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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is on the brink of another recession. A faltering financial industry, escalating energy costs, and sky-high material costs all play into our economic insecurities. Not surprisingly, electrical contracting firms are experiencing delayed project starts, slower paying customers, and tighter credit restrictions. The first reaction by many has been to batten down the hatches and prepare for the worst. But is that the right approach for your firm? Does it make sense to downsize a business when another economic upswing could be right around the corner?
The good news is that recessions are a logical phase in every business cycle — one that often follows a period of economic exuberance. Simply put, they are a natural reflection of the market to close one cycle before starting another. Instead of fearing recessions, electrical contractors should actively position themselves to leverage the next logical step in the economic flow — innovation and corporate growth. This article offers eight ways to proactively move your organization into a position that will help you achieve higher levels of corporate value.
- Offering relevance
Do your products and services still make sense? Are your customers able to easily espouse your corporate value proposition, or have your offerings gone the way of the "wagon wheel" — those that are still useful but hardly effective in the new technological age? The reality is most businesses cling far too long to their treasured products and services, such as pulling wire and cable, hoping that new pockets of customers can be found to revive ailing revenue achievements. The truth is, with revenues slowing down, electrical contractors are in an ideal position to invest in simple forms of market research and predictive environmental analysis.
Predictive environmental analysis looks at economic factors that impact the strategic direction of a business. For example, there are a large number of foreign investors buying up U.S. properties these days — undoubtedly a response to the weak U.S. dollar. Will changes in building ownership have an impact on the products/services in the electrical contracting market? Certainly, with the global visibility of the energy conservation movement, "new" building owners may wish to introduce products from their respective countries as a way to penetrate the U.S. market. For example, Chinese building owners may seek energy improvements through the introduction of improved photovoltaic products while an ownership group from Finland may be focused on innovative ways to use wireless technologies. These products may not represent new technologies, but international business owners may have certain biases toward using products from their own countries. Understanding the culture of the new owners may go a long way toward securing new long-term business.
Your customer marketplace is always evolving — usually in response to economic factors. Where will your new customers come from? What products and services will be needed to satisfy your evolving marketplace? What will be the impact of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro on your customers and your business? How can you get your offerings portfolio ready to meet the next business cycle?
- Asset usability
In periods of economic exuberance, businesses waste corporate resources. After all, when times are good, why should business owners be interested in squeezing a little more out of their asset pool? However, when a recession is looming and financials start tumbling downward, owners frantically seek to exploit hidden value from their organizations — often making the mistake of jettisoning assets that appear worthless. Although maximizing corporate value should be a full-time effort regardless of the business phase, it's only during recessionary periods that owners are motivated to take action.
The biggest mistake electrical contractors make when a recession hits is to fire trained service employees on the last-in, first-out basis. Instead, take a critical look at your workforce. Do you have long-term employees that are, at best, marginal workers? Likewise, do you have some new employees that were hired during the last economic peak that show a great deal of promise but lack seasoning? Ask yourself the simple question: On which employees do you want to bank your next business cycle?
Under-performing customers is another area that should be reviewed from an asset usability standpoint. Many electrical contractors sell "one-off" offerings to their customer base — that is, they only sell a single item or service with no form of follow — on selling. What results is a large customer base that yields a relatively low revenue-per-customer metric (total firm revenue divided by the number of customers). The goal should be to mimic the largest customer in your firm — where all customers attain the same revenue figure as your largest customer.
- A time to buy
Recessions create wonderful opportunities to buy undervalued businesses. Debt-wary business owners are often stuck between declaring bankruptcy or finding a suitable buyout partner. Like well-groomed vultures, investors carefully pick at folding business carcasses — looking for any morsel that can be had for a song. Low-cost growth — the result of buying undervalued assets — is a legitimate and attractive business growth strategy.
The practice of selling off distressed businesses has become so prevalent that a number of "cottage" industries have been created. Internet and live auctions of business "lots" have exposed larger populations to potential assets and, at the same time, increased the value of each "lot" sale. Realtors have started "bus tours" of foreclosed properties in hopes of reviving an ailing housing market. If growth continues to be your business objective, recessions provide a ready market for fueling your next evolutionary cycle.
But what type of business should the owner of an electrical contracting firm look to buy? The answer revolves around the principle of horizontal and vertical market expansion — a topic more fully explained in "The Power of the R5 Business Model," from EC&M's August 2007 issue on page C20. In short, horizontal expansion is defined as moving into markets that are logical extensions of your current business model while vertical expansion relies on maintaining a subset of your existing customer base and adding niche offerings that satisfy a smaller percentage of that base. For an electrical contractor interested in horizontal expansion, the acquisition of a security monitoring firm may provide a logical extension from its current offering of installing low-voltage closed-circuit television monitors. Conversely, if the electrical contracting firm is looking at vertical expansion options, the acquisition of a long-term maintenance firm that monitors the condition of electrical equipment might be a good move. Either way, during a recessionary period, there are often deals to be had for a fraction of their true value, allowing aggressive electrical contractors to grow at a relatively low cost.
- Non-core distractions
In periods of economic slowdown, owners spend an inordinate amount of time "trying to optimize" the sales, marketing, finance, and administrative activities — an effort more akin to reshuffling deck chairs on a sinking ship. It's a nonproductive use of time as these functions are non-core activities, which have little (if any) impact on overall corporate value. Instead, resources should be expended on refining the core functions of the business: operations and delivery. These are the real value and differentiation that set your business apart from its competitors.
Of course, that's not to say there aren't opportunities to reduce costs and increase productivity in these non-core functions. After all, operational gurus know it's possible to reduce the cost of any business by 20% without negatively impacting the entity's productive output. What's important to remember is the basis for savings is less about refining the current practices and more about completely changing the way you do business. Are you really willing to significantly overhaul your non-core functions during a recessionary period?
Although the prudent answer to the question is "no," many of you will still seek to extract some level of savings from these non-core activities. Should you venture down that path, there is one word that should be uppermost on your mind as you start this process: outsourcing. For nearly every electrical contracting business, there is an ability to completely outsource your non-core activities. On-line (on-demand) accounting systems can now be leased for as little as $20 a month — allowing you to pass off all the responsibilities of technology ownership (i.e., upgrades, backups, maintenance). Other applications associated with customer relationship databases, inventory, and dispatching can all be found in solution packages that eliminate the need to maintain any software at your site. The cost savings and operational advantages are substantial — but are you willing to make these changes during a recessionary period?
- Reinvesting in your short-term future
No, this is not the time to buy any long-term assets like new office furniture or service trucks. However, with lower levels of employee productivity, it may make sense to upgrade the skills of your workforce. Most business owners can rationalize the value of employee training but are hesitant to take them away from revenue-generating activities in periods of high productivity. Now, as customer markets cool, employees are looking for ways to increase their value to your business.
Employee training can take many forms — although technology training appears to generate the most valuable return. Whether it's learning how to master new products in your industry or interacting with new computer applications, the ability to keep employees abreast of industry changes only increases their value once the recessionary period passes.
Training also serves another purpose. It takes the employees' mind off the recession and settles their fears of losing their jobs. Skittish employees will often jump to a competitive firm in hopes of retaining a paycheck — taking with them both corporate knowledge and, in some cases, customers. Employees that see their employer actively increasing their value to the market are less likely to leave — feeling a moral indebtedness to their employer.
- Resolve the need vs. want argument
When an employee enters my office with a purchase request, the immediate argument in my head is whether this purchase solves a need or a want. In simple terms, a "need" is an item that will increase the productivity and revenues (or profits) immediately and has an established return on investment that can be measured. Conversely, a "want" often replaces an existing item that has grown out-of-favor due to style or age. I will always listen to a "need" argument and very quickly silence a "want" discussion.
Recessions have a way of moving the demarcation line between need and want. Although your business may want new computers, the reality is that your current technological setup, though aged, will certainly do the job until the recession breaks. Technology represents a long-term asset — a purchase that has a professed useful life of at least three years. But here's an interesting fact — even though the technology experts will tell you it is prudent to replace your computers every three years, most firms are able to effectively conduct business on the same technology platforms for five to seven years. Therefore, technology purchases are rarely a "need."
- Take your vacation now
Believe it or not, recessions provide the best time for business owners to take a vacation. In periods of economic downturn, where you do not have any ability to change the business cycle, sometimes the best advice is to recharge your batteries. There is nothing you can do to speed up a recession. The best you can do is to be effectively positioned when the recession ends — and being well-rested is a big piece of your future success.
Think back for a moment. When was the last time you took a vacation? Like most business owners, peak periods of activity necessitate you being fully engaged in every business decision. Did you take a vacation during your last busy period? Doubtful. So, when will you be able to refresh your outlook, enjoying the benefits of owning your own firm?
After running my own firm for years, I have learned that business cycles are predictable and should be leveraged for the value you can obtain during each phase. Recessions, a natural part of every business cycle, provide a respite for every weary owner. Missing the chance to recharge your batteries puts you in a deficit position when the next cycle starts.
- The recession will end
Business cycles are a reflection of your industry. For dynamic industries (i.e., media), the entire business cycle may only be 18 months while, for more conservative industries (i.e., construction), the cycle may last for 10 to 15 years. The good news is that most electrical contracting firms have a business cycle of three to five years — meaning by the time you read this article, your next business cycle is about to begin.
Business cycles consist of five phases: research, release, reward, reinvest, and review. In the same EC&M article referred to earlier, the definitions of these five phases are provided. In short, most electrical contractors are in their review phase — a period where revenues have dropped off dramatically and some form of business transformation must take place to enter the new business cycle. Unfortunately, the mistake most new business owners make is trying to work harder and not smarter. The marketplace has changed, so you must adapt to survive.
Old-time electrical contractors will often share stories of their own business evolution. If they have been in business for 30 years, you can almost bet that most have modified their business at least six times over that time frame to remain in business. That doesn't mean every evolution is successful. Sometimes predicted market changes either never materialize or are trumped by larger economic issues. Right now we are in such a situation — where the recession has moved all electrical contracting businesses back to the business cycle starting line.
When will your recession end? Based on the duration of your business cycle, most electrical contractors can estimate a recessionary period of approximately six to eight months. That period of time represents a small window in which to prepare for the next business cycle. Are you ready for your next business cycle?
The next logical question you should be asking yourself is when you can expect your next reward phase — the period of overwhelming revenues. Again, using the typical duration an electrical contracting business cycle, you should be enjoying your next "boom" period in approximately two years. Congratulations, your next up cycle is clearly in sight!
Recessions are periods of corporate rebirth. Although many owners flounder while seeking resolution, it's the prudent owner who realizes recessions are part of every economic cycle and an opportunity to reestablish one's firm in a new competitive light. Focus on predicting your next market demand and position your firm to reap the benefits of the next upward economic swing.
Dawson is managing director of LTV Dynamics, an international sales management and business-consulting firm in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at [email protected]


