids put the caterpillars in them and taped up both ends (it is easier in you tape one end first). 4. Then they decorated coffee filter with markers and glitter, these are the butterfly wings. 5. The teacher must do the next part, we took the caterpillars out and added the wings and tied a string around them so they can fly. On that Friday we had all the children open their cocoons to see if their caterpillar turned into a butterfly! All the kids were amazed!!!! They loved it!! During each day we explained what was what the seed turns into a caterpillar and then goes into a cocoon to turn into a beautiful butterfly. It worked out great!! We also read "The Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle.
Butterfly and its Cocoon
First, take a toilet paper roll and have children paint either green or brown. This is the butterflies cocoon. Then cut out butterflies that are small enough to fit inside the cocoon. and have the children decorate their butterflies any way they want. Then attach a Popsicle stick unto the butterfly. This allows the child to pull the butterfly in and out of its cocoon. The children love this activity. I myself did this with a group of 4 and 5-year-olds.
To make butterflies I used snack size baggies. We filled the baggies with torn pieces of tissue paper in assorted colors. We then closed the baggies and wrapped a pipe cleaner in the middle and twisted them into antennae.
Butterfly Ideas For Preschoolers
Butterfly Ideas For Preschoolers to use in class or at home.


text:
Every year, I look forward to playing with the waterproof camera case at the beach. It's just so much fun messing around with it and then seeing what was actually captured. This year, we got some winners.
Does anyone else think I look like Ann (Her?), from Arrested Development, in this picture?


text:
A homicide investigation is underway after a man was found stabbed to death in a San Francisco park early Thursday, police said.
The body was discovered by a passing jogger in Bernal Heights Park and reported to police around 5:30 a.m.
Paramedics were called to the scene, but police declared the man dead on arrival. Sources told NBC Bay Area that the body was "badly mutilated."
Footage from the crime scene appeared to show a camouflage-print knife sheath.
Neighbors are understandably concerned. Juanita Contreras lives nearby and brings her dog to the park. She was disturbed to hear about the discovery of the body.
"When I knew how close it was, it was very scary because this has been a very quiet neighborhood, especially since high-end real estate has come to this area," Contreras said. "We were just talking about how we were walking there late last night. It could have been right when this was happening. We didn't see anything."
San Francisco police say they don't believe it's random, and neighbors shouldn't be concerned for their safety. But they added that they would be increasing patrols in the area.
The police department's homicide division is looking into the case. As of Thursday morning, the city's medical examiner said the body has not yet been identified.
Supervisor Hilary Ronen and police department representatives will host a community meeting next Wednesday to share what they know and address concerns.
People with information are asked to called the San Francisco police tip line at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with "SFPD."


