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Posts Tagged 'Green Lantern'
Psychology of Hall H Dweller
Thoughts on Making a Better Hall H Presentation at Comic-Con
I remember the feeling I used to get going into a movie for the first time. Back in the olden days, before instant marketing campaigns for films on the internet, a single television commercial and a poster were the only information about a movie that were usually available prior to its release. The trailer usually set up the world, and rarely did anything else.
Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con is the place where I can rediscover a bit of the magic that comes from being out ahead of the ubiquitous film marketing machine. Long before the viral campaigns start, the instantly downloadable clips are offered, and the embargo-busting reviews are published, I get to get a first glance. It takes me back by putting me ahead of the buzz.
Me and Hall H
My history at the Comic-Con began in 2004, which also happened to be the first year that Hall H was used as a giant, 6,500-seat auditorium for large presentations by Hollywood studios. I've been there for all of the big moments since then. Being among the first to see footage from 300 and hearing the audience beg to see it again, watching James Cameron unveil his shiny new Avatar footage and kick off a revolution in 3D film making, and watching Samuel L. Jackson assemble the Avengers were pretty mind-blowing moments. Not only were they great pieces of theater for those in the audience, but they inspired the kind of buzz that helped propel each film to great success.
Not all Hall H panels are created equal, however. For every great memory, there have been plodding trips through blurry production art and much, much worse. Just like success in Hall H can help launch a film to box office magic, a bad panel can cast a pall over even highly anticipated films. If the same minds are behind the panel and the film, their being entertaining for 20 minutes in a panel should be easier to manage than the entire length of a movie. If that mission isn't accomplished, why plunk down my cash on opening day and give them a second shot?
So, here are a few thoughts about what makes for a good Hall H presentation, as well as a few suggestions on how to improve the panels in general.
The Reel
If you're going to spend the money and create a Hall H presentation, it pays to make it unique and chock full of memorable moments. This task usually starts with a sizzle reel of footage from the film that is, it's often emphasized more than once, "created especially for those at Comic-Con and nobody else." The first time I heard that phrase, I felt very special indeed to be among those who got to see the footage. The fourth panel on that same day that used the line had pretty much spent the special out of it. At this point in Comic-Con history, the audience would probably rather that you create such a reel, show it to us and only us, and not really make a big deal out of it.
Tron: Legacy tried hard but failed on this front a couple of years ago. Not that the footage didn't have some drop-dead gorgeous work going on. Anybody who's seen that trailer can testify to the fact that there are some beautiful visuals there. That, in fact, contributed to the problem: every neat shot that was in the reel was so irresistible that it was also included in the trailer that went public ten minutes after the panel ended. The feeling of exclusivity that the Hall H audience wants is stabbed in the heart when you show the same footage, or a slightly reworked version of it, to the world at large minutes later. It gives us nothing to go back and describe breathlessly in our blogs. If the marketing department feels like they absolutely must release that collection of footage, waiting a couple of weeks to let us feel special about it is a good idea.
You Must Be At Least This Awesome to Ride Hall H
The reel is your chance to demonstrate that you have something unique, so delivering on that front is of paramount importance. I understand that nobody sets out to make a bad movie. Still, there are an astonishing number of films that, from the vantage point of Hall H, appear to be pretty substandard judging both from the footage being shown and, more importantly, from the demeanor of the team being trotted out in front for the panel. It seems pretty clear from their lack of enthusiasm that they know the movie has problems, and that doesn't exactly set the stage for an enjoyable panel experience.
So, a caveat might be useful: if you realize that your movie isn't particularly good but hope that all of the swords, gore, and laser guns might distract the crowd into thinking otherwise, you might be better off without doing the panel at all. If there really are tastemakers in Hall H, pleasing them is no guarantee of box office gold (I will defend Scott Pilgrim to my dying breath), but the room has uncannily good sense when it comes to a movie that just doesn't look very entertaining. Therefore, if you suspect you might not have the goods, the money might be better spent elsewhere.
The Reel: Sound
Use of the subwoofer during these reels cuts both ways. The sound system in Hall H may be a miracle of modern engineering, but if you've already mixed your material with every level pumped up to 11, the hefty subwoofer in the hall tends to go from exciting to punishing. Yes, you want to include a moment or two where the bass hits me in the chest so hard that I wish I had a defibrillator standing by, but overkill dulls the effect and has the added disadvantage of making every spoken line unintelligible. The Expendables is, admittedly, not really going to be a movie that I see for the dialogue. And yet somebody took some time to write that bon mot that I should be chuckling at, yet cannot because they are being strangled to death by the subwoofer.
Test your mix, therefore, to make sure it's both loud and able to be understood. My impression is that Comic-Con gives studios a chance to do a dry run before the slavering crowds enter the hall. Checking audio levels then is a great idea.
Final Reel Notes
Do not ask if we want to see your footage again. It comes off as desperate, even if you have your moderator do it. For the length of the panel, he's on your team and having him beg for more adoration is unbecoming. I realize that when the audience first demanded a second look at the 300 footage, this was seen as a instant indicator of success, but the returns are greatly diminished when the second viewing of your footage is a scripted event rather than a grass-roots movement. The number of times I've seen a moderator ask "Do you want to see that amazing trailer again?" to have the audience return a rather lukewarm "meh" is too numerous and embarrassing to mention.
Also, if you are a comedy, the person editing your sizzle should have attended at least one Hall H panel in the audience. 6,500 people definitely do not react like a smaller crowd does. Hall H is an ungainly beast of a crowd and howls of laughter take much longer to die down than they would in a normal movie theatre. If you cut a trailer too tightly, the best of your jokes will get stepped on by the laughter from the bit before.
You've no doubt been told that Q&A is what sets Comic-Con apart from other gatherings. It's a real opportunity for a lowly civilian to make a life memory and interact with somebody famous. That is certainly true.
What isn't true is that Q&A is what makes a Hall H panel. I don't know whether the idea of spending large amounts of time in Q&A comes from Comic-Con International or the studios, but it needs to stop. There's no denying that there is an occasional moment that comes from Q&A. Ryan Reynolds signing a copy of the giveaway Green Lantern comic for a young boy was, indeed, so sweet a moment that I needed a metformin afterward. The problem is that these moment happen about twice a convention at most. In the meantime, Q&A is mostly miserable.
The misery flows for several reasons. First, the interaction is a moment focused a single audience member in a theatre full of 6,499 other people. Second, it's a long-distance exchange where the fan is standing half a football field away from the star. Third, Comic-Con has taken pains to screen out and cleanse potentially embarrassing or pointed questions. It takes some real skullduggery now for somebody to manage the rude equivalent of the year that director Mark Steven Johnson was asked how he planned not to screw up Ghost Rider the way that he did Daredevil. Was this a fun moment for the director? I'm sure it wasn't. He actually handled it with aplomb, though, and everybody had a good laugh. Regardless of what you think of the Ghost Rider film the resulted, the moment was a net public relations win because, no matter how rude the question might have been, it's one that every fan there wanted to know the answer to.
The result of this question screening is a steady stream of actor process ("How did you prepare to play Ant-Man?"), personal trivia ("What is your favorite role you've played?"), and other kinds of minutiae that very few people are interested in. Mostly these milquetoast questions are pretext for the questioner to interact with a star. In the worst cases, the person asking the question doesn't even really care which star answers the question, so long as he appears on the big screens at the front of Hall H and anybody famous interacts with them. Even when the questions do get interesting, they are either well-prepared jokes (Bob!) or the incredibly rare question that leads to an official confirmation of a rumor ("Yes, I will be playing Invincible!").
Upshot, you'd do well to limit Q&A to a couple of minutes if this is a con-required element in Hall H and, if not, ditch it completely.
One popular way to eliminate the Q&A from the audience is to invite your own moderator to conduct it for you. There's some danger inherent in this approach, though, and it stems mostly from the choice of moderator. It's not hard for a moderator to turn into a pitchman who comes off like a desperate huckster.
Among the good moderators, there are a few schools: journalists, interested insiders, and the nerds for hire. Each has its own requirements for success, and brings to the table some advantages that the others may not have at all.
The true journalist moderators who are not affiliated with the production tend to ask questions of the same type they would for their news outlet, and the net result can be a fascinating exchange. The best of these by far are Jeff "Doc" Jensen of Entertainment Weekly and Geoff Boucher of the LA Times. Their preparation and professionalism shine, but it is also clear that they are serious fanboys who love nerd culture, and that buys a lot of goodwill with the likeminded mass that make up the audience.
Interested Insiders
Interested insiders like Jon Favreau, Edgar Wright, or Guillermo del Toro are fun because they have the behind-the-scenes access to know where the bodies are buried and, most importantly, seem hard-wired to want to entertain a live crowd. Having somebody associated with or clearly friendly to the production allows you to get your message out while maintaining a level of control. However, it's a rare director or producer who is entertaining enough to pull this off. The aforementioned clearly want to put on a show and are great at it, but in the absence of a peculiarly skilled asset, going this route will generally fail.
Nerds for Hire
And then there are the nerds for hire like Patton Oswalt or Chris Hardwick. They bring with them a level of geek credit that puts you ahead of the game by their mere appearance. They also have knowledge of pop culture and sometimes even your particular property that will help lend credibility to the film. Oswalt did amazing, spontaneous work one year with the Disney panel, riffing on what he was seeing up on the big screens, the contents of the reels, and the con experience in general. The next year he returned, but somebody seemed to have the bright idea of giving him a script to stick to, which seemed like a waste of brilliant improvisational skills. Not having every moment carefully orchestrated can be a powerful tool in a Hall H panel, especially if you have the right moderator.
Other Notes on Moderators
If the movie is a adaptation of a comic or graphic novel, you would do well to make sure that your moderator knows the source material. The less venerable and obscure the source material, the more this is important. Sending the moderator your show or series bible will be worth it when he's not mispronouncing the title character's name or asking questions that even casual fans already know the answer to. In general, the rule for film plots works well here: you do not want the audience to be out ahead of the material. So, having a moderator who is completely wired into the material helps you avoid any credibility gaps.
Short version, have them. The mainstream media obviously love the opportunity to interview them and the Hall H audience appreciates greatly their showing up and supporting the film. It speaks volumes, actually, about the overall quality of the film. One helpful hint: if you wish to keep a guest's appearance on a panel as a surprise, you might want to consider not putting their Comic-Con placard out at their seat before the panel starts. This happens quite a lot.
For stars, if you're going to try to blend in as part of the Comic-Con tribe and drop what you think is a reference that's going to resonate with the crowd, you have two options. The first is to actually be a part of the tribe. The second, for fakers, is to make sure you vet your reference with a certified tribe member. Otherwise, you end up sounding a bit desperate and more than a little confused, like the time one star, while talking about her undying love of video games, referred to "first player shooters." Ugh. Don't be this person.
Success in Hall H is a moving target. One year's fantastic surprise of sending a taped regret message from a star only to have him walk out five minutes later is going to come off the next year as derivative and derision-worthy. The best advice for success in Hall H is this: know what has come before and top it.
San Diego Comic-Con 2010 – Saturday Programming Preview
San Diego Comic-Con International is next week, July 22-25.
One last shameless beg: I'm hoping to do some live blogging of the panels I attend, but need a netbook in order to pull it off. If you have a hookup, please drop me a line. Time is running out!
I don't know who I'm kidding when it comes to Saturday: though I have some panels I'd like to see that are scattered around, I'm going to be camped in Hall H all day. The lineup looks solid. In fact, there's only a hole or two (I'm looking at you, Resident Evil:Afterlife). Count this as my official vote for the SDCC programming folks to act on the perpetual rumor that they're going to limit Hall H to a couple of days every year. While we're voting, please make one on Thursday, when crowds are more manageable. And get me a free pony while you're at it.
Sometime between now and next Wednesday, I'll sit down and figure out exactly what I'll be attending. Here are the highlights:
Saturday, July 24 (Happy Pioneer Day!)
10:00-11:00 Mad about MAD!— Room 7AB
11:15-12:15 The Event: World-Premiere Pilot Screening and Q&A with Cast and Producers— this has quite a large chunk of the cast expected to be there.
11:15-12:15 Spotlight on Gerard Way— Room 6DE – Lead singer of My Chemical Romance. Squee, I say.
11:45-1:15 Warner Bros.: Green Lantern, Sucker Punch, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows— Hall H – we couldn't have gotten rid of half of yesterday's Hall H programming and let Green Lantern and Harry Potter each have their own panel?
12:00-1:00 The Venture Bros.— Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront
12:30-1:45 Quick Draw!— Room 6BCF
1:30-2:15 The Simpsons— Ballroom 20
1:30-2:30 Behind the Scenes with Sid & Marty Krofft: A Look at the Past, Present and Future— Room 24ABC
1:30-2:30 Overture: Let Me In— Hall H
1:45-3:15 Cartoon Voices I— Room 6BCF – the first of Mark Evanier's two-part animation voices extravaganza during the convention. If you aren't a Hall H type and enjoy animation at all, this is where you should be. Mark does a great job of keeping things running, and gathers together the most talented group of actors whose names you likely don't recognize. Not only are they gathered up, but Mark puts them through their paces. I can't recommend this panel highly enough. It's companion panel is on Sunday morning and, since I'll be holding down the fort in Hall H on Saturday, I'll be going to the sequel.
2:00-3:00 The Guild— Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront
2:30-3:30 Partners in Image Comics— Robert Kirkman and Todd McFarlane in the same panel. I'm really sorry to miss this one.
3:30-5:00 Warehouse 13 and Eureka— Room 6BCF
4:00-4:45 Screen Gems: Resident Evil: Afterlife— Hall H – I swear this is a retread of last year's panel. And last year, there was 3D content. It's hard to imagine what exactly needs to be said a full year later, since there was a decent amount of footage last time, if memory serves.
4:30-5:30 Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski— Room 6A – even though the project has passed into the hands of a new writer, I'd still like to hear what JMS has to say about the state of World War Z. He's always entertaining.
4:30-5:30 Disney Epic Mickey— Room 9
4:45-5:45 Universal: Paul and Cowboys & Aliens— Hall H
5:00-6:00 G4: Attack of the Show— Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront
5:30-6:30 Why So Critical? Celebrating 25 Years of Film Threat— Room 24ABC
5:30-6:30 Avatar Press and Max Brooks— Room 26AB
6:00-7:00 Marvel Studios: Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger— Hall H – Whedon's in town for another panel, so one wonders if we might get some news on The Avengers.
7:15-8:15 MythBusters— Room 6BCF
7:15-8:45 Kevin Smith— Hall H – casting news for his upcoming political horror movie Red State have been promised.
7:30-8:30 World Premiere of Legend of Neil, Season 3— Room 7AB
8:00-9:00 Troma Troma Troma— Room 8
8:30-10:30 With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story— Room 6BCF
8:30-9:30 World Premiere of The House That Drips Blood on Alex: An Evening With Tommy Wiseau— Room 7AB
10:00-12:00 Kevin Smith presents Cop Out in "Maximum Comedy Mode"— Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront – say what you will about Mssr. Smith, he does have a good handle on what a live crowd wants, and probably realizes that it isn't to merely watch a DVD of his last movie with him. I suspect there will be surprises here.
My favorite movie from Sundance this year just released a teaser trailer.
Simply put, this movie is a brilliant concept for a film, a script that is even better in the execution than it was in the concept, and really well-directed and acted to boot.
Granted, you may think the depths of the idea of somebody being buried alive got well and truly plumbed in Kill Bill Vol. 2, but there are some really great ideas in this movie. Given that one of the weapons at the main character Paul Conroy's disposal is a cell phone, you get all the expected notes that one should expect: commentary on consumer culture, the lack of reasonable customer service on the telephone, and general jaded nature of the American population at large. What surprised me were the moments that came out of left field. For one, I appreciate the restraint it must have taken to not open this story up, showing the people that the protagonist is talking to on the phone. I can only imagine that was a note that producers gave over and over. The point at which I was watching a chase scene taking place in a claustrophobic underground wooden box, I was all in and willing to go wherever this story was headed.
Although Chris Sparling's script was clearly written to be shot on a shoestring, given the single on-screen character and location, the movie moves from feeling appropriately cramped and confined to a much more open, freewheeling film. Or, rather, as freewheeling as one can make a movie feel which stays in the same, small place. Kudos to Rodrigo Cortés for managing to stay out of the way of the brilliant material in the script and even inventing a few shots to add to his reel.
Ryan Reynolds is, for me, the consummate leading man. This point was hammered home watching him rise above the dreck and scatology of Van Wilder and turn the role into something worth watching. Being that he is the only onscreen actor, those skills are put to the test. He gets to stretch a bit here, playing a wide range of emotions. The movie is believable because we see the full scope of fear, remorse, and hope that Reynolds puts on display. While I can imagine this being a watchable movie with the involvement of a lesser talent, Reynolds' work here takes the film from a mere engaging thriller to something more emotional. Green Lantern can't come soon enough.
In the meantime, I highly recommend this one unless you are afraid of tight spaces.