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The Book of the Thames from its Rise to its Fall. Note the horse pulling the small canalboat.. 1859. From
Text and formatting by George P. Landow. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the University of Toronto and the Internet Archive and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]
Hall, Samuel Carter, and A. M. Hall. The Book of the Thames from its Rise to its Fall. London: Arthur Hall, Virtue, and Co., 1859. Internet Archive version of a copy in the William and Mary Darlington Memorial Libray, the University of Pittsburgh. Web. 10 March 2012.
Last modified 15 April 2012

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Failure & Lessons Learned in Information Technology Management
Editor: Jay Liebowitz
- Aims &
- Tables of
- Editorial
- Author & Subject
- Abstracts
- Full Text
- Order Back Issues
Aims & Scope
Most people learn more from failures than from successes. In information technology management, many lessons have been learned over the years "the hard way" through failed implementations, poor management practices, technology limitations, and the like. Failure & Lessons Learned in Information Technology Management is devoted to addressing failures of and lessons learned from information technology projects in business, universities, government, and the military that did not succeed due to technology, management, organizational, social, cultural, and other issues. The goal is to learn from these cases and understand the basis of decisions made in order to not recreate the same mistakes or "reinvent the wheel." The organizational names in the articles can be protected by using pseudonyms.
Prof. Jay Liebowitz
Robert W. Deutsch Distinguished Professor in IS
Dept. of Information Systems
University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC)
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
Dr. Bernt Bremdal, Bremdal Tech. Services, Norway
Prof. Francisco Cantu-Ortiz, ITESM, Mexico
Dr. Yi-Tzuu Chien, National Science Foundation, USA
Dr. Myron Chin, Univ. of the West Indies, West Indies
Prof. John Debenham, Univ. of Tech., Sydney, Australia
Prof. Johan den Biggelaar, CIBIT, The Netherlands
Roar Fjellheim, Computas Expert Syst. A.S., Norway
Prof. Aleksandar Jovanovic, MPA Stuttgart, Germany
Prof. Jae Kyu Lee, KAIST, Korea
Prof. Mary Deutsch-McLeish, Univ. of Guelph, Canada
Prof. Vladimir Milacic, Univ. of Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Prof. Riichiro Mizoguchi, Osaka Univ., Japan
Dr. Desai Narasimhalu, National Univ. of Singapore, Singapore
Prof. Juan Pazos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain
Prof. Roy Rada, Washington State Univ., USA
Prof. Ahmed Rafea, Center for Agricultural Expert Systems, Egypt
Dr. Jose Ramirez, Paradigma C.A., Venezuela
Prof. R. Sadananda, Asian Inst. of Tech., Thailand
Prof. Alan Sangster, Queen's Univ. of Belfast, United Kingdom
Prof. Ching Suen, Concordia Univ., Canada
Prof. I. Burhan Turksen, Univ of Toronto, Canada
Dr. Gian P. Zarri, EHESS-CAMS, France
Prof. Tu Xuyan, Beijing Univ. of Science & Tech., China
Author Index
|Alt, R., 81
Bauer, C., 127
Davies, J., 1
Freeman, L. A., 121
Galvin, T. P., 29
Hackney, R., 59
|Jessup, L. M., 121
Kettner-Polley, R. B., 121
Lee, O., 23
Medsker, L., 67
Nord, G. D., 137
|Powell, P., 37
Rahanu, H., 1
Skok, W., 59
Van Bijsterveld, M., 45
Walker, D., 111
|Artificial intelligence, 29
Business, 59
Case-based reasoning, 1
Department of Labor, 67
E-commerce, 23, 95, 101
|Industry standards, 111
Industry standards board, 111
Information systems (IS), 59
Information systems failure, 1
Information systems technology, 137
Internationalization, 127
Internet, 121
Internet usage, 127
Interorganizational systems, 81
IT infrastructure, 23
Joint projects, 29
Knowledge requirements, 137
Management fashion, 45
|Natural gas industry, 111
Outages, 95
Public–private partnership, 111
Regulation and deregulation, 111
Small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), 101, 127
Technological and organizational redesign, 45
Web-based expert systems, 67
Author Index
|Christensen, D. S., 59
Craswell, E. T., 3
Dahal, D., 43
Fensel, D., 173
Hoxmeier, J. A., 145
Iyngararasan, M., 43
Keshav, R., 67
|Mandell, S. L., 117
Marples, C. G., 91
Marquez, L. O., 33
Mohanty, C. R. C., 43
Moreno, H. R., 83
Nulden, U., 133
Ohlsson, N., 163
Paper, D., 107
Rajamani, R., 39
|Sadananda, R., 1
Sakthivel, S., 117
Scheepers, H., 133
Shaft, T. M., 67
Shrestha, S., 43
ten Teije, A., 173
van Harmelen, F., 173
Weston, Jr., F. C. T., 125
Subject Index
|Barnett technologies, 107
Business process reengineering, 107
Certification, 183
Developing countries, 9
Environmental factors, 39
Failure, 91, 163
Geographic information systems, 33
Healthcare, 91
Information and knowledge management, 47
|Information technology for sustainable development, 3
Information tools, 21
Integrated curriculum, 47
Integrated science, 47
IT reengineering, 145
Knowledge-based components, 183
Language, 207
Methodology, 183
Network information systems, 21
Object-oriented concepts, 183
Planning support systems, 9
Resource management domains (RMD), 3
Safety, 201
|Software estimation, 83
Software metrics, 83
Software safety, 207
Software sensitivity, 201
Spatial and environmental planning, 9
Spatial planning software, 9
Specification, 183
Specification methods, 21
Strategic information systems, 107, 117
Success, 91
Sustainable development, 21, 39
Sustainable land management (SLM), 3
Systems conversion, 125
Systems development, 91
Teaching reform, 47
United Kingdom, 91
Validation, 173, 183
Volume 2, Number 4, 1998
Volume 2, Number 3, 1998
Volume 2, Number 2, 1998
Volume 2, Number 1, 1998
Volume 1, Number 4, 1997
Volume 1, Number 3, 1997
Volume 1, Number 2, 1997
Volume 1, Number 1, 1997
Full text articles available: CLICK HERE>
Back issues of this journal are available online. Order here>


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The name is useJvmChmod. Sure when reading this name you can say: "WTF ?????".
Both plugins use a component called plexus-archiver (which pack,unpack files and can set files permissions).
By default on unix platform, this component will fork a process to do chmod command line call and for each files (ouch !!!! for large distributions or unpack goal).
So long ago now (yup 2 years is long in our world :-)), I added a configurable mode to use file permission methods from jdk1.6 and not using anymore forked command line call to chmod.
This is why it's called useJvmChmod (sorry I'm sometimes not really good on naming marketing :-)).
By the way, if your build is still 1.5 that will works as it's done trough reflection (see initial commit ).
Note this option is available since assembly plugin 2.2 and it's now available in the fresh release of dependency plugin 2.5.1 (thanks to @atlassian folks for the issue report: https://jira.codehaus.org/browse/MDEP-368).
So if you assembly plugin or use unpack goal from the dependency don't miss this attribute to true!
<plugin>NOTE: if you use useJvmChmod special permissions at group level won't be apply as it doesn't exists in java


text: Located in the final semester of the program, this course is designed to build on skills learned in the first two clinical experiences by providing students with community based opportunities to provide physical therapy and health care services actualizing skills and knowledge acquired in the previous eight semesters of the curriculum. This course will provide in-depth exposure and hands-on experience in the clinical setting. Students may have the opportunity to develop areas of special interest, such as pediatrics in the school system, neurorehabilitation, hand therapy, burns, or sports medicine. The clinical sites will include acute care medical centers, subacute centers, home health agencies, outpatient clinics, and specialized practice centers. Students participate in supervised clinical practice on a full-time basis in a ten-week assignment. Under the guidance of a licensed clinical faculty, the four full-time experiences are designed to foster integration, application, synthesis, expansion, and modification of didactic learning in the development of clinical competence of at least entry-level performance. The cumulative outcome of the clinical experiences should represent practice patterns that range in conditions from acute to chronic and across the lifespan. This clinical experience is important to the development of patient care, teaching, administrative, and consultative skills in coursework completed. Under supervision, students will evaluate and treat clients across the life span reflecting diversity of diagnosis and culture.