text:
Got Bed Bugs? Bedbugger Forums » Detection / Identification of bed bugs
bug identification [a: pubic louse, crab louse](11 posts)
I have recently visited a dermatologist about some bites in a shape of a dotted line along the scrotum.She told me that these were bed bugs bites. She prescribed me a lotion and an ointment and told me to spray my mattress and wash my clothes.
Today i found near this area a bug attached on my skin. Do you know what kind of bug this is?
Find another Dermatologist. Preferably one who doesn't practice pest control on the side.
Looks like pubic lice to me.
[+] Embed the video Get the Video Widget
KQ-- Good share! I changed it to the "long link" so it would embed.I started and run the site but am "not an expert."
Definitely lice.
I would let your dermatologist and his/her office know. That's some serious malpractice. I've noticed that NYC doctors seem to be really confident to make that call. A number of peoe have told me that their infestations were diagnosed by their doctor. :-/
Dear xrokos,
Unfortunately, your critter appears to be pubic lice or Pthirus pubis (aka crab lice or crabs). These guys pretty much would be found on you in the pubic region. Ointments prescribed for the treatment may also be availabel OTC (over the counter). Basically, these are applied topically and contain insecticides in a soap/shampoo base.
Sorry you're dealing with this, hope this helps ! paul b.
Thank you for your quick response. I am actually shocked that i have found a lice. I was convinced that those bites were from bed bugs because the marks were in a shape of a straight line. Can lice cause that?
Is there a way that i was bitten by bed bugs and i now also have pubic lice? The thing is that i do care for my personal hygiene, take showers daily, and the place where i live is new so i couldn't imagine that i would have such problem!
A doctor prescribed me a benzyl benzoate 25% lotion, will this lotion work?
Nope, that's just for the itching. If you went to school in the US and dealt with headlice, it's the same sort protocol and over the counter meds. (RID is what my mom used.) Pubic lice are related to head lice.
I would speak with you doctor about the symptoms of pubic lice. She or He may not have recognized the problem since they were focused on BB and not crabs.
If your skin is reactive, it will react when bitten. Any insect that walks as it bites produces a line of bites. That's why a line of bites isn't really proof of BB.
The specimen is a pubic louse (lice is plural). Pthirus pubis is the creature you found (or it found you). It's an insect that is normally transferred by close contact between people. It doesn't live off the host and then climb on (like a bed bug) to feed. The insect order is Phthiraptera. It's not a spelling error, but that's how the spelling is. Arthropoda: Insecta: Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Pthiridae.
Just a little background in the nomenclature of this insect (from phthiraptera.info)
The Pubic Louse was first described and named in1758, by Linnaeus as Pediculus pubis. In 1815 Leach established the genus Pthirus, and included therein a single species; Pediculus pubis Linnaeus. It is not clear if Leach, or the type-setter, dropped the first "h" in the Greek word Phthirus. Two years later Leach referred to this species as "Phthirus" pubis (Linnaeus). From that time to the present, the generic name has been spelled both ways. However, the generic name was fixed in 1958 as Pthirus (Hemming, 1958, in "Official List of Generic Names in Zoology," Opinion 104). Thus the binomial name for the Pubic Louse is Pthirus pubis (Linnaeus, 1758). No other scientific names are acceptable. "Linnaeus" is placed within parentheses indicating that this was not the original genus in which the author placed this species. This genus, with two species (P. pubis, and P. gorillae) is the only genus in the family Pthiridae, the family name being based upon the generic name. Confusion has been perpetuated by the now common use of the ordinal name Phthiraptera for lice. The names of orders need not be based on the names of lower taxa, thus Haeckel (1896) was free to use the properly spelled Phthirus as the root Phthiraptera for the insect order containing all lice.
Your doctor shouldn't be giving out pest control info, especially if the pest species has been incorrectly determined. Don't identify insect species by 3 bites in a row. Sometimes this louse species is known from eyelashes and from under arms in the hairy region.Professional entomologist/arachnologist. I consult on all matters dealing with insects and arachnids, including those of natural history and biology to pest management and forensic entomology investigations.
Bed bugs aren't typically known to bite down there anyway.
You must log in to post.


text: Randal Sep 12, 2017 Hey gtluke I'm new to mtbnj and I recently got my Stumpjumper Stolen. Do you have any suggestion? I did post on this mtbnj but not sure if I did it correctly for people to see it??? http://www.mtbnj.com/forum/threads/500-reward-specialzed-stumpjumper.43116/ Thanks for any help you can give. Randal


text:
About Us
The National Information Commission (NIC) was established in 2008 as an independent body for the implementation of Right to Information as per the provisions of the RTI Act.It is responsible for the protection, promotion and practice of RTI in Nepal. The Government of Nepal constituted the Commission comprising of one chief commissioner and two commissioners. The other staff of NIC are allocated by the Government of Nepal. Currently, there are 32 staff appointed by Government. In order to conduct its duties effectively, NIC has created total of 5 divisions,namely Planning and Promotion section, Administration Section, Appeal section, Account Section, and Monitoring Section.
Mr. Krishnahari Baskota
Chief Information Commisioner
Mr. Kiran Kumar Pokharel
Information Commissioner
Ms. Yashoda Devi Timsina
Information Commissioner / Spokesperson
Mr. Mani Ram Ojha