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Ever since Lily inherited Sophia's old twin mattress and box spring, she's been headboard-less. Sure, the bed is nice and comfy without one but it just made everything look very incomplete.
So, when Lil and I spotted this in-decent-shape twin wicker headboard for only $6.99 at my favorite thrift store, Unique, we just had to snatch it up! (Of course, if you follow me on Instagram, this is old news to you.)
Then I followed a simple three step process to refurb old wicker:
1) Wash, 2) Dry and 3) Paint.
1) Wash: A little googling told me that I should give this grimmy thing a scrub down so I used a stiff brush, some dish soap, and the hose and gave it a good wash.
2) Dry: Then I left it out in the sun for a couple warm, clear days so that it could fully dry off.
3) Paint: A few cans of Krylon gloss paint in Banner Red and it was fully coated and looking good. (Why yes, that is the same spray paint I used on the den chairs. Thanks for noticing!)
And ta-da! Lily has a headboard!
Not bad for about 22 bucks ($6.99 for the headboard and 3 cans of spray paint at $4.99 each). It looks so nice, Pooh had to jump in there.
Now, I just need to figure out some kind of bed/headboard for Sophia's room and ours! I'm thinking about something like this for Soph's. What do you think?
To see the rest of Lily's room, check out these posts:
House Tour: Lily's Room Part 1 (the one where I introduce the room and show before and afters)
House Tour: Lily's Room Part 2 (the full resource list. Disclosure: needs to be updated)
Instant Gratification: Two Quickies for the Pinterest Challenge (the one where I hang some new art)
A Name Plaque for Lily or How My 4 Year Old Taught Me a Lesson (the one where Lily makes some art)
Sue at Home