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9-Jan-2012, 12:18
I'm looking to head into Yosemite some weekend in February, which weekend would be best as far as snow, weather and possibly snowshowing? Also where are the best places to go for snow in the winter? I know there are the big obvious spots to stop off the road for Yosemite in general but where are some good spots when snow is on the ground, even if you have to hike 1+ miles?


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I don't know very much about this time in his life because it was before I was born but I know that he enlisted with his best friend and they both served their full 3 year tour of duty. A couple of years ago, I contacted his friend after many years to ask a few questions. We arranged to meet for dinner and while at the table, his friend pulled this news clipping from his wallet and gave it to me. He had been carrying it for over 50 years.
The clipping was originally from the St. Catharines Standard and says...
"Pvt. John Manley of Merritton, who recently graduated among the top five from the Dept. of the Army, finance school at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. Pvt. Manley now returns to his permanent station, Fort Campbell, Kentucky"
I contacted National Archives and Record Administration for his service records and got a very disappointing letter in return, which said in part:
"The record needed to answer your inquiry is not in our files. If the record were here on July 12, 1973, it would have been in the area that suffered the most damage in the fire on that date and may have been destroyed. The fire destroyed the major portion of records of Army military personnel for the period 1912 through 1959..."
I don't know why, but I sent another request today just to see if there is a possibility of finding something, somewhere. I'm not holding out high hopes but you never know.


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Part time - Sales Consultant - Westgate | Auckland
|Position Type:
|Permanent Part Time
|No File Attached
|Application Close Date:
Job Description
Part Time Sales Consultant - Westgate
Working at Bendon gives you the chance to spend each day helping EMPOWER women to have more confidence and feel good about themselves - come and join us to provide an unmatched world-class shopping experience for our clients.
Bendon is the leading intimate apparel brand in Australia and New Zealand, with a global footprint and iconic brands like Pleasure State, Fayreform and Heidi Klum Intimates.
Our Sales Consultants are the face of Bendon. We LOVE our product, what we do and making a difference in our customer's lives.
We are looking for a Sales Consultant who is highly motivated and results orientated with a focus to drive sales and meet targets. We are looking for an individual who is a natural when it comes to building rapport and trust with customers on the shop floor or in the fitting room.
To work with our exciting brands within our Westgate Store, you must demonstrate excellence in the following skills and attributes:
- A love for lingerie and fashion
- Superior customer service
- A natural ability to build rapport with any customer and assist their buying decisions
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- A proactive approach, motivation to achieve and work as part of a team
- Strong time management, a dedicated disposition and organizational skills
- A high achiever who is motivated by challenging goals and wants to succeed daily
- Willingness to learn and become a bra specialist
In return we will offer you:
- Competitive hourly rate
- Generous Bendon staff discounts and rewards
- On the job training and development that you will use daily to help you succeed in your role and progress in your career
- A dynamic and fun work environment that has real growth plans in place
Help empower women and make them feel good about themselves - EVERYDAY
If you are passionate about people and want to make a difference, love lingerie, looking to work in a friendly, supportive team, then we'd love to hear from you. Apply on-line now.
Search words: Retail Assistant, Retail Sales Consultant, Sales Assistant


text:
When can I drive after breast reconstructive surgery?
Last Reviewed: May 8, 2009
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
When can I drive after breast reconstructive surgery?
Rachel McKenna, MSN, CRNP, Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, responds:
It is safe to resume driving when all the drains are out (more about these below), when you are off all pain medication and when you have regained safe range of motion of your arms. For most women this is about 3 weeks after the mastectomy.


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Did Solomon Really Marry a Pharaoh's Daughter? - Creation Moments
1 Kings 3:1a: "And Solomon made affinity with pharaoh king of Egypt, and took pharaoh's daughter, and brought her to the city of David..."
Scripture notes, several times, that King Solomon married a pharaoh's daughter in the tenth century B.C. His dowry for this marriage was the city of Gezer which he received from the pharaoh.
Many Egyptologists and Biblical critics have claimed that this was simply impossible. They base their argument on a 14th century B.C. Egyptian inscription. The inscription shows a pharaoh speaking with his daughter with the caption, "From of old no [Egyptian] king's daughter has been given to anyone." However, in 1 Kings 11:19-20 we read of a pharaoh giving his sister-in-law in marriage to an Edomite prince. This took place just a few years before Solomon's reign. Extra-Biblical sources tell of another pharaoh who gave his daughter to a Libyan nobel later in Solomon's reign. We would have to conclude that the Egyptian royal traditions in the 14th century B.C. had changed by the tenth century B.C. After all that is 400 years later.
While many scholars doubt that the Bible presents history accurately, believers know that the Bible presents us with the story of our salvation. That salvation is based on real people and real events in history. So we thank God that He has given us an accurate account of how our salvation came about, beginning in Genesis.
2-9 Creation Moments
Did Solomon Really Marry a Pharaoh's Daughter? - Creation Moments
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Canons and Decrees of the Synod of Dordt (1619)
The Judgment Concerning Divine Predestination Which the Synod Declares to Be in Agreement with the Word of God and Accepted Till Now in the Reformed Churches, Set Forth in Several Articles.Read More
Confessionally Challenged
One dutchman, a theologian. Two dutchmen, a church. Three dutchmen, a schism — or so the saying goes. Though such a saying could rightly include Englishmen or Frenchmen, historically the Dutch have demonstrated their fervent tenacity for defining the truth …Read More


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Luke DeCock
DeCock: UNC's Jackson Simmons enjoying his time in the spotlight
The texts and emails came flooding in, as Jackson Simmons knew they would, after he was on the receiving end of a ferocious dunk by N.C. State's C.J. Leslie on Saturday.
"I just said, 'Hey, I made SportsCenter,' " Simmons, a sophomore at North Carolina, said with a cheerful shrug.
Nobody can dunk on you if you're on the bench, a place where Simmons has spent quite a bit less time lately as he has become an increasingly important – and unexpectedly popular – part of the Tar Heels' rotation.
In the space of a year, he has gone from being one of the five players left on the court at Florida State when the rest of the Tar Heels sought safety in the locker room, to being a critical component in the revenge win against the Seminoles – the "big" man, at 6-foot-7, in the small lineup the Tar Heels used to close out the 77-72 win on Jan. 12.
Simmons' increasing role is a concrete example of how the Tar Heels are still trying to find a groove. When players leave unexpectedly (Larry Drew II, the brothers Wear) or early (Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall), those departures leave voids that continue to resonate seasons down the road.
The collective attrition at forward, combined with Tyler Zeller's graduation, left the Tar Heels gambling on the inexperienced Desmond Hubert, Joel James and Brice Johnson. All three have struggled at times, sending coach Roy Williams down the roster until he found Simmons, who played a total of 42 minutes as a freshman and wasn't used at all this season against Texas, Nevada-Las Vegas and Virginia.
Starting with the win at Florida State, Simmons has played 15 minutes or more in three of the past five games, including a career-high 21 minutes in a win at Boston College on Tuesday. His contributions were as invaluable in those games as they were largely unexpected
A record-setting rebounder at Smoky Mountain High who grew up in Webster, Simmons originally committed to North Carolina as a recruited walk-on. He passed up scholarship offers from Davidson, Charlotte and Richmond among others, including nearby Western Carolina, where his parents played basketball.
He never looked back, mesmerized by the opportunity to play college basketball at the highest level, and before he even arrived on campus, he was awarded a scholarship on a year-to-year basis when available, the turnover in the program leading to not only playing time for Simmons but tuition as well.
Based on his limited action at North Carolina, it's pretty clear Simmons could have been a contributor in the Atlantic 10, if not an outright star in the Southern Conference.
At the moment, he is the ACC's most efficient offensive player, albeit in a fraction of the playing time of the actual leaders. Simmons wondered at times, but never wavered.
"Having the patience and perseverance to know that your time will come, maybe that year or the next year, it was tough at times," he said. "I saw a lot of my friends playing at other schools and contributing and playing well.
"I just kept telling myself, you can't sit around and sulk, you just have to keep working and know that eventually this hard work is going to pay off."
After the win at Florida State, the Tar Heels returned home to face Maryland at the Smith Center. When Simmons came into the game, at the 10-minute mark of the first half, the crowd gave him a rousing ovation in appreciation of his efforts in Tallahassee.
"Every time I go in a game, it's just a blur, because I'm communicating with my teammates to see who they got and get the situation," Simmons said. "But I heard them that day, and it was special."