text:
Contact us via e-mail, give us a call - it will be nice to meet your expectations about professional app design. We will do our best to answer your high demands.
App Development: Bespoke Software for your Business
We are an app development group specialising in delivery of mobile and web applications driven by businesses. Our passion is to make good use of your unique idea. Our team has many years of experience in a wide range of IT projects in various industries, listening to your wishes, having excellent teamwork and a stable scientific history, we are able to achieve perfect results.
Our Ethics
Our company place you and your customers first, and make the applications that people want to use. As our developers create useful and efficient software programs, we decide the priority of users regardless of whether they are employees or customers. Our development company carefully develops behind-the-scenes functions and intuitive design, and ensures that your products add value to the business.
Our developers do not enter into harsh words or uncertainty as they need your participation to meet all your requirements. Your comments are important because the company lifts the veil at all stages of the software creation process.
We are committed to simplicity. Even if your projects involve a robust integration of features, our programmers team is looking for a simple solution that does not surprise complex users. Our team believes that simple and effective programs are the most sophisticated and that our job is to transform the most complex into simple.
Quality assurance is not just a sound for us. Our developers and app designers run a series of quality control tests to make high quality products and to ensure that your application works well and meets all standards. Your benefit is an important reputation for your business and our development team does not want to compromise even less designed apps. You are our business partner and we sincerely wish you the ultimate success.
Development of Custom Apps
Our creative IT agency focuses on the following two main objectives, tailored to your specific needs and business objectives.
- We create an attractive and attractive experience for the client.
Business applications are popular not only to promote business, but also to provide new opportunities for customers and improve access to services and products. In addition, developers use advanced technology to create high-performance tools with interactive, intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces.
- Automate and rationalize internal processes.
Technology has a great impact on business. Smart implementation will help to significantly improve business and the withdrawal of competitors. Our digital development agency can always get the most secure tool to optimize the workflow and make the company mobile.
Control and manage staff, analyze large amounts of data with just a few clicks, simply concentrate on business, keep loyal customers, attract new things. We are ready to offer our services.
Business Software Solutions
The use of smartphones and tablets has increased, and business mobilization is needed. Not only complicated web systems but also mobile applications will improve the efficiency, security and productivity of the company. Our mobile design agency has developed a scalable and stable indiscriminate software tool for large companies for five years and has extensive experience to help you better understand different industries, departments and business objectives. I'm getting experience This knowledge will help you develop secure and functional cross-platform applications no matter how challenging your work is. Our software development company can meet all your requirements.
App for Small Businesses
One of the best ways for SMEs to grow is to become mobile. The app of my small business drastically affects businesses and greatly expands the reach of the audience. Our developers are based on current knowledge about what is going to work and if we can not offer our clients a proposal to make their business evolve. Like a professional applications company in the United States, it offers very attractive applications that they like and interest users. Our development team will visualize your concept and deliver an impressive mobile app.
Our experienced company staff cooperate with major UK brands and start-ups to provide quality and efficient apps. Our design and development agency offer a range of services to help customers identify appropriate mobile and online strategies for services and products. Our software company not only designs and develops software programs, but also launches projects and helps develop the monetization strategy to provide support later. Our software programmer and designer team will help update software tools based on increasing demands, user comments and analysis. Our service accepts the complete life cycle of the app creation process, from the determination of the basic ideas to the beginning of the fully customized app. Whether it's a big project or a small project, the development team is always here to make your idea happen.
Our new development company will provide a website that will pay attention to the perfect combination of the powerful functionality and appearance of the web app. The quality of our products guarantees their sustainability and success. Our local web developers deliver high quality, scalable web applications using the latest and most advanced technologies, such as corporate coding standards, HTML 5, PHP, JavaScript, CSS 3, ASP.NET.
We rely on the experience of understanding the users' expectations about the navigation and the usability of the applications so that users can experience comfortably using the apps. In addition, a UK development company will ensure that your web program obtains the visual identity of your company. Our expert developers use a rich and robust framework to create a program that surprises its functionality. There is a solution for every challenging problem, our team consists of those who know what it is about.
The Amerikan software development agency creates personalized and customized applications to meet your business requirements and the needs of your customers. Our team of developers speaks fluently numerous programming languages and is made up of highly trained experts who can create applications on iOS, Android, Windows or cross-platform apps. Therefore, if you expand your business activities to the world of mobile devices and already want to get a brief idea of a project or, at least, a desirable result, the expert will guide you to avoid all the inconveniences from planning to publication. Analysts also provide advice on generating income and can help you update and manage your app on a regular basis.
Certified developers of iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry applications have exclusive access to multiple resources, libraries and IT tools. By combining this base with extensive experience, you can turn your idea into a development case. You can also rely on open, honest and long-term relationships.
iOS provides the most stable and secure platform to achieve business objectives without problems. As part of mobile development services, trained software programmers offer a smooth and sophisticated iPhone app design. Through the use of native and multiplatform app creation technologies, developers can offer an excellent user experience, an excellent user interface and a unique functionality for apps.
The Android platform has the largest smartphone market share and can connect it with a large audience. The IT team can provide development services for the Android operating system. While Android has many devices, developers will pay attention to the appearance of the app and provide an excellent user experience with all screen sizes and resolutions. Ultimately, we will deliver attractive features and high quality products.
Unlike iOS and the Android platform, Windows is less common, but there are still around 50 million users to consider. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. Many people think that the Windows Phone operating system is a promising alternative to the current market leader. In addition, the .NET development know-how trusts that the software company can provide a first-class Windows Phone app.
Conceivable Functions
We are excited about innovative technologies and the development team is responding to the latest trends, allowing you to realize your ideas. We know how to develop applications with huge features that software programmers can implement. The list of functions that teams can integrate is infinite, depending on the content of the project. Allow me to present some examples.
- Search system: a way to efficiently navigate within the app.
- Insertion notification: opportunity to notify users about business, even when the app is not running. Everything, from calendar events to reminders and new data from remote servers, is possible.
- Analysis: programmers can integrate reporting systems that help monitor, analyze and improve user activity.
- User registration: an easy way to gather information about users and customize their content at another time.
- Database integration: the ability to process a large amount of data and keep the information updated at all times.
- Maps and geographic information: you can use maps to show routes and locate nearby places.
- Live chat: improves direct communication and availability with users.
- Share social networks: a way to advertise brands and gain trust and reputation.
- Although these functions first came to our mind, we can make the list significantly longer. If you can imagine, our team can do it.
Are you looking for app developers in the UK?
We are an application development company that knows the job. We have analyzed, designed and developed commercial applications for 5 years. We also offer the following apps:
- Provide users with a superior user experience, an incredible interface, solid features and regular updates.
- Jump on the market with new MVP (simple digital version of your idea).
- We handle the problem creatively and efficiently and meet all the requirements.
- Including the source code, it is completely from the client.
- It works well and meets all the criteria of quality control.
We are experts who can turn your vision into a real app. Then call us and talk about what we can do for you.