subset: commoncrawl


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02 February 2013
a valentine-inspired shoot
27 comments:
Super cute. Last year, I started a little valentine's photo shoot w/ the bf. I hope we do it again this year! :) (see last year's here: http://jeanyous.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-pink-you.html) I think a solo would be cool, too!ReplyDelete
I love your modcloth ring. And the deer are so cuuuuuute! I want to thrift me some! happy weekend!!!!
I love you dress..ReplyDelete
love the photos and you look amazing :DReplyDelete
adorable. ps: love the desk in the previous post!ReplyDelete
Everything is so cute! I love how the shoot was styled.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 2, 2013 at 9:34 AM
cute, cute, cute.ReplyDelete
your deer collection is amazing <3 Also those shoes.. I feel like they'd take you to Oz! xxReplyDelete
So so so cute! I love how you've decorated. That is awesome!ReplyDelete
Ahhhh so cute! Hehe i love the dress, i can see why you love it so much!ReplyDelete
ooh girl, dat ring! also, the last photo is my very favorite :))ReplyDelete
Love the outfit, perfect for Valentine's Day <3ReplyDelete
pretty pictures!ReplyDelete
such a lovely little shoot! and the ring! i want :)ReplyDelete
what an AMAZING house! i love all the details in old homes.
come say hello - MOCCASIN RUN
Sooo cute! I love every photo :) And that ring is pretty awesomeReplyDelete
This is really amazing. I want to do my own Valentine's day shoot now! hehe that dress is lovelyReplyDelete
Super cute, love it! Love the dress, I wouldn't take it off either!ReplyDelete
So beautiful, love your dress :)ReplyDelete
Ps. your blog is like out of place when I see it on my laptop, is it me or?
I'm loving your lavender-pink lips! very chicReplyDelete
umm what the heck, how are you so freaking cute?ReplyDelete
lovely, lovely, lovely...as always :)ReplyDelete
this is absolutely adorable! such a creative idea :) love the dress (and all the deer of course)ReplyDelete
oh my goodness! HOW CUTE ARE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyDelete
I had to stop. breathe. and swoon over that deer and antler ring! so show-stopping and jaw-dropping!ReplyDelete
This is absolutely adorable! Beautiful shoot! beautiful accessories!ReplyDelete
Your ring kinda stole the shot. It's a beautiful addition to that dress. You had me at the dual functionality of the bow and collar!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 13, 2013 at 8:48 AM
SOOOOO cute! All of it! I LOVE this LOVE month and this shoot you put together! I also love the his and her love stories you have going on :)ReplyDelete
These photos are quite lovely. You're so gorgeous!ReplyDelete


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Overview - Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa - Sri Lanka
With a privileged location nestled between the Bentota River and the Indian Ocean, the new Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa offers a tranquil beachside from which to enjoy a Sri Lanka holiday.
Surrounded by lush mangroves and kissed by the shimmering expanse of the Indian Ocean, the Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa complements its exotic location with contemporary, minimalist-themed accommodation, many of which enjoy pleasant sea views.
An excellent choice for couples and families alike, the Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa offers a tempting menu of new facilities, including the renowned SPA Cenvaree, a swimming pool overlooking the beach, Kids' Clubs and a fitness centre, as well as four restaurants and bars.
Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa's location makes it ideal for river cruises and exploring Sri Lanka's culturally rich heritage.