text:
The Most Awarded SUV Ever
Force Of Nature
The Next Level Of Performance
Pretend No More
Modern Adventure
Adventure Is Here. Get Ready.
Adventure Fulfilled
Born to Be Wild
Limited Edition.
Drive into the Spotlight.
A masterpiece with a dark side.
With its fender flares, iconic seven-slot grille and removable doors and top*, the 2018 Wrangler Unlimited is stylishly capable and fun to drive. For an upscale premium appearance, choose the available body-color Freedom Top® hardtop option on the Overland model.
Be sure to follow all instructions in owner's manual for removal of top, doors and lowering windshield. Driving with the doors off and windshield down is for off-road use only.
Wrangler Unlimited is the only open-air 4x4 vehicle on the market so you always get more sun on your face and more wind in your hair.
Wrangler's round halogen headlamps still hold true to its original design, flanking its equally iconic seven-slot grille for that genuine Jeep brand expression.
Classically rugged hood latches, high impact fender flares and rugged bumpers enhance the formidable look.
Inside the 2018 Wrangler Unlimited, you'll enjoy ample storage space, thoughtfully designed ergonomics and noise, vibration and harshness protection. You'll also get available comfort and convenience features including: leather-trimmed front seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
The available Uconnect® 735N features a 6.5-inch touchscreen, Satellite Navigation and Bluetooth Phone & Audio Connectivity.
Wrangler Unlimited offers plenty of versatile storage options including fold flat rear seats, a center console with a lockable easy-access storage bin, storage nets and more.
The available nine-speaker Alpine® All-Weather Premium Sound System includes four 6.5-inch speakers, four tweeters and a subwoofer for deep bass beats.
The Wrangler Unlimited is one powerful freedom machine. Its Trail Rated® status, 3.6L Pentastar® V6 engine, Command-Trac® and Rock-Trac® 4x4 Systems are just a few of the reasons why Wrangler Unlimited capability is a force to be reckoned with.
Wrangler Unlimited comes with a wide range of available safety and security features including advanced multistage front airbags1 and supplemental side airbags1 with sensor detection. Additional features include on-road/off-road four-wheel disc antilock brakes and more.
Adventure freely, safely and securely with available Wrangler Unlimited off-road features like Hill Start Assist, Hill Descent Control and the Tire Pressure Monitoring Display System.
Wrangler Unlimited features plenty of active safety and security features like Electronic Stability Control2, Electronic Roll Mitigation2 and more.
Available security features like the Remote Keyless Entry System are designed to make your everyday a little easier.
1. Always sit properly in designated seating positions with seatbelts and securely fastened at all times.
2. Always drive carefully, consistent with conditions. Always wear your seat belt and obey traffic laws.
Overseas models may be shown. Not all features shown may be available in Australia and/or are available at an additional cost. For the full details, please contact Essendon Jeep.
The best way to experience the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is with a test drive.
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text:
Loans available for grain storage facilities
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency is offering low-interest loans to farmers to build or upgrade grain storage facilities and drying and handling equipment through the Farm Storage Facility Loan program.
Loans are available to:
- Build new conventional-type cribs or bins, oxygen-limiting and other upright silo-type structures, and flat-type storage structures for whole grain storage.
- Add perforated floors, safety equipment, quality improvement equipment, and concrete components essential for a fully functional storage facility.
- Remodel existing storage facilities to increase capacity.
Loans must be approved before site preparation, equipment purchase, or construction and must be secured by a promissory note and security agreement. The maximum principal is $500,000. Farmers are required to make a 15 percent down payment.
Loan terms of 7, 10, or 12 years are available, depending on the amount of the loan. Interest rates are based on the rate at which the agency borrows from the Treasury Department.
For more information, contact the local FSA office or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/ks.
Last modified Dec. 19, 2013


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Across the Great Divide
I started working with younger men and women (campus ministry) when I was turning fifty. A decade later, I see how this work has transformed my perspective on the church and ministry. I've seen the importance of knowing one …Read More
The Necessity of Reconciliation
Why do relationships have to be so complicated? Why do good friends get "wrapped around the axle" with each other? Why do family members become so alienated they may not speak to one another for years? It is because we …Read More
Rod Mays
Dr. Rod Mays is the national coordinator for Reformed University Ministries, the campus ministry of the Presbyterian Church in America.


text:
Elastomers & Soft Materials Yasushi Hirata | added on Oct 27, 2011 | Japan SRI sponsors 3 major meetings a year, the anual meeting, the Summer College and the Symposium on Elastomers and Soft Materials (SES). The special topics for the International Year of Chemistry in the SES is "R&D of organic ELs".
|students, professional chemists, professors, research scientists, industrial chemists, post graduate students, women chemists, educational institutions


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More space projects using ESA non-conformance tracking tool
Currently applied to 11 major ESA projects, the ESA Nonconformance Tracking System (NCTS) has more than 1,300 ESA and industrial users who have logged more than 3,200 separate nonconformances to date.
NCTS was first released in 2005 under ESA contract by UK-based Sapienza Consulting as a user-friendly nonconformance reporting system that replaced existing paper-based records and increased the visibility of nonconformances among all partners of a given project. Since then, it has continued to evolve with regular major (8) and minor (10) releases.
"NCTS is developed, supported and promoted by ESA as the corporate tool for nonconformances management as it is compliant with relevant ECSS standards, in particular ECSS-Q-ST-10-09C." explains Raffaele Campagnuolo, NCTS Release Manager. "Once a project has decided on its use, all ESA suppliers are requested to interface their own internal reporting system with the NCTS tool. Of course, they may decide to take advantage of the NCTS also for internal use".
Accessible through a secure web-based login, the tool incorporates an XML interface so companies can import or export records from their internal nonconformance systems. Reports can also be downloaded as PDF files, while records can also be easily bulk created using a spreadsheet format, increasing its ease of use for smaller firms in particular.
As users log on to the system, NCTS determines which part of a project's 'product tree' they are involved with, and therefore which other users require access to their report data. Nonconformance reviews involving these users can then be performed online through NCTS, resulting in the disposition of the nonconforming item (repair, rework, use-as-is etc.) and assignment of follow-up actions.
July marks the start of development on the next NCTS release, R2.8, with improved search, traceability and real-time collaboration functions. A periodic newsletter keeps users informed on NCTS technical development as well as future planned activities, such as ESA's Directorate Technical and Quality Management Directorate adopting NCTS on an operational basis later this year.
Galileo, CryoSat-2 and Bepi-Colombo are among major projects already employing the software. High-profile missions set to use NCTS in future include the Sentinel and Proba series and the ExoMars rover.
Contact: Raffaele.Campagnuolo @ esa.int


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The Giants made a cancer survivor their first free agent signing of the salvaged football season.
Mark Herzlich, the inspirational Boston College star who was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, then missed the next season battling a deadly form of bone cancer before returning to form last year, tweeted that he signed a free agent deal.
"Decision is made I will be a #GIANT can't wait to get to NYC. Thank you for everything," he announced on Twitter.
Herzlich was subjected to potential humiliation when the NFL invited him to the draft, likely sensing a feel-good story. When his name wasn't called, the league was criticized for putting him through the futile exercise.
Herzlich admitted later he was hurt and frustrated. But he said he channeled the same determination that brought him back from cancer, vowing to make it in the league as a free agent.
"I'm ecstatic and pumped,'' the 6-foot-3, 245-pound linebacker told the Boston Globe. Although he spoke from his family's home in Pennsylvania, he noted he grew up in Connecticut a fan of Big Blue.
There's a connection between Boston College and the Giants, in the person of New York Coach Tom Coughlin, who coached college football's Eagles early in his career.
Giants' owner John Mara pressed for his front office to make the offer, according to ESPN.
"He's a great kid and he's certainly had his share of obstacles to overcome," Mara said. "And we're excited to give him the opportunity."
Herzlich, considered one of the nation's top linebackers before he got cancer, said he's all the way back.
"My health is great right now," he told ESPN. "I had my checkup yesterday actually ... and everything was cleared and everything was fine."


text:
A one-hour long, interactive cricket-themed church service, designed for all ages and to be accessible to those with little or no experience of church.
- Guardians of Ancora (14)
- Explore Together Blue Resources (13)
- Explore Together Green Resources (13)
- Explore Together Orange Resources (13)
- Explore Together Purple Resources (13)
- All age (5)
- Christmas Party Pack 2018 (5)
- Explore Together (5)
- New Year 2019 sale (5)
- Sticks for Stumps (4)
- Light party (3)
- Easter Alive (2)
- Guardians of Ancora Holiday Club Downloads (2)
- Jumpers for goalposts (2)
- On Your Marks holiday club downloads (1)
- Polar Explorers holiday club downloads (1)
- Top Tips (1)
Park or beach cricket connects with people where they already are – at the park or on the beach.
Easter Alive is a FREE download pack with all you need to bring the Easter story to life for the children and young people in your community.
A fresh, new, jam-packed resource full of creative ideas for celebrating Easter in an all-age context. Including craft, dramas, monologues, all-age talks, games, teaching outlines and more.
This updated e-book is filled with ideas on how you can use Guardians of Ancora to bring the excitement of the Easter story to children and families.
Singalong with the angels, to celebrate the birth of Christ the King!
Make your own Christmas decorations, based on the characters from Guardians of Ancora. This one is the head storyteller, Fabula.
Make your own Christmas decorations, based on the characters from Guardians of Ancora. This one is The Guildmaster.
Enjoy making your Guardians of Ancora Christmas decorations!


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These new roller coasters will make your head spin
Consider it the summer of the coaster. Theme parks from east to west are unveiling new roller coasters made of wood, steel and a combination thereof that soar through the air, plunge through water and perform gravity-defying stunts.
A look at some a few of the new ones.
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio adds to its fat portfolio (16!) of coasters with GateKeeper, which makes its debut Saturday. The steel, wing roller coaster will suspend riders 170 feet above the Cedar Point Beach then send them hurtling through six inversions and stomach-dropping falls at close to 70 mph.
Also opening Saturday is Dollywood's RiverRush, a water coaster in the Pigeon Forge, Tenn.'s Splash Country water park. Four-person boats cruise through an acre of hills, twists and tunnels at heights of up to 237 feet.
On the West Coast, California's Great America in Santa Clara is introducing Goldstriker in May (no specific date yet) that lasts more then two minutes, hits speeds of 54 mph and has the longest initial descent tunnel (174 feet) of any wooden coaster. Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park unveils Coast Rider on May 25. It's a 1,339-foot-long, 52-foot-tall ride and is meant to evoke the twists and turns of the state's winding coastline. On the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, a steel coaster dubbed Undertow opens this summer. The spinning coaster sports individual four-seat cars in which passengers' weight distribution determines the vehicle's rotation. And at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Full Throttle features a triple launch — two forward and one backward — and hits speeds of more than 70 mph. It's opening this summer, but the exact date hasn't been determined.
In Orlando, Fun Spot America (formerly Fun Spot Action Park) introduces its 2,000-foot-long White Lightning coaster as part of a $40 million expansion.
Opening this summer at Six Flags White Water in Marietta, Ga., is Typhoon Twister, which drops riders five stories into a wide bowl and then spits them into a corkscrew chute.
A new twist on Batman: The Ride at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Ill.: The ride now goes backward at top speeds of 50 mph and over 2,700 feet of track.
Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., rolled out Outlaw Run earlier this spring. The wooden coaster hits speeds of 68 mph and has three inversions.
Another hybrid coaster, Iron Rattler, premieres this summer at Six Flags FiestaTexas in San Antonio. It sports a 171-foot-drop and hits speeds of 70 mph.
Six Flags St. Louis unveils Boomerang, a 125-foot-tall coaster that tops out at 50 mph as it hurtles over 1,650 feet of track.
And in the Wisconsin Dells, Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park has spiced up its traditional wooden coaster. Re-dubbed Hades 360, it features an upside-down roll.
New $10M ride at Branson's Silver Dollar City has the world's steepest drop for a wooden roller coaster and is the only one to do a 720-degree barrel roll. Silver Dollar City Attractions


text: Not sure if anyone else uses this, but Tapatalk is playing up again. You can no longer search for TwoBrutal and add it, i keep getting denied messages when i try and look at a previous thread. Occasionally i can get in and it works normally, but next time i come back i have to start over.