text:
No doubt Metairie, Louisiana is a great place to call home. But we're also no strangers to wet weather, flooding and all the plumbing issues that come with it. That's why Roto-Rooter plumbers in Metairie are here 24/7 to provide full-service emergency repairs and plumbing maintenance, whether you need a wet basement fixed, a clogged drain cleared, a leaky faucet silenced or just routine sewer and drain cleaning. We offer quality Metairie plumbing services to homes and businesses, not to mention estimates we stand by and high-quality, guaranteed work.
Always get a little nervous about your basement when it rains? Sump pumps should be inspected a few times each year to see if they are operating correctly. The easiest way to inspect your sump pump is to pour some water into the sump pit until the pump kicks on and cycles. This process is simple and only takes a couple minutes. Don't wait until your basement floods. Our plumbers in Metairie know everything there is to know about sump pump repair. So if you have a question or don't want to deal with the problem or maintenance yourself, contact us anytime.
Don't wait until something breaks! Make sure to take a look at our affordable preventive maintenance products for both homes and businesses. Better and stronger than the over-the-counter stuff, our complete line of drain care products are effective, environmentally-safe and your satisfaction is guaranteed! This will help to cut back on any future repair costs, saving you time, money, and frustration down the line.
When water doesn't stay where it's supposed to, our Metairie water damage restoration experts are at-the-ready to handle flooded basements, broken pipes, overflowing tubs and toilets, heavy rains, sewer line backups and other water issues. Roto-Rooter's IICRC certified water cleanup professionals are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will respond quickly to minimize damage to your property.
Homeowners everywhere have relied on Roto-Rooter since 1935 for honest, professional advice on all types of plumbing and drain cleaning services. Large jobs or small, we do it all:
Counties: Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, Saint Bernard, Saint Charles, Saint Mary, St John The Baptist, St. Bernard, St. Charles, Terrebonne
Have a Plumbing Question?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions section to find answers to our top plumbing questions.
Master Plumber LMP #6191
Proud Member of:
Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans
Apartment Association of Houma