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Berlin is a city full of artists, designers and entrepreneurial risk takers. It's only natural then, that the startup scene here is bustling with like-minded individuals. Each taking advantage of what the city has to offer. According to Gruenden, an advisory agency for new businesses in Germany, "A startup is founded every 20 minutes in Berlin".
Today's Berlin offers relatively cheap living and a diverse international culture. English is a second language here, which has opened it up, drawing in talent from all over the world. A couple of Berlin's notable startups include, SoundCloud and Number26, but the list goes on. The city must somehow accommodate these entrepreneurs, one form of these is Co-working spaces, just what we offer here at Transistor.
Where does Transistor fit in?
Berlin's diverse culture is immediately evident here at Transistor. For example, at one of the tables here we have people from Germany, England, France, Canada and two as far away as New Zealand. Just a few weeks ago, one of our very own attended a major event in Vienna. ThePioneers Festival, a gathering for future technologies and entrepreneurship. Bitwala, who have been in Transistor from the start, were awarded the second best Fintech Startup in Europe! Achievements like this are contagious and give us all that extra bit of drive sometimes needed on those early mornings and late nights. Some of our other Startups here in the space include Bitcoinsberlin, all4btc and YNS Network Solutions. You can expect to be hearing about them from us in the near future.
Silicon Allee – Europe's Startup Center.
The startup scene in Berlin has been described by some as the Silicon Valley of Europe – without the cost. Although Silicon Valley boasts many positives, it is known to be a more costly and more competitive environment. Berlin offers a city of countless first generation startups and numerous Co-working spaces. There are regular events and presentations about startup businesses all around Berlin which brings a sense of community between the local startups here. In fact just last weekend Startup Europe Summit 2016 hosted an event right outside our front door. "For two days, hundreds of policy-makers, founders, venture capitalists and key startup stakeholders converged on Berlin to inspire each other and create frameworks for real change in innovation policy". This included Uber's CEO and numerous other CEOs and founders.
Today's Berlin has emerged from a complex history. Entrepreneurs and other enthusiastic individuals have in turn helped create this vibrant startup scene. Some refer to Berlin itself as a startup, and many have watched it grow over recent years. Whilst many more will continue to do so as this exciting phase of development continues.


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dispirited young wife; while a congenial talk with M. Pinart on the subject of Polynesian dialects and races, has helped to cheer the husband, who, later, took us to see his schools, pleasantly situated on a wooded hill, commanding a lovely view of the landlocked harbour. Then strolling back through the orange-groves, we returned on board, where I am now writing. The captain and several of the officers have gone off duck-shooting, and expect good sport.
Saturday Evening.
Yesterday morning, after a very early breakfast, I went ashore at 6.30 with M. Pinart and Dr Thoulon. Mr Fox was waiting at the pier, and returned with us to the mission-house, where we found the patient already on the mend. I acted the part of interpreter for the doctor, who was happily able to supply, as well as prescribe, all needful remedies and tonics. So when we returned this afternoon to say good-bye, the young mother looked like a different creature—so bright and happy. Truly a blessed skill is that of the kindly leech
The previous evening Mr Fox had undertaken to borrow some horses, and escort us to the summit of "The Pudding," a wooded hill, commanding a splendid map-like view of the strangely intersected land and water on every side of us. The isles lie so close, one to the other, that we could scarcely believe we were looking on the ocean, and not rather on a network of clear calm lakes and rivers. All the isles appear to be densely wooded, but at intervals along the shore we could distinguish villages nestling among the trees. One small island has recently been ceded to the Germans as a coaling station, and there seems some reason for anxiety lest this small foothold should be taken further advantage of.
Our ride in the early morning was exceedingly pleasant. I had insured my own comfort by bringing my side-saddle ashore. By some mistake we found that the stirrup had been left in Fiji; but happily, on such a ship as this, to want a thing is to have it, and I hear that a new stirrup and strap are to be ready for me ere we reach Samoa. On the summit of the hill we found breakfast all
ready, a party of natives from the mission having made an early start with tea, yams, ham and eggs—all of which had been cooked gipsy-fashion. To this foundation we added the contents of a hamper, which the thoughtful captain had directed his maître d'hôtel to send with us. So we had a royal feast, and then I settled down to do a bird's-eye sketch of the strange world outspread below, while gentle and rather pretty brown girls, with sienna hair, sat by, peeling oranges by the dozen, with which they fed us all incessantly. It is the part of true hospitality to peel oranges for a guest, as their thick green skins contain so much essential oil, that the mere act of removing them makes the hands very oily and uncomfortable. Woe betide the rash and thirsty stranger who puts the green fruit to his lips to suck it, as he might a golden orange in Europe. For many hours the burning pain of almost blistered lips will remind him of his folly. Returning to the village, we found a large ten-oared boat waiting for us, the captain having most kindly placed it at our disposal, to enable us to explore the coast. Mr Fox guided us to a truly exquisite cave, about five miles distant. Never before, in all my wanderings, had my eyes been gladdened by such an ideal fairy grot. We rowed along the face of beautiful crags, which we had passed on the previous day without a suspicion of the wonderful hiding-place within them. Suddenly we steered right into a narrow opening, and found ourselves in a great vaulted cavern like a grand cathedral—a coral cave, with huge white stalactites hanging in clusters from the roof, and forming a perfect gallery along one side, from which we could almost fancy that white-veiled nuns were looking down on us. The great outer cave is paved with lapis-lazuli, at least with water of the purest ultra-marine, which was reflected in rippling shimmers of blue and green on the white marble roof. For the sun was lowering, and shone in glory through the western archway, lighting up the mysterious depths of a great inner cavern, which otherwise receives but one ray of light from a small opening far overhead, through which we saw blue sky and green leaves. No scene-painter could have devised so romantic a picture for any fairy pantomime. The French sailors were ecstatic in their delight. They collected piles of old cocoa-nut fibre and dry palm-leaves and kindled bright blazing fires, whose ruddy light glowed on the dark crevices, which even the setting sun could not reach, and blended with the blue and green reflected lights, and both played on the white coral walls, and the white boat, and white figures—(for of course, in the tropics, the sailors all wear their white suits). Soon these active lads contrived to reach the gallery, and glided behind the stalactite pillars, making the illusion of the nuns' gallery still more perfect. Altogether it was a scene of dream-like loveliness. All this coast is cavernous, and most tempting to explore. Very near my fairy cave lies the one described by Byron, in "The Island," which can only be reached by diving—
"A spacious cave
A huge rock, about 60 feet high, rises from the sea, with nothing to indicate that it is hollow; but at a considerable depth beneath low-water mark, there is an opening in the rock through which expert divers can enter, and find themselves in a cave about 40 feet wide and 40 in height—the roof forming rude Gothic arches of very rich and varied colour, and the whole incrusted with stalactites. The clear green water forms the crystal pavement, but two lesser caves, branching off on either side, afford a dry restingplace to such as here seek a temporary refuge. The place is quite unique in its surpassing loveliness; and the brilliant phosphoric lights which gleam with every movement of the water, and which are reflected in pale tremulous rays, that seem to trickle from the stalactites and lose themselves among the high arches, give to the whole a weird ghostly effect, quite realising all one's fancies of a spirit-world. This home of the mermaids was first discovered by a young Tongan, who was diving in pursuit of a wounded turtle. Filled