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One cannot express adequately the mixture of emotions caused by the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The combination of sadness, anger, and sympathy make it difficult to express clear and rational thoughts about what happened. However, because of those feelings, I have to say something. As a result of this horrible event, there will be more cries for gun control, more mental health activity, new calls for mandatory institutionalizing of certain psychologically impaired persons, more security, etc., etc. In fact, there is a call by Sen. Joe Lieberman to create �a national commission to scrutinize gun laws and loopholes, as well as the nation�s mental health system and the role that violent video games and movies might play in shootings.� In reality, there is no 100-percent solution to the human problem of one individual harming another.
The real answer, then, seems to be what is within our power to decrease mass shootings such as Sandy Hook, Columbine, Virginia Tech, and the Colorado theatre massacre. There appear to be three specific areas of action that need to be seriously addressed and improved upon: more awareness and treatment of mental health conditions that suggest or could suggest violent behavior, more school security, and more restrictive gun laws. However, each of these is not the answer. If there even is an answer, it must be realistic and doable.
The mental health issue is complex and difficult to solve. Given the levels of scientific knowledge and research, and the rights of individuals verses the community, even those in the field do not all agree, and there is the additional question of costs. If there were a mental health solution, it would have to be discussed at a serious and national level. Sandy Hook will, I hope, be instrumental in encouraging a new path to addressing the mental health aspect.
School security is also a troublesome issue. The levels of security, the number of personnel involved, and the technology necessary suggest that costs would be a serious impediment. And even if all schools had permanently-placed metal detectors and a security person or persons monitoring them, it would take seconds for a shooter to simply fire and kill or disable the security person. School security, alone, is unrealistic and costly.
The question of greater gun control by limiting legal access to firearms will not work. First of all, there is a constitutional right to bear arms. Secondly, there are laws which allow the legal carrying of a concealed weapon in all but one state, and even that state allows some counties within it to authorize a concealed-carry permit. Also supporting the legal access to and the carrying of guns are statistics which clearly demonstrate scientifically that crime rates fell in all �Right to Carry Law� states. There is even increased reciprocity among some states, facilitating right to carry handguns.
Having carried a handgun for almost my entire adult life as a federal law enforcement officer and as a non-law enforcement individual writing to expose Mexican drug cartel activities, and having experience as a professor at state and private higher education institutions, I do have a suggested solution. My suggestion would be for the U.S. Congress to amend the Crime Control Act of 1990, Section 1702, entitled Gun-free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibits the carrying of guns on campus: �It shall be unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a school zone.� Section 1702 also limits the �legal� carrying of guns unless unloaded and in a locked container in his or her vehicle. There are exceptions allowing the legal carrying of guns for those approved to do so ��by and individual in accordance with a contract entered into between a school in the school zone and the individual or an employer of the individual; �(vi) by a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity ...�
In other words, a school security guard or law enforcement officer would be allowed to carry a gun on campus. Now, imagine if a professor or teacher, or designated staff person were allowed to carry guns on school property if and only if they had a license to carry, in most states meaning mandatory successful completion of safety and marksmanship training. That would mean that a shooter like Adam Lanza could be attacked by a professor, teacher, or staff. While he still might kill, he would likely not kill or wound as many individuals. It may have even deterred the Columbine shooters if licensed teachers were armed or had access to their weapons. My suggestion is this: Congress should amend the legislation to allow any duly licensed carrier of a handgun who is a full-time employee of the institution to carry his or her handgun on campus. It simply makes sense and would overnight provide numerous potential deterrents to all perpetrators of violence on school grounds. There is no other short-term, or even long-term fix to deadly violence on our school grounds.
Belmont resident Dr. Giermanski is the chairman of Powers Global Holdings, Inc. and president of Powers International, LLC, an international transportation security company.


text:
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text:
Act I of director Jan Philipp Gloger's new Bayreuth production of Der Fliegende Holländer (seen at its second evening, on July 31) takes place on a set with a shiny floor surrounded by a convolution of what appear to be electronic diodes. Different eight-digit digital numbers flash, counting upwards. Could they be a display of the national debt or simply the rising profits of the corporation headed up by Daland? For in this Holländer, Daland is a factory owner. His factory mass-produces electric fans. The Steuermann is his sycophantic first assistant. His entire "crew" is made up of factory employees, all dressed in proper business suits. Daland and his crew have been away on business but there is no indication of a ship and — except for the burnished floor surface — none of water, either. The only boat we encounter is a dinghy in which Daland and the Steuermann, sit, dressed in suit and tie. The gifts that the Steuermann and, we will later see, the "crew" have brought back for their maidens consist of expensive designer dresses with the price tags still attached. Ostentatious money is making the world go round in this production.
The Dutchman enters — again no ship in sight — wheeling the newest version of a lightweight, four-wheeled trolley. The text might mention jewels, but his luggage is full of paper currency. The Dutchman is accompanied by — among others — a servant in livery and several very fancily (if scantily) dressed women; he might just as well have embarked from a luxury cruise liner, were it not for the fact that parts of his forehead, face and hands are branded by patterns in black. During his monologue, the Dutchman slits his wrists, but aside from a wound and lots of blood, his suicide attempt does not (and by definition cannot) succeed.
Ever on the lookout for new customers, the first thing the Steuermann tries to do after spotting this odd-looking man is to try to sell him a fan. As the initial set moves to the wings, a stage upon a stage emerges, to show the packing room of Daland's factory. Set designer Christof Hetzer has fallen victim to the vagaries of the Festival House acoustics: the construction itself is more than a little dangerous, acoustically, with one side open and both back and roof covered in plastic. The voices, even those of the chorus, sound distant and masked, although a tantalizingly large chunk of the basic stage at the front remains unused.
The women are factory workers, dressed in blue work outfits and packing fans for shipping into cartons. The "spinning" is provided by the blades of the fans. Mary is the work floor overseer. Senta, in a blood red dress, has created her own primitive image of the Dutchman and his world out of cardboard. Erik is the factory's handyman, his hunter's weapons being his tool case.
What does Gloger's staging have to do with Wagner's opera? The director has certainly rethought the story and, in an oblique way, has chosen to retell it with an eye on the misery of today's globalized world economy, where profit is trump and feeling for one's fellow human beings has fallen by the wayside. The Dutchman is searching for a love that money cannot buy. The rest of the characters, with the exception of Senta, are looking for profit. Gloger deploys his people — particularly the chorus — in an absolutely masterful way; gestures are synchronized and matched to the moment's musical expression, each movement underscoring Gloger's view of the unfolding drama. Though this stylization of movement sometimes seems more suited to Gilbert and Sullivan than Wagner, it is captivating. There is also, much to Gloger's credit, a spine-chilling intensity to the scenes between Senta and the Dutchman.
Overall, the production is not a success. In the debit column, Act III, with the exception of the double suicide of the main protagonists, descends into mere silliness. The male chorus behaves like a group of cloned morons. The final, touching moment — the redeemed dying in a heartfelt embrace — is brutally trivialized when the image is photographed by the Steuermann and used, as seen in the apotheosis, as a model for the firm's new plastic bestseller. The audience's negative reaction as the performance came to an end was utterly predictable. Gloger's concept might read well on paper but is too farfetched to carry an entire evening. Had Gloger trusted Wagner's sense of the dramatic, his own talents as a director might have registered even more positively.
In this Bayreuth season — the third in the seven-year contract of the half-sisters Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier — a scandal of international interest centered on Bayreuth's new Dutchman, thirty-eight-year-old Russian baritone Evgeny Nikitin, who was scheduled to make his festival debut. It seems that in his younger years, when he was working in a heavy metal band, Nikitin had his body liberally tattooed. When photographs of his bare upper torso were circulated in the German press shortly before the Holländer dress rehearsal, several sources claimed that some of Nikitin's tattoos resembled Nazi iconography. Nikitin's initial response to the controversy was to say that the tattoos were a regrettable sin of his youth, but in interviews published in the U.S. press in early August, Nikitin categorically denied that he had ever had a swastika tattoo, as had been previously published.
As anything even remotely suggestive of the Third Reich has the potential to be a major embarrassment for the Bayreuth Festival — and as there is presently on view in Bayreuth an exhibition painting the destinies of every Jewish festival participant who was either murdered or forced to emigrate by the Nazi regime — Nikitin became a lightning rod. He withdrew from the production on short notice. After weeks of intense rehearsal, a new Dutchman had to be found and worked into the production mere days before the premiere.
The talented singer who jumped in, Korean bass-baritone Samuel Youn, cannot be given enough credit for his efforts. His voice is of more than ample size, his timbre often approached the heroic, and amazingly, he grasped the essentials of Gloger's unusual stage concept. Although Youn could have made more of the text — and he sang more comfortably at forte than piano — his was a laudable performance under extraordinarily trying circumstances.
The true vocal laurels of the evening went to soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, whose Senta was as dramatically committed as it was stunningly sung. Pieczonka sang with immaculate diction and a youthful purity of sound, moving from strength to strength as the evening progressed. Tenor Benjamin Bruns was an impressively pure-toned Steuermann whose voice rang out clearly in all registers. Christa Mayer contributed a finely contoured, vocally imposing Mary. Bass Franz-Josef Selig had a number of bland moments as Daland, some of which might have been influenced by poor positioning on the difficult Act II set, but his overall performance was never less than competent. Tenor Michael König's Erik began with problems of projection, although his performance improved vastly in the final act.
The Bayreuth Chorus (Eberhard Friedrich) once again justified its reputation as the world's best in this repertoire. The women were particularly impressive, singing with an enviable homogeneity of sound. Christian Thielemann delivered a masterful interpretation of unflagging intensity; he chose to conduct Wagner's final version of Holländer, less taut than the original but certainly more suited to Thielemann's Romantic interpretive nature. His was a very impressive reading, beginning with an invigorating, stunningly played overture. Thielemann is not afraid to invest the music with pregnant pauses before significant musical-dramatic statements, and his sculpting of rubatos fit not only musical instinct but also textual necessities.
Send feedback to OPERA NEWS.