text:
A graveside service will be at Mt. Carmel Cemetery on Fobes Road Saturday, May 6 from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Parking is limited.
"Coho salmon far out at sea, A mighty hand doth summon thee
As I stood there, listening to the creek water run, Bob's voice rise and fall with
cadence of the words, I understood the life cycle of these incredible fish. For the November afternoon, it was still pretty green in the trees, but some "brown and gold" leaves had begun to fall. It was moving.
"Bordered on the west by Puget Sound,
Check out our online Publications!
Best seen in the Firefox or Chrome Browsers


text:
Man Charged for Willfully Exposing Ex-Boyfriend, 24 Other Men to HIV
The San Diego City Attorney's Office has charged Thomas Guerra, 29, for knowingly exposing an ex-boyfriend to HIV, who is now testing positive. After Guerra's ex filed a report with police, Guerra has been accused of infecting 24 other men with HIV.
Guerra's first, unnamed accuser told the San Diego ABC affiliate 10News that he had been dating Guerra for a year and in a matter of hours before a planned proposal, was messaged by a man on Facebook claiming to be an ex of Guerra's who told him of his positive status.
"I don't even know who I was living with. I don't know who I had fallen in love with," the man told 10News. "There are many people who are being hurt and could potentially still be hurt. It needs to stop."
The man also told CBS8 that he discovered a number of text messages on Guerra's phone allegedly implicating him.
"Texts where he's stating he's negative to people then bragging to others about giving people his 'positive load,'" he told CBS8. "It's crude, it's...I don't know how someone could treat another individual like that."
Guerra, who is also known as Ashton Chavez, currently faces a maximum of six months in prison and a $1,000 fine. More from CBS8:
The original accuser in the case is another man who once dated Guerra. But that alleged victim has provided San Diego police with additional text messaging records that he hopes could prompt prosecutors to upgrade the case to a felony, punishable by up to eight years in prison.
"I want him to get help. I don't want people being hurt," Guerra's accuser told ABC10. "It's the only reason why I am speaking out."


text:
One of the classic "C" hops of American craft beer, many acres in Oregon and Washington are under Centennial. Bred in 1974 and released in 1990, its complex parentage includes Brewers Gold, Fuggle, and East Kent Goldings. Centennial is a dual-purpose variety with high alpha acids and excellent aromatic capabilities. It's widely used as a finishing or dry hop as a stand-alone variety or part of a blend. The flavor and aroma notes are predominantly citrusy but with undertones of lemongrass and pine needles often evident.
|Hop Type:
|United States
|Alpha Acid:
|7 - 12%
|Similar Varieties:
|Cascade, Columbus
|Common Styles:
|American style Pale Ale, IPA, Stout, Blond Ale, Wheat Ale
Hop Storage Policy
To preserve freshness, all of our hops are stored frozen in nitrogen flushed; oxygen and light barrier foil packages. Hops lot codes are available on request.
Hop vendor and package printing may vary depending on market availability.
Some 1lb hops are stored in our off-site freezer facility. You can confirm the hops are in store and ready for pickup by placing an in store pickup order and waiting for a ready pickup confirmation. In store pickup orders placed by 2:00 PM are ready for pickup after 3:00 PM.