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These test your understanding of all essential knowledge required for you to be a proficient and safe pilot. All the questions are multiple-choice, so the skills required are entirely practical: ability to read, draw lines on a chart and calculate figures. You only need to set aside a couple of hours a week to study and have a keen interest to learn. The exams are listed below.
The Theoretical Knowledge exams are passed by self study. We have a library of appropriate text books which you may loan in order to study for your ground exams. These have been specifically designed for the PPL.
Theoretical Knowledge examinations can be arranged through the Ops Manager, who will arrange for the exam to be conducted. There is a charge of £15 per exam for Theoretical Knowledge exams. As soon as you have passed your first Theoretical Knowledge examination you must pass the remainder within 18 months of your first pass date. You must pass all the Theoretical Knowledge examinations before you can take your flying Skills Test.
Exams must be taken in a maximum of six sittings, candidates must complete multiple exams in a sitting (remembering that a sitting is ten days so the exams do not have to be taken on the same day). The recommended collation of exams is as follows :-
Sitting Exams
1. Air Law
2. Meteorology
Operational Procedures
Human Performance
3. Aircraft General Knowledge
Principles of Flight
4. Navigation
Flight Performance & Planning
5 & 6 Spare sittings for re-sits


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|Yakov Il'ich Frenkel was born on February, 10, 1894, in Rostov on Don. He entered St. Petersburg University in 1910. Frenkel graduated from the University in 3 years and remained there to prepare for a professorship. In 1912 he finished his first work in physics on the earth magnetism and atmospheric electricity. This work attracted A. F. Ioffe's attention and later turned into collaboration.
From 1921 till the end of his life, Frenkel worked at the Physico-Technical Institute. When conducting research on the molecular theory of condensed state, he introduced the notion of the hole, and the "Frenkel defect" was firmly fixed in the physics of solids and liquids. In the thirties, his research was supplemented with works on the theory of plastic deformation. For his distinguished scientific services, he was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1929.
The results of his more than twenty years of study of the theory of liquid state were generalized in the classic monograph "Kinetic theory of liquids". In 1930-1931, Frenkel showed that neutral excitation of a crystal by light is possible, with an electron remaining bound to a hole created at a lattice site identified as a quasi-particlethe exciton. Mention should be made of Frenkel's works on the theory of metals, nuclear physics (the liquid drop model of the nucleus), semiconductors. Frenkel's book-writing activity was extremely high. Beginning in 1922, he published a book virtually every year: he was the author of the first theoretical course in the USSR. Many students learned physics from these books, not only here but also in foreign countries.


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Now, she's expanding her witticisms past 140 characters to a 288-page book titled, "Leave Your Mark," with advice on landing your dream job, mastering social media and creating your own brand. She explains to WWD, "If I were writing the book 10 years ago, the idea of personal branding was what people called your reputation. With the advent of social media, people can now really amplify their own personal messages in a way that no one was ever able to do before. I deep-dive into how to do that."
"Leave Your Mark" will be available May but you can follow Aliza Licht on Twitter for updates.


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Hey ladies! I'm here to share another outfit post with you all + a little adventure we Boyer ladies went on a few weeks ago!
First off, my outfit 🙂 We went shopping back in July for a certain lady's birthday, and I stumbled upon this incredible jumpsuit on sale for $10. TEN. I couldn't believe my luck. You better believe it instantly came home with me! 😉 I have been wanting to try the jumpsuit trend, and I knew this beauty could be easily made modest with a camisole underneath.
I was thrilled when Halftee contacted me about featuring a few of their products in our posts! As soon as I laid eyes on the mocha lace halftee, I was sold! It would be the perfect layering piece for my jumpsuit: not too bulky & hot, but just enough coverage for my liking.
Jumpsuit: Alter'd State / Halftee c/o Halftee / Shoes: Saltwater Sandals / Earrings: Handmade
The lacey texture + the sleeveless design makes this cami so perfect for hot summer days! I really love this alternative styling for my Jumpsuit, rather than how it was made to be worn.
If you ladies are wanting to try out Halftee for yourself, here's a coupon code to get 20% off your order, site-wide! BOYERSISTERS20
Ok, now onto our adventure! We toured the beautiful Stream Cliff Herb Garden one very hot July day. Brigid, our Aunt, Jessica, Mom and myself all made up the party. It was such a delightful time, and the food we got at the restaurant was fabulous. It was just wonderful getting to tour the gardens, purchase a few plants for our homes, and spend time together.
Oh you guys. This picture. It melts my heart 😭💓 I still can't believe I'm going to become Aunty Lotta soon! Gahhh! Somebody stop the clock; I'm starting to feel waaaay too old! 😉 If you haven't gotten a chance to peek at Brigid's pregnancy announcement, click here!
One last note before I leave you all: Jessica and I have something very exciting up our sleeves to share with you guys! If you all have ever wanted a chance to just sit down with us and chat about living life as young women, to God's glory, well… your chance might be coming 😉 Maybe… just sayin'… you know… maybe.
xo! Charlotte


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IF you don't know who Grace Mahary is, you will do soon. The Canadian-born model, who made her show debut last season, graced the catwalks of every fashion heavyweight for spring/summer 2013 - from Marc Jacobs and Prada to Chanel and Saint Laurent, the latter of which she closed. The 22-year-old beauty even joined in on Hedi Slimane's post-show celebrations, when he was given rounds of applause, with glasses raised to celebrate his debut for the label.
"He was very sweet and interested in my ethnic origin," said Mahary of Slimane. "He also surprised me when he photographed the final looks himself with this brilliant film camera. Every girl's shot oozed retro cool, all in black and white. Everyone was pretty calm, but excited to put on a great show. The best part was the mob of us leggy girls hiding under huge floppy brimmed black hats in our sleek blazers and gowns - it was so dramatic."
Speaking of catwalk spectaculars, Mahary was also hired to walk in Philip Treacy's show - the designer's first return to the London Fashion Week line-up in over a decade - starring the one and only Lady Gaga.
"She's amazing," said Mahary. "She greeted all of the girls backstage and even took pictures with the team. It was a little crazy and you can only imagine how much singing, dancing, and fun took place just before we hit the runway. Luckily, my hat was super light."
Mahary - whose parents hail from Eritrea, East Africa - never planned a career in fashion. As a teen, she was a keen basketball player with "doctor or physiotherapy dreams", but was scouted in a Toronto shopping centre while she was on holiday with her mother. The self-confessed "grungy tomboy" went on to win a model search competition, then moved to Toronto to pursue modelling part-time. Her first major fashion break came when Riccardo Tisci booked her exclusively to walk in the Givenchy autumn/winter 2012-13 show. She is now represented by Premier Model Management.
"I still find it hard to accept that I'm a full time model," she said. "It's an unbelievable honour to have worked with iconic fashion houses like Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Prada, but the sweet designers behind Balenciaga and Saint Laurent were a pleasure to work with too. I have to admit though, I learned and laughed the most with Riccardo Tisci and his team at Givenchy."