text:
20752 Surnames | 136291 Records | 2775 Reunions
Dead Fred asks:Are you a Desperate Genealogist?
Click the e-book above for details!
Dead Fred's Genealogy Photo Archive, a free, fun photo genealogy research web site devoted to helping you visualize your heritage!
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Photo #28788
Last Name: Cox
First Name : Nettie
Middle Name: Mary
Subject's City: Merced Snelling
Subject's State: CA
Subject's County: Merced
Subject's Country: United States
Photographer: Edwards
Photographer's City: Merced
Photographer's State: CA
Nee: Larkin
Type** : CDV
Comments: Nettie Mary Cox (Nee: Larkin) | Merced Snelling CA United States | | Comments: Nettie Mary Larkin Cox Harrelson (1858-1920) was the eldest daughter of Frank Larkin and Catherine ("Kate") Mallett Larkin.
She was married to David A. Harrelson and John Cox (not sure who was first husband). She was a widow when she re-married.
1880 Census transcript has her name spelled as "Nellen M." Examination of original microfilm reveals her correct name to be "Nettie M." (See notes for her father, Frank Larkin).
Native Daughters of the Golden West
California Pioneer Project
Volume 24 Page 400
BIRTH: birth date estimated from census record
1910 Federal Census, California, Alameda, Hayward Town. Eden Township, Enumeration District 34, April 10, 1910 shows her living on B Street with her sister, mother and daughter:
Cassity, Kate L, Head, F, W, 38, W[idow], 0 children, 0 living, California, New York, Eng. English, English, Milliner Ladies Furnishings (store), Emp., read? Y, write? Y, Own [home], F[ree] (mortgage, H[ouse]
Larkin, Catherine M, Mother, F, W, 87, W[idow], 6 children, 6 living, Eng. English, Eng. English, Eng. English, 1854 [yr immigrated]...
Cox, Nettie M, Sister, F, W, 52, M, 17 [years married], 3? children, 3 living, Califonia, New York, Eng. English...
Harrelson, Helen G., Niece, F, W, 24, S[ingle], California, California, California...
Cox, Alma P., Niece, F, W, 15, S[ingle], Califonia, Texas, California.
Digital Image Only? NO
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Oct 15, 2010
Brittany Lambert and Colleen Carow
Two additional engineering faculty members at Ohio University are being recognized with new professorships as a result of a $95 million estate gift made to the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology in 2008.
Srdjan Nesic and Gerri Botte, both professors of chemical and biomolecuar engineering, have been named Russ Professors. The five-year professorships carry an annual salary supplement as well as a travel budget to attend professional meetings in order to present and promote work.
Bequeathed by the late Fritz, a 1942 electrical engineering alumnus, and Dolores Russ, the estate gift is the largest charitable gift to any public university in the state of Ohio – or any public engineering college in the U.S.
Nesic has led the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology (ICMT) as director since 2002. The largest facility of its kind in the world, the ICMT performs corrosion research sponsored by the leading oil and gas companies across the globe. Under Nesic's leadership, external research funding increased ten-fold since 2002, from $250,000 to more than $2.5 million annually for the last two years.
Nesic, who holds visiting and adjunct professorships positions across the world, says the professorship brings internal recognition to his work that is known beyond Ohio University.
"I feel greatly encouraged to re-double my efforts in order to empower my colleagues, to even better educate and prepare our students and to carve out a permanent place for ICMT as the center of excellence for corrosion research worldwide," he said.
A fellow of the international corrosion professional society NACE International (NACE International (National Association of Corrosion Engineers), Nesic also received the H.H. Uhlig Award from NACE for outstanding effectiveness in post-secondary education.
Gerri Botte, director of the new Center for Electrochemical Engineering Research, is internationally recognized for her research on and development of ammonia and hydrogen-based fuel cells. She is the first researcher to efficiently convert urine/human wastewater into an alternative fuel source using electrochemical techniques. In one project funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, Botte's process is being developed to provide quiet, clean and low-impact electricity in order to make military camps more self-sufficient and secure.
Botte credits her success in part to the Russes, having received the 2006 Russ Outstanding Research Paper Award – which was also created by the Russes.
"The paper that selected for the award was the first publication about the ammonia electrolysis technology. Due to that paper, I won a National Science Foundation award," Botte explained.
"There are a lot of things the Russes left behind that we are learning from still, and that's inspiring," Botte added.
Russ College Dean Dennis Irwin says the Russes would be proud to learn of these accomplishments.
"They believed strongly in the power of private giving to reward outstanding performance on the part of Russ College faculty," Irwin said.
The two new Russ Professorships join two others, currently held by pavement expert Shad Sargand, director of the Accelerated Pavement Load Facility and associate director of the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment, and global positioning system expert Frank Van Graas, professor of electrical engineering.
Van Graas agreed that the Russes were inspiring.
"I remember talking to Fritz, and he was always very interested, wanted to know exactly what was going on, and most importantly, how he could help," Van Graas said.
Neil D. Thomas Professor Gayle Mitchell, chair of the department of civil engineering and director of the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment, also holds the title of Russ Professor as a past recipient.