text:
Events in Pennsylvania – BY COUNTY – Index
This is our PA County Index page providing links to each of our 67 Pennsylvania County Events Index Pages where you will find lists of events with vendors such as arts and crafts shows, craft fairs, vendor events, fairs, festivals, farm shows, county fairs, trade shows, bridal shows, expos, flea markets, antique shows, collector events, community and town yard sales, and other Pennsylvania events that include vendors.
Scroll down a little and you can use our map – just click on the county of your choice to go that county's Index Page.
Our County Indexes list events two different ways – once BY LOCATION so you can find events listed in alphabetical order by city or town – and also BY DATE so you can find all events listed in date order for that county.
Adams •• Allegheny •• Armstrong •• Beaver •• Bedford •• Berks •• Blair •• Bradford •• Bucks •• Butler •• Cambria •• Cameron •• Carbon •• Centre •• Chester •• Clarion •• Clearfield •• Clinton •• Columbia •• Crawford •• Cumberland •• Dauphin •• Delaware •• Elk •• Erie •• Fayette •• Forest •• Franklin •• Fulton •• Greene •• Huntingdon •• Indiana •• Jefferson •• Juniata •• Lackawanna •• Lancaster •• Lawrence •• Lebanon •• Lehigh •• Luzerne •• Lycoming •• McKean •• Mercer •• Mifflin •• Monroe •• Montgomery •• Montour •• Northampton •• Northumberland •• Perry •• Philadelphia •• Pike •• Potter •• Schuylkill •• Snyder •• Somerset •• Sullivan •• Susquehanna •• Tioga •• Union •• Venango •• Warren •• Washington •• Wayne •• Westmoreland •• Wyoming •• York
Looking for events by date (for the entire state of Pennsylvania)?
See our Index for PA Events by Month – Click Here
Looking for PA County Fairs?
See our page with a sortable table to search by date, county, location, etc.
Click Here for PA County Fairs
Links to other Official Websites for Pennsylvania Events:
- Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs
Search for Pennsylvania Fairs – A to Z; Pennsylvania Fairs by Date; Pennsylvania Fairs by Region.
Website: http://www.pafairs.org
- Pennsylvania Visitors Network
Travel, recreation, history, maps, books, real estate, news and more.
Website: http://www.pavisnet.com
- Visit PA
Official tourism Website of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Website: http://www.visitpa.com
- International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE)
Mission: To represent and facilitate the interests of agricultural fairs, exhibitions, and show associations.
Website: http://www.fairsandexpos.com
Other helpful links (thanks to our visitor, Linda!):
- Area Codes for PA: https://www.allareacodes.com/pennsylvania.htm
- Zip Codes for PA: https://www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/pa
Click here to submit a new event listing
(only events with vendors please)
or to request a revision to an existing event listing.
See our other Websites:
Delaware: DE-Vendors.com
Maryland: MD-Vendors.com
New Jersey: NJ-Vendors.com


text:
According to the latest of Auto Bild, the next generation BMW 1 Series due out in 2016 will make use of the new front-wheel drive architecture. The FWD platform (UKL) was recently previewed in the BMW Concept Active Tourer and the same one will be used in the F56 MINI. The platform also provides the ability to use an all-wheel drive setup.
Along with the new venture into the world of front-wheel drive vehicle, BMW will also enter the market with a new family of engine: three cylinder turbos with a displacement of 1.5 liter. The small turbo will power some of the 1 Series models, while the four-cylinder powerplants will provide more power to the higher-end 1er models.
The Bavarians are also hard at work to build the first 1 Series Sedan, a vehicle that would provide direct competition to similar offerings from Mercedes-Benz and Audi. The Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLS-CLA are also offered in a front-wheel drive or all-drive option.
Pricing of the 1 Series sedan is rumored to be around 4,000 euros less than the 3 Series sedan.
With dimensions and proportions growing with every generation of new BMWs, the company sees the opportunity in offering a smaller, dynamic sedan that will provide enough space for those customers upgrading from 1 Series hatchback.
Read: The Spun Bearing: Thoughts On the UKL Class Cars, Mercedes-Benz Platforms, and the HB Coupe