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Voting is not just a right.
It's also a responsibility, a responsibility that you have to fulfill with diligence. It's even a strategy, a strategy that you have to perform with independence.
But most of all, voting is something you alone can do – not just for yourself and for your loved ones, but also for the common good.
Those being said, make every vote count by:
Doing Your Research
You're voting for a Presidential candidate. What are the pros? What are the cons? You're choosing for a better product. What are the advantages? What are the disadvantages? Doing your research on these things will not just help you make an honest decision, but also the wisest decision you'll ever make. You see, you can't just vote for someone without knowing anything about that person. You can't also just choose something without knowing anything about that product.
Being Open-Minded
It's just like selecting the best one from the top 5 compact binoculars, where you are open to options other than your main option. It's also just like selecting for the one with the best reviews, where you are open to hearing out other people's opinions about it. It's even just like selecting for the one with the worst reviews, where you are open to giving another chance despite other people's opinions about it. It's about exploring every option there is, in order for you to come up with the best one in the end.
Asking For Help
Contrary to popular belief, it never hurts to ask for help – be it from your loved ones or from your friends, as well as from your acquaintances and even from strangers. This will allow you to prove which one is the best choice for you, as well as which one proves to be the kind of choice that got everyone thinking more about it. From there, you'll get to learn more about your options other than what you've already researched about and what you've already considered about.
Always remember, voting doesn't have to be so complicated – to the point where you'll only vote for your option just because other people said so. Do your research. Be open-minded. Ask for help. These may just be small ways to make every vote count, but in the end, it will have a big impact – not just in your life, but also in your loved ones' lives and other people's lives.
What do you think of this blog post? Share your thoughts with us below!


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"Should you hear ANY dissenters, or wish to provide other Stations feedback on this system, I'd like to provide you my "real life" experience. Prior to Vaculex I took 1000mg of Pain Meds for my back prior to shift start. At 1300 when I break for lunch, I would take an additional 500mg. Since the first shift with "Vanessa Vaculex", I have taken ZERO meds, and I have not had one twinge of back pain at the end of 8 hours on the belt."
Watch the movie from Air Canada that shows the 1st day using Vaculex BaggageLift!
Air Canada
Air Canada – Halifax International Airport (YHZ), NS, Canada
Air Canada is Canada's largest full-service airline and the largest provider of scheduled passenger services in the Canadian market, Air Canada serves close to 35 million passengers annually and provides direct passenger service to more than 175 destinations on five continents. Air Canada is a founding member of Star Alliance™, the world's most comprehensive air transportation network.
Air Canada want to improve safety around baggage handling and reduce the risk of injury to the handlers.


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The no-fly list created by U.S. authorities, which singles out passengers who are potential terrorist threats, is the target of frequent criticism that it's incomplete and unreliable. But that hasn't stopped it from expanding dramatically. Aviation sources say the list has grown to more than 31,000, up from 19,000 last September. And a little noticed incident on April 8, involving a Dutch KLM 747 flight from Amsterdam to Mexico City, may result in the list being used even more aggressively. The plane was forbidden by American authorities to enter U.S. airspace because the Department of Homeland Security discovered after the flight...
Extending the No-Fly Zone
The no-fly list faces frequent criticism but hasn't stopped expanding
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Jason Liang, former One Sushi Plus executive chef and Craft Izakaya sushi chef, opened Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur in April 2016. Since then, Brush has become a fixture of the dining scene around the square, and Liang has become a star for his deft ways with omakase.
But Momonoki, the new casual counter service spot from Liang and business partner John Chen, is something different. For one thing, it's located far from Decatur, in the Modera by Mill Creek development in Midtown.
And though there are hints of sushi and izakaya items exported from Brush on the menu, the featured dish is two types of tsukemen dipping ramen, along with several other styles of ramen, donburi rice bowls, katsu sando Japanese cutlet sandwiches, and a variety of salads and small plates.
The two-story build-out at the corner of Eighth and Williams streets overlooks the ever-busy Downtown Connector, with views from covered patios and upstairs and downstairs seating areas surrounded by glass panels.
At the entrance, sister spot Momo Cafe serves coffee from Stumptown Roasters, Japanese-inspired drinks, and desserts and baked goods made in-house by Liang's wife, pastry chef ChingYao Wang. The liquor license is still pending, but expect a full bar soon with cocktails, sake, wine and local and Japanese beers.
Last week, Liang took some time out to talk about the transition to Midtown, and introducing the pleasures of tsukemen to unsuspecting Atlantans.
"Brush is up and running now, and we decided it was time to do something for everyone," Liang said. "Brush is a little higher end. But we still see young professionals and even college kids come in, and they order ramen and rice bowls and more approachable things.
"That gave us the idea to plan a space around Midtown. This is exactly what we wanted, a place where we can open and go seven days a week nonstop. And when I saw this space, I said I want a coffee shop at the corner. And we're able to utilize the patio space to double our seating."
As to the name, Liang explained, it simply means peach tree.
"Momo is peach. Noki is tree, like wood or tree in Japanese," he said. "I drew the logo on the back of a receipt with a tree and the symbol for wood inside a peach. We worked with our contractor to design the space with the look that we like. We wanted modern and rustic with warm wood and bare concrete."
But if the look is nontraditional, Liang said the food is just the opposite.
"The food is definitely authentic, especially the ramen part," he said. "We wanted to bring tsukemen to the city. It's the dipping ramen, with the broth that's heavier and saltier. So you don't dump the broth in the bowl. You dip the ramen in the broth.
"The noodles and toppings are room temperature, and the broth is hot. The ramen is from Sun Noodle. But I had to reach out to them back and forth to get what I wanted. It's a thicker noodle with a texture with a lot more bite to it than normal ramen noodles. And broth sticks to it."
Like anything new, Liang said there's been a bit of a learning curve when it comes to teaching diners how to eat tsukemen.
"We saw a lot of people just pouring the broth into the bowl," he said. "And I'm thinking, 'Why did you do that?' But we have our cashier and food runners explain the way you should eat tsukemen.
Another menu item that is special to Liang, katsu sando, is much easier to understand.
"Everyone likes sandwiches," he said. "I love good fried chicken and shrimp sandwiches so much that I wanted to make my own version. Because it's simple, every element is important. Quality Japanese milk bread, house-made three-hour katsu sauce, fresh thinly sliced cabbage, and Japanese mayo.
"We have a few options to choose from, including chicken, filet mignon, shrimp, avocado, shiitake and A5 Miyazaki wagyu. And three sides to choose from, lotus root chips, Japanese potato salad, and ponzu salad."
95 8th St. NW Ste 100, Atlanta. 404-390-3025, momonokiatl.com/
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Join us every Monday for our sunrise prayer meeting. Passionate prayer is a direct line to God, and communication with Him is vital. Join us as we pour out our hearts, and pray for the needs of our families, friends and our community. Hope to see you here.
Tues to Fri 9AM - 5PM