text:
Usher, 'Looking 4 Myself' – Album Review
Usher takes some big risks on his seventh LP 'Looking 4 Myself,' the follow-up to his 2010 Grammy-winning album 'Raymond v. Raymond.' The veteran R&B mack brings his signature falsetto vocals and lays it on top of genre-bending songs — some of which are a hit and others, are a miss.
Thanks to production assists from the Neptunes, Swedish House Mafia, will.i.am, Danaj, Jim Jonsin and others, there's something for everyone on the album.
If you want dance-pop — he's got it ('Euphoria,' 'Scream'). If you want slow joints — he's got it ('What happened to You,' 'Lessons for the Lover'). If you want R&B — he's got it ('Twisted' 'Show Me'). If you want pop — he's got it (Lookin' 4 Myself,' 'Dive').
In the midst of all of those genre-styled songs, there are a few standouts. The tranquil ballad 'What Happened to You' puts Usher in loverman mode as he searches for his true love. On the stirring 'Sins of My Father,' the singer hints at his past troubled relationship. He goes retro on the rhythmic 'Twisted' and the dance-pop track 'Numb' will have you fist pumping in the air like you just don't care.
All and all, Usher's 'Lookin' 4 Myself' is a well-rounded collection and shows major growth for the 33-year-old crooner. It would have been nice if he stayed with a more consistent sound, but it's an impressive album despite some missteps.
Listen to Usher's 'Looking 4 Myself' in its entirety HERE.
1. 'Can't Stop Won't Stop' Feat. will.I.Am & Keith Harris
This dance-pop track samples Billy Joel's 1983 classic ditty 'Uptown Girl,' and it sounds a little like his 2010 hit 'OMG,' which was produced by will.i.am. It's a catchy song as Usher sings lustful come-ons to a hot girl.
2. 'Scream'
Another bouncy dance-pop track with Usher promising a night of satisfaction, guaranteed. We can't wait to see Usher's video for this song. [Listen Here]
3. 'Climax'
Usher's No. 1 hit still sounds great to our ears despite it being played ad nauseam on the radio. The falsetto-driven ballad is, arguably, one of the best songs of 2012. [Watch Video]
4. 'I Care for U'
Whoa. This song comes out of left field on the album. Usher decides to tackle dubstep and it's sounds, uh, okay. He might be out of his element with this one. We are all for Usher experimenting with different sounds, but this is a failed attempt.
5. 'Show Me'
This is more of Usher's lane right here. Produced by Danja, the bouncy song boasts whining synthesizers and elements of Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean.' On the anthemic track, Usher persuades everyone to leave their problems behind and shake their booties on the dance floor. Sounds good to us!
6. 'Lemme See' Feat. Rick Ross
This is Usher's requisite urban-radio track. Produced by Jim Jonsin, the R&B mack taunts a sexy lady on his bedroom prowess. "You've been saying all night long that you couldn't wait to get me all alone / What you gonna do to me?" he croons. This song also features Rick Ross' tacky (and shameful) Trayvon Martin-mentioned guest verse. [Listen Here]
7. 'Twisted' (Feat. Pharrell Williams)
A big standout on the album. Usher channels Jackie Wilson on this infectious retro song, which is produced by the Neptunes. We are still scratching heads over "bootie substitute-y" but we can dig it. Over a stop-and-go beat, synthesizers and plucking guitars, the singer's got a brand new bag with this joint. Thumbs up. [Listen Here]
8. 'Dive'
Here's Mr. Entertainment's requisite pop ballad. His soft falsetto carries the tender song as he metaphorically compares love to the crashing waters of the ocean. It's not a bad song and Usher sounds comfortable and in his element on this tune.
9. 'What Happened to U'
Every R&B album needs a proper slow jam and this is one is phenomenal. 'What Happened to You' is pure R&B perfection. Crafted by Noah "40″ Shebib, who is Drake's go-to producer, the ballad features elements of 'Stay With Me' by DeBarge (made popular by Notorious B.I.G.'s 'One More Chance' [Remix]). On the song, Usher is looking for his perfect soul mate. Double thumbs up.
10. 'Looking 4 Myself' (Feat. Luke Steele)
Usher teams up with U.K. artist Luke Steele on this enjoyable synth-pop song. This should appeal to the younger crowd with its drum-machine beat and whining synthesizers. "Now that I got you what we are gonna do / You gonna be my by side," he sings.
11. 'Numb'
Usher is back to the dance-pop stuff — this time enlisting Swedish House Mafia to craft this fist-pumping anthemic track. "They say life is a battlefield / I say bring it on," he sings. The song is perfect for the clubs and we're not mad at it.
12. 'Lessons for the Lover'
This is a perfectly good love ballad. Written by Rico Love, Usher seduces his female lover into the bedroom. Rico Love sends out demands ("turn the lights off") in the beginning of the song, urging us get busy with our significant other.
13. 'Sins of My Father'
Another big standout on the album. The Salaam Remi-produced track is Usher's "confession" about being a tortured soul in a volatile relationship (*wink* Tameka Foster). The crooner believes that his bad relationship is karma for his father being a rolling stone. You have to read in-between the lines with this soulful-yet-bluesy song.
14. 'Euphoria'
Usher goes back home with Swedish Mafia House and comes out with a great Ibiza-style dance track that should help him crack the European market. It sounds big and brings euphoria to our ears.
Whoa! Usher gets freaky-deaky on this track. While on the other songs he seduces and teases his female lover, on 'I.F.U.,' he makes it's clear — he's looking for a one-night stand. "I think sex was made for strangers / Making love is for the ones who plan to stay together," he sings. Oh behave, Usher.
Bonus Tracks
16. 'Say the Words' Feat. Surahn Sid
A very mellow track for the grown and sexy folks (hey UAC radio stations!). Usher yearns of holding the hands of the perfect girl of his dreams.
17. '2nd Round'
This song might have initially been on the cutting room floor but Usher probably said, "What the heck, throw it on as a bonus track." It's doesn't connect with us but maybe after a couple of spins we might like it. As for now, this is a thumbs down.
18. 'Hot Thing' Feat. A$AP Rocky
You would think that a collaborative song with Usher and in-demand rapper A$AP Rocky would produced a head-nodding R&B/hip-hop banger. Unfortunately, this is not it. We expected more with this duet, but in our opinion, it's a skippable track.
Watch the Usher 'Climax' Video