text:
TechAFX AN Fittings & Hose
What it is: TechAFX BlackWrap PTFE AN fuel hose and fittings Why you care: BlackWrap is an affordable, enthusiast-build PTFE hose that has the high-tech OEM black lookwhile providing the performance of a PTFE hose/fitting assembly. BlackWrap features a black nylon outer covering over a stainless steel braid to provide an abrasion resistant hose that looks great with TechAFX black aluminum AN fittings. As with all TechAFX PTFE hoses, BlackWrap features a smoothbore, conductive PTFE core to provide years of maintenance-free service when exposed to todays fuels AND it addresses issues with fuel flow static buildup. How much: TechAFX Blackwrap hose and AN fittings are available in -6, -8 and even -10 sizesat about half what most competitors charge for black PTFE AN hose We say: PTFE conductive core hose solves the problem of fuel prematurely destroying rubber hose AND your car smelling like gas when sitting in the garagesounds good to us!
New Products For December - TechAFX AN Fittings & Hose
Your IP Address is: 220.127.116.11
Copyright © 2019 Singlefinger Speed Shop. Powered by Zen Cart


text:
The MCVL was formed in the summer of 2014 and is the eighth NCAA men's volleyball conference in NCAA Division III.
The MCVL inaugural season began in January 2015 and included Benedictine University, Carthage College, Dominican University, Fontbonne University, Lakeland College, Loras College, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and Mount St. Joseph University.
The MCVL was formed after six institutions (Carthage, Dominican, Fontbonne, Lakeland, MSOE and Mount St. Joseph) decided to split from the their previous conference affiliation, the Continental Volleyball Conference. Benedictine and Loras were added to the newly formed conference which is based in the Midwest.
In the winter of 2016, Adrian College, Greenville College, Marian University (Wis.), North Central College, Olivet College and Wittenberg University joined the MCVL to bring conference membership to 14. For the first time in league history, the teams were split into two divisions. This change lasted one year and was discontinued when Benedictine, Dominican, Lakeland, MSOE and Marian left the league.
Prior to the 2018 season, Augustana was officially welcomed into the league to bring the current membership to 10 schools.


text:
James Gunn Finally Reveals What Kurt Russell's Doing In Guardians 2
If you didn't know that Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn also happens to be a writer, look no further than his Facebook page for proof of his rambling way with words. Following last weekend's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Gunn took to Facebook and shared all the crucial details with fans who weren't able to attend the event. (Sadly, you'll have to wait a while to see those three exclusive clips that screened at Comic-Con.) Most importantly, he finally answered one of the most burning questions in all of superherodom: What's Kurt Russell doing in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?
As you may have already heard, Gunn confirmed that Russell is playing Peter Quill's father, contradicting an inaccurate November "spoiler" from Bradley Cooper. Marvel buffs will be especially intrigued to learn that Quill's father is none other than Ego the Living Planet. "Yeah, his dad is a planet," Gunn wrote. "Sort of. It will all be explained in the film. But to me, this is the absolute center of Vol. 2, and one of the reasons I've been so excited about it."
Gunn went on to explain that the absurdity of Rocket Raccoon is what drew him to the series in the first place—and Ego is a logical extension of that. "Ego seemed, in many ways, like an even more ridiculous character," he explained. "But I asked myself, if a planet was alive, how could that be? And how could it father a child? The answers to those questions took me to a far deeper place that I expected. I don't want to give away too many answers at this time. But what Nova Prime said about Peter's father at the end of Vol. 1 is certainly true—he is something ancient and unknown."
Finally, Gunn offered praise for the '80s legend responsible for playing Ego: "I can't wait for you guys to see Kurt Russell bring this character to life onscreen. It has been a rapturous experience creating Ego with him. We have both pushed ourselves as far as we can go in making him real, and grounded, and emotionally centered."
For a more detailed recap, be sure to read Gunn's post in its entirety—and watch highlights from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 panel below.