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Emirates Luxury Resort, Wolgan Valley
Location Wolgan Valley, NSW
Client Coffey Projects (Australia) Pty Ltd
Project Phase Concept to Construction
Project Duration 2005 - 2009
The Landscape Vision for the luxury Resort was to create a natural landscape that enhances the site's natural beauty and highlights the exceptional cliff backdrop and views of the Wolgan Valley.
The focus on eco-tourism and appreciation of the Australian environment strongly influenced the landscape design response, which highlights as its key themes: environmental stewardship, ecological integrity, biodiversity and protecting the values of the adjacent Blue Mountains National Park and World Heritage site.
Using native trees, shrubs and natural grasses, the resort landscape is designed to be self sustaining and provides a welcome microclimate for guests. A variety of precincts add to the landscape mosaic including the recreation pool terrace, spa fernery, villa landscapes, creek landscape, stables, and restored orchard and grounds surrounding the 1834 homestead
CONTEXT was involved in the project from its inception in 2005 to the opening in October 2009.
Site by Pictura Creative


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Professor David Nowicki
- Ph.D. (Industrial and Systems Engineering)University of Wisconsin Thesis Title: Optimization Models in Support of Performance Based Logistics (PBL) Contracts
- M.S. (Industrial Engineering Operations Research)
Virginia Tech
- B.S. (Industrial Engineering Operations Research)
University of Wisconsin
Professor Nowicki brings over 15 years of industry experience to the academic world. He has focused his efforts in the areas of Supply Chain Management (SCM), technology architecture and logistics modeling. Mr. Nowicki has held executive positions at i2 Technologies where he built i2's European development organization and later ran their Consumer Packaged Goods consulting and solution practice. Professor Nowicki also held executive positions at Servigistics and Tools for Decision (TFD). At Servigistics, David was responsible for product management in the field of Service Parts Management. At TFD, he focused his efforts on modeling LCC, Spares Optimization, LORA solutions to drive new business. In his earlier years, Mr. Nowicki conducted supportability studies for the SDI program while working for DRC and programmed sonar displays for IBM. Professor Nowicki received his Masters Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech and both his bachelors and doctorate degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Professor Nowicki's research efforts now focus on applying advanced analytical techniques to solve Supply Chain Management problems from a Systems Engineering context. Specifically, Professor Nowicki research is concentrated on Performance Based Logistics modeling and multi-asset optimization. Additional areas of interest are in the fields of reliability theory and spares optimization.
- Director of VCES, Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering
- Research Assistant Professor, Department of Systems Engineering Management and Engineering Management
- SYS 670 Forecasting and Demand Modeling Systems
- SYS 675 Integrated Supply Chains
- SYS 640 System Supportability and Logistics
- SDOE 640 System Supportability and Logistics
- SYS 645 Design for System Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability
- SYS 665 Integrated Supply Chain Management
- SDOE 665 Integrated Supply Chain Management
- SDOE 670 Forecasting and Demand Modeling Systems


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An overview of the Travel Package Channel Manager
The Travel Package C is a one-stop online platform for businesses in the travel and tourism industry. Here, travel agents and suppliers can publish their products and services; travel packages and hotel stays, to reach a global network of travellers.
The Travel Package Chanel Manager provides technology that connects travel providers with travellers through powerful and versatile online travel booking software for travel agents
It is provided and operated by SOTA International Sdn Bhd, a dynamic business unit within Creative Advances Technology (CAT), a Malaysian company that specialises in web portal design and development, harnessing the technological expertise and experience to provide comprehensive web-based solutions for 'Business-to-Business' and 'Business-to-Consumer' communications to help bring travel businesses online quickly and painlessly, while keeping investments on technology systems and IT manpower resources low.


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Part 1 of 4 – A beginner's introduction into Bitcoin; the anonymous cryptocurrency.
Note -
This four part series on Bitcoin is based off of my Legal Issues in Technology (LAW370) final. I wanted to take parts of my final paper and write about them here on a more casual platform that allowed me to devolve on some of the topics and go on some tangents. This four part blog also fits perfectly into the last month before holiday break! I hope readers can enjoy this and learn a little bit about Bitcoin. It is definitely a strange story to tell.
Roland, R. Gage (23 November 2016). Bitcoin & Anonymous Currency.
Bitcoin is a decentralized, open-source, and peer-to-peer cryptocurrency that exists in a purely digital form. This universal currency can be purchased with any centralized currency and spent on digital and physical goods. Large and small companies accept Bitcoin because the transactions are both immediate and its peer-to-peer feature reduces transaction costs.
Decentralized & Open-Source
As a decentralized currency, there are no banks or governments that control or assign bitcoin its value. The value of bitcoin is based off the trust that it has purchasing power; just like all other currency. The term "open-source" is used a lot in technological terms, and it is important that users know what this means. Open source software means it is freely distributed, and anyone can make copies of the software or modify it themselves. Open source is part of the Creative Commons Licensing (CC) which is a type of legitimate Copyright. It is sometimes referred to as a "copyleft" because this type of licensing gives users a lot more freedom than traditional copyrights.
For example, a Creative Commons license gives creators a free way to protect their work as well as make sure others respect the spirit of the author. The author can choose if they want to allow other people remix their work through adaptations. They also provide a "share alike" license that prevents anyone from making money off of your work or remixed work of yours. There are some other specifications like attributing the original work, as well.
Peer-to-Peer & Cryptocurrency
In saying something dealing with a network is "peer-to-peer" it means there is no central server. Everyone in the bitcoin network is responsible for their own coins because they are only saved on whichever device they use to bank. There is no "cloud" or backup service, and we've seen some of the tragedies of people losing their devices that held all of their bitcoin – sometimes $7.5 million dollars worth. Peer-to-peer is also one of the most secure ways to share something because the data goes straight from one device to another without being intercepted by a third party server. This also allows the network to grow as fast and big as it wants without experiencing data traffic or having to constantly upgrade any servers.
The term "cryptocurrency" just refers to money that purely digital and encrypted. The encryption part will come in part three when we get into bitcoin mining.
Transaction Costs
A lot of online marketplaces are beginning to accept bitcoin because of its low transaction costs. Every time you use a credit card at a store, the store actually has to pay a fee to the bank for each transaction request. On the other hand, Bitcoin has a much smaller fee that can be as low as $0.14 each transaction.
Inception of Bitcoin
The concept of Bitcoin was released in 2008 when Satoshi Nakamoto published Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System on the Cryptography Mailing List (Nakamoto, 2008). He stated that he lived in Japan, but it is speculated that the name "Satoshi Nakamoto" may have been a representative name for a group of programmers. The creator(s) never identified themselves, and it is assumed their identity was anonymous due to the nature of the online cryptocurrency boards and the controversial nature of a decentralized, anonymous currency.
Some users have recorded Nakamoto's board postings and found posting trends. If Nakamoto had an average sleeping schedule, it is likely they lived in the Americas. Other hints of his western location is their use of British English spelling in source code comments. In 2009, the initial software and source code was released for Bitcoin and in 2010 Nakamoto transferred the code repository to other developers and ended his involvement (Bosker, 2013).
Dogecoin and Meme Money
The open source and free nature of Bitcoin has inspired other groups to create more contemporary cryptocurrencies like "Dogecoin." The name comes from an image of a Shiba Inus that gained a lot of popularity as an internet meme around 2012 called "Doge." It functions essentially the same, and gained a lot of popularity because of the name and the concept of "meme money." The value of this currency is next to nothing, though. As of late November 2016, a sum of 100,000 dogecoin is only equal to about $28.00.
This video by ZimoNitrome really sums up the contemporary and "easy come, easy go" of Dogecoin.
Next week, we'll talk about the Bitcoin economy and why it won't be fading out like Dogecoin. Many economists were worried about the growth and cap limit of Bitcoin in the world, but its market value has definitely shown this currency is very valuable.
Roland, R. Gage (23 November 2016). Bitcoin & Anonymous Currency.
Nakamoto, Satoshi (31 October 2008). Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.
Bosker, Bianca (17 April 2013). Gavin Andresen, Bitcoin Architect: Meet The Man Bringing You Bitcoin (And Getting Paid In It).