text:
Posted: May 08, 2015 01:00 AM CDT
Updated: May 08, 2019 01:00 AM CDT
2012: Children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, best known for the 1963 book "Where the Wild Things Are," dies from complications of a stroke at the age of 83 in Danbury, Connecticut. [ + - ]
2008: Country music singer-songwriter and actor Eddy Arnold, who scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts and sold more than 85 million records, dies of natural causes at the age of 89 in Nashville, Tennessee. Arnold's best known hits include "What's He Doing in My World" and "Make the World Go Away." He also co-wrote the country and pop standard "You Don't Know Me." [ + - ]
1994: Actor George Peppard, best known for playing Col. John "Hannibal" Smith on the 1980s TV show "The A-Team," dies of pneumonia at the age of 65 in Los Angeles, while being treated for lung cancer. Peppard also starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and appeared in movies such as "How the West Was Won," "The Victors," "The Carpetbaggers" and "The Blue Max." [ + - ]
1993: A decade into Aerosmith's comeback, the band's "Get a Grip" album reaches No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, marking their first trip to the top of the album charts. [ + - ]
1988: Science-fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, known for novels such as "Starship Troopers," "Stranger in a Strange Land" and "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress," dies of emphysema and heart failure at age 80 in Carmel, California. He's seen here signing autographs at the 1976 World Science Fiction Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. [ + - ]
1984: After an American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the Soviet Union announces that it will boycott the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Soviet Union, which was eventually joined in its boycott by other Eastern Bloc countries and Cuba, cited security concerns and "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States" in its decision. [ + - ]
1981: Actor Stephen Amell, best known for playing Oliver Queen/Arrow on the television series "Arrow," is born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. [ + - ]
1980: The eradication of smallpox is endorsed by the World Health Organization. Pictured here is Rahima Banu, a 2-year old girl from the village of Kuralia in Bangladesh, who, in 1975, became the last known person to be infected with naturally occurring smallpox. A WHO team treated Banu, who recovered fully. [ + - ]
1978: Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler become the first to reach the top of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Two years later, Messner (seen here in 2012) would also become the first climber to complete a solo ascent of the mountain. [ + - ]
1978: David Berkowitz, the serial killer known as the "Son of Sam," pleads guilty to six murder charges. Shortly after his August 1977 arrest, Berkowitz confessed to killing six people and wounding several others in the course of eight shootings in the New York City area. He later claimed he was commanded to kill by a demon that possessed his neighbor's dog. He was eventually sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for each murder, to be served consecutively, making his maximum term 365 years. [ + - ]
1976: The rollercoaster Revolution, the first steel coaster with a vertical loop, opens at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. [ + - ]
1975: Singer-songwriter, record producer and actor Enrique Iglesias, known for hits such as "Bailamos," "Be with You" and "Hero," is born in Madrid, Spain. [ + - ]
1973: A 71-day standoff between federal authorities and the American Indian Movement members occupying the Pine Ridge Reservation at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, ends with the surrender of the militants. The protest, held near the site of the tragic Battle of Wounded Knee, stemmed from the failure of an attempt to impeach the elected tribal president Richard Wilson, whom they accused of corruption and abuse of opponents. The group also was protesting the United States government's failure to fulfill treaties with Native American tribes and demanded the reopening of treaty negotiations. Pictured is the Wounded Knee memorial burial ground. [ + - ]
1970: The Beatles album "Let It Be" is released. The album, which along with the title track featured songs such as "Get Back," "The Long and Winding Road" and "Across the Universe," was the 12th and final studio album released by the band. [ + - ]
1967: Singer LaVerne Andrews (top), a member of the singing Andrews Sisters trio, dies of cancer at age 55 in Los Angeles, California. The Andrews Sisters, which also included her sisters Patty (middle) and Maxene (bottom), were best known for their 1941 hit "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." They recorded more than 400 songs and sold over 80 million records until breaking up after LaVerne's death. [ + - ]
1964: Actress Melissa Gilbert, best known for portraying Laura Ingalls Wilder on TV series "Little House on the Prairie," is born in Los Angeles, California. [ + - ]
1963: Film director Michel Gondry, best known for movies such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "Be Kind Rewind" and "The Green Hornet," is born in Versailles, France. [ + - ]
1959: Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback/safety Ronnie Lott, widely considered one of the best defensive backs in NFL history, is born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lott, who starred for the University of Southern California and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, spent 15 season in the NFL playing for the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. He was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, an eight-time First Team All-Pro selection and won four Super Bowls during his time with the 49ers. [ + - ]
1954: Actor David Keith, best known for movies such as "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Firestarter," "The Rose" and "Behind Enemy Lines," is born in Knoxville, Tennessee. [ + - ]
1945: World War II Allies formally accept the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, thus ending the war in Europe. The day became known as Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day. Seen here is British Prime Minister Winston Churchill waving to crowds in London after broadcasting to the nation the war with Germany was over. [ + - ]
1940: Author Peter Benchley, best known for his 1974 novel "Jaws," and for co-writing the screenplay for the summer blockbuster movie of the same name, is born in New York City. He died of pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 65 on Feb. 11, 2006. [ + - ]
1940: Singer-songwriter and actor Ricky Nelson, who started out on his family's TV show, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," and became a teen idol, is born in Teaneck, New Jersey. Nelson is known for songs such as "Poor Little Fool," "Travelin' Man" and "Hello Mary Lou" and also starred in the 1959 western "Rio Bravo" opposite John Wayne and Dean Martin. He died in an airplane crash on Dec. 31, 1985. [ + - ]
1940: Singer Toni Tennille (right), best known as one-half of the 1970s Grammy Award-winning pop duo Captain & Tennille, is born Cathryn Antoinette Tennille in Montgomery, Alabama. Together with her husband, "Captain" Daryl Dragon, Tennille had five albums certified gold or platinum and scored numerous hits during their highest period of popularity, including "Love Will Keep Us Together," "Do That to Me One More Time" and "Muskrat Love." They also hosted their own television variety series in 1976–77. Dragon died Jan. 2, 2019. [ + - ]
1933: Mohandas Gandhi begins a 21-day fast in protest against the British rule in India. [ + - ]
1927: Attempting to make the first nonstop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York and claim the $25,000 Orteig Prize for doing so, French war heroes Charles Nungesser and François Coli disappear after taking off aboard The White Bird biplane. Two weeks later, Charles Lindbergh successfully made the New York–Paris journey and claimed the prize, flying the Spirit of St. Louis. [ + - ]
1926: Broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough, best known for writing and presenting the nine-part "Life" series, which collectively form a comprehensive survey of all life on the planet, is born in London, England. [ + - ]
1926: Stand-up comedian and actor Don Rickles, best known as an insult comic, is born in Queens, New York. Rickles, who became famous for his frequent appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," also appeared in movies such as "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "Casino" and voiced Mr. Potato Head in the "Toy Story" movies. He died of kidney failure at age 90 on April 6, 2017. [ + - ]
1911: Blues singer and guitarist Robert Johnson is born in Hazlehurst, Mississippi. One of the biggest influences on popular music in the 20th century, he had little commercial success or public recognition in his lifetime. Because of his poorly documented life and early death at age 27 in August 1938, many legends have been spread about him, including the story that he gained his musical talent by selling his soul to the devil at a crossroads. [ + - ]
1903: Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, whose work was influential to the French avant-garde and many modern artists, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, dies of an overdose of morphine, and possibly a heart attack, at the age of 53 in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia. His work went mostly unappreciated during his lifetime, but became popular after his death. [ + - ]
1902: In Martinique, Mount Pelée erupts, destroying the town of Saint-Pierre and killing more than 30,000 people. Only a handful of residents survived the blast. [ + - ]
1886: Pharmacist John Pemberton first sells a carbonated beverage named "Coca-Cola" as a patent medicine. [ + - ]
1884: Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States from 1945 to 1953, is born in Lamar, Missouri. Truman, who fought in World War I and served as a U.S. senator from 1935 to 1945, was President Franklin D. Roosevelt's last running mate and assumed the presidency when Roosevelt died in 1945. During his presidency, Truman made the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan to end World War II, assisted in the founding of the United Nations, worked to contain communism and passed the $13 billion Marshall Plan to help rebuild Europe. [ + - ]
1880: French novelist Gustave Flaubert, best known for his first published novel, 1857's "Madame Bovary," dies of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 58 in Rouen, France. [ + - ]
1877: At Gilmore's Gardens in New York City, the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show opens. The show, initiated by a group of hunters and originally for bird dogs, drew more than 1,200 dogs and proved so popular that its originally scheduled three days became four. The show is the second-longest continuously held sporting event in the United States behind only the Kentucky Derby, which was first held in 1875. [ + - ]
1846: Zachary Taylor defeats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande in the Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the Mexican-American War. [ + - ]
1794: Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry, is executed on the guillotine during France's Reign of Terror. Lavoisier named both oxygen and hydrogen and predicted silicon. He also helped construct the metric system, put together the first extensive list of elements, and helped to reform chemical nomenclature. [ + - ]
1541: Hernando de Soto reaches the Mississippi River and names it Río de Espíritu Santo. [ + - ]
Daily List
On This Day
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text:
Watching the evolution of open source tools for video editing
and manipulation over the last 10 years has been less than a thrilling
experience. But are things about to change for the better in the near
future? Can even the people most disenchanted with the current state of
affairs feel tempted to regain a spark of hope?
The problem
The everyday user of GNU/Linux (or any of the other Unix-derived
operating systems out there) can presently watch, listen to, and even
produce rudimentary media content quite comfortably, but open source has
not kept up with proprietary software vendors when it comes to the
development of professional and semi-professional video editing tools.
I've always maintained that one of the great strengths of Linux is the
ability to create distributions that are tailored for specific areas of
professional activity. But, while there are some good distros around
that appeal specifically to the video and audio crowd (like dyne:bolic and Ubuntu Studio), their number is
small, and some of them have stagnated or even completely disappeared
over the years.
One of the roots of this problem is that there is currently no
professional level non-linear video editor for Linux. Adding to this,
almost all of the video editors currently available have development
rates that are alarmingly slow. Let's take a look at the best choices
we have right now:
The editors, and what to expect of them
There are video editors that I could never compile, or whose
latest release is more than five years old. Among them are: Vivia, ZS4, and Scilab
Aurora. I won't look into them. Avidemux can perform basic
editing operations, but that's not its main function.
Let's start with the most basic video editors. First on the list
is Kino. Kino is a very simple
tool, but is the most stable and robust of all the Linux-based video
editors I have tested. It has never crashed on me. For the casual user,
Kino may be the only place they need to look to satisfy their editing
needs. It allows capture from a camcorder, basic editing, adding
transitions and effects, and exporting to other formats. Unfortunately,
it's too limited for experienced video editors. It lacks essential
features such as multiple video and audio tracks, advanced titling, and
compositing. These will probably not be added in the future, as Kino
seems to have a clear idea of where it belongs, and is sticking to its
niche. I currently use Kino to capture raw footage, and often for
exporting video to various formats -- after I edit my video with
another program.
Moving beyond Kino, we have editors that support multiple video
and audio itracks, and seem to have some hope of gaining additional
utility (although not much). First is Kdenlive, which seems to be a promising
project. Or rather, it seemed. The truth is, it's being developed too
slowly, and it's still in a stage where it crashes too frequently on too
many systems. Then we have Pitivi, which is still
too young to be correctly assessed, but which will certainly occupy the
same niche as Kino and Kdenlive, making it almost non-relevant for video
I've used Open Movie
Editor enough times to be able to say it's a solid application with
a nice set of features. These two positive points are enough to make me
keep an eye on its development. Then we have LiVES, which shares these
positive traits as well, and seems to be updated very regularly as of
late, even trying to make the life of developers easier with a plugin
builder bundled. Both of them seem to be good bets for the more
advanced hobbyist at the present, and perhaps for the video professional
in the future (if they can add compositing and a broader range of
plugins and effects to their feature list).
MainActor is the only commercial application on this list. It is
no longer available. It was no Avid Xpress or Final Cut,
but its mere existence was encouraging. There is currently a petition aimed
at the company that
developed MainActor asking them to release the code (or parts of it) to
the public.
Jahshaka is one of the most
hyped pieces of open source software I've encountered. The vision of the
developers was (and is) an application designed from scratch to be an
editing and compositing powerhouse. The hype promoted on their website
was so effective that for many years I (and many others) eagerly awaited
a stable release with all the industry-standard features that I'd been
promised. At some point, Jahshaka even had corporate sponsors, including
Nvidia. But that turned into a mess which would take too much space to
present here. The good news is that, on January of this year, according
to the developers, Jahshaka was "liberated from its evil benefactors,"
which means that they can now resume their original path. And I have to
admit: I know I shouldn't, but I still have great expectations for
I use Cinelerra as my main
application for video editing and compositing. It is professional and
capable in some areas, and barely at alpha stage in others. First
released by an anonymous entity/person called Heroine
Virtual, for years it remained a paradox: it was the most powerful
FOSS video editor and compositor available, but was also notoriously
unstable, had a hideous interface, and its development pace was glacial.
A community version of Cinelerra
appeared later, which was basically a patched and bug-fixed version of
the original Cinelerra, done by other developers (with the consent of
Heroine Virtual). I'm using the latest community version of Cinelerra,
and I can say it's now stable enough for almost all production purposes.
Cinelerra's learning curve may be a little steep for beginners,
but it's worth it (and the community provides good documentation). It has some
features that you can only otherwise find in commercial applications,
including video and audio multitracking, some decent bundled effects
(among them LADSPA audio plugins),
a good compositor, three-point editing, and motion tracking. Cinelerra
also supports renderfarming
natively, which puts it on a class of its own. With Cinelerra it's
dead easy to set up a render farm with five or six nodes, and watch your
render times take a significant decrease.
Complaints include: lack of more pleasant themes, lack of
advanced titling, lack of more video effects (and poor documentation for
the ones included by default), and better capture and render functionality.
Finally, we come to Blender. Outside of pure video
editing applications, I would like to point it out as an example to
follow. It is feature-rich, powerful, has lots of manpower working on
it, and tutorials and videos about it abound on the Internet. And,
surprisingly, it allows quite reliable video
editing and compositing. However, as good an all-rounder Blender may
be, we still need -- and I cannot stress this enough -- good standalone
non-linear video editors.
A look ahead
To say this to a video professional would have seemed like a bad joke
ten years ago, but Linux has turned into a good platform for multimedia
creation and manipulation. What's lacking is the tools. We need more
powerful, more feature-rich tools. Even Hollywood seems to be using
Linux these days (and not just for rendering tasks), but the studios
use their own in-house applications. I'm not the only video professional
using FOSS who is disgruntled with the state of things.
Let's face it: most video professionals who use Linux in conjunction
with FOSS tools as their main platform for video editing do it because of:
- Cost
- Ability to customize raw performance
- Affection/Ethics
Note that neither richness of features nor the presence of industry
standard features are on that list. There are also two important
external factors that I want to point out and that should invite
- the apathy of video software companies towards FOSS
- the lack of developers for FOSS video editing and
similar applications
I want to finish by mentioning compositing and special effects
again. These are areas that have been sorely overlooked. I'm not asking
for Adobe After Effects for Linux, rather something on a smaller and
more practical scale with FXhome being
the perfect example of the type of applications we need to fill the gap.
Regarding compositing, Cinelerra is the only FOSS application that
currently allows me to produce decent results (excluding Blender).
My main hopes for the near future are on Jahshaka and Cinelerra,
thanks to the recent news I already mentioned. The key, I think, is
speed of development, and decent scheduling of major releases. Do not be
mistaken -- it will take years to develop high-end open source video
software, and the video professional cannot wait years. However, this
area finally seems to be heading in a better direction than it was even
a few years ago, and that may allow for a bit of optimism on our part.