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This is a small guide to create a distribution group in Exchange Admin that can be used to send e-mails to a list of contacts via only one email address.
- Login to Exchange Admin Center (https://outlook.office365.com/ecp/)
- Navigate to Recipients -> groups, click +, chose Distribution group.
- Enter the Display name, Alias, Emails address, then click save.
- Then chose the Distribution group you just created, click edit(the pen icon)
- Navigate to delivery management, click Senders inside and outside of my organization, add mailboxes, click save.


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Fashion Utopias Pre Symposium Tour and
Fashion Utopias: Then and Now Symposium
19th February 2016, Somerset House, London
The FRN invites you to an exclusive, free tour of the exhibition Fashion Utopias: the International Fashion Showcase 2016 at Somerset House on Friday 19 February from 12.30-13.00, to be given by one of its organisers, Niamh Tuft. Organised by the British Council and the British Fashion Council (BFC), Fashion Utopias presents the work of emerging fashion designers from 25 countries. The exhibition will be arranged over 15 galleries, 14 of which will represent a country. There will be one group installation, 'Next in Line', curated by Shonagh Marshall, which will feature designers from 10 further nations. Website: http://design.britishcouncil.org/projects/ifs/ifs-2016/
FRN Tour of Fashion Utopias
12.30-13.00, Friday 19th February 2016
Exhibition entrance, West Wing Galleries, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA.
Booking for tour via: http://frn-fashion-utopias-tour.eventbrite.co.uk
Following the tour, we invite you to register for Fashion Utopias: Then & Now, a symposium in partnership with the Courtauld Institute of Art History of Dress Research Department, which places the theme of utopia in the wider discourse of fashion theory and history to explore the philosophical, political, social and cultural implications of utopian ideas in the fashion context. Researchers from the Courtauld Institute will present papers looking at Utopia in a historical context with responses from contemporary curators and designers. Topics include: the body, democracy and dictatorship, the fashion image and surrealism.
Fashion Utopias: Then & Now
13.30- 17.30, Friday 19th February 2016
Screening Room, Embankment Entrance Somerset House, Victoria Embankment, London, WC2R 2PH.
Tickets: £10/£8 Concessions
Booking for symposium via: https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/book-tickets/7471b611-8c6d-48e1-bca5-39269ab1f3e5
Event – Fashion Utopias Pre Symposium Tour and Fashion Utopias: Now and Then Symposium, 19th February 2016
- Categories →


text: Through NAB's We Are Broadcasters campaign, local radio and TV stations are reminding policymakers and their audiences of the unique role broadcasters play in keeping communities safe, informed and entertained. Show your love for local broadcasters and your support for all the great work stations do each day in communities across the country with We Are Broadcasters merchandise! Learn more about the campaign at WeAreBroadcasters.com.


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This graphic recently appeared in my Facebook news feed, and it struck a chord with me. Mainly because I've uttered every one of those excuses for not getting on with my creative projects. How about you? Do any of them sound familiar to you?
It's so easy to find or make excuses when we really need to just get on with it. So let's take a closer look and break down some of list above.
If it's important enough, you'll make time for it
I guess the first question to ask here is – How important is the creative project to you? If it's not important, you may need to rethink it. If it is important, allocate time in your diary to start today or tonight – whenever you can make spare time. Think you have no spare time? How much TV do you watch? How much time do you spend watching funny cat videos on the internet?
My aim is stop watching trashy TV. We're about to enter TV's off season, so it's a great time for me to switch off and do some writing – and to cut back on the cat videos!
If you don't know where to start, start anywhere
How many times have you said "I'm going to …. " and then done nothing? Too many times? Yes, me too.
So, once you've made the time because it's important to you, just get started. Remember, it's not where you start, it's where you finish that counts.
When I want to start writing something and I'm just looking at a blank screen or piece of paper, I find it helpful to sometimes to a flow of consciousness, where I just write down anything and everything which comes to mind in relation to the topic. Some of the ideas will be discarded, but it's a good way to get something down on paper – and GET STARTED. I also find mind mapping to be a great technique to help with getting ideas down on paper.
Once I have some ideas, I can then form an outline, which leads to actually getting some solid work done.
I've also found a good prompt for getting started is to say my goal out loud. Telling someone what I plan to do puts a little pressure on me to actually do it.
My aim is to outline more projects. Just start – start with something, start with anything, just get something down on paper and the project is in motion… then continue!
If you feel stuck, ask someone to help you out
Do you really feel stuck – or are you just being lazy? Who inspires you? Who can help you?
Is there a class you can take, a course you can participate in or a book you can read to get your creativity flowing? Do you have someone who can be your champion or your mentor?
My aim is to ask for help when I need it. I have to admit that I don't often ask for help. Sometimes though, I'll talk to a friend or fellow writer, just to share my frustrations and often they will inspire me to start something new or keep doing with a project which may have stalled.
If you're tired, take a timed break
Yup, being tired is a definite creativity killer. Forget the caffeine. When I'm really tired, I've found the best thing to do is actually go and lay down. I am a big fan of the power nap – just 10-15 minutes rest often helps me rejuvenate and stops me wasting the entire afternoon because I don't have enough energy to get going.
The timer is important here too. It would be very easy to take a nap for several hours, but that won't get any creativity happening, will it? I usually set my alarm to make sure I wake up, as I find longer naps make me sleepy for the rest of the day and often keep me awake that night!
My aim is to recognise when I'm legitimately tired and take a power nap.
If you don't know how to do it, try doing what you can
It's impossible to know how to do everything. There are many things we must learn in order to master any creative activity, and these things are most often learned over time.
My aim is to not let what I don't know stop me from starting a new project. At least if I get started, then I can learn more along the way in a step-by-step fashion.
If you believe that you can do it, you will
Ah yes, the old self-belief acorn! It's so true though. Henry Ford said "Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right".
Believing that you are capable of completing the task at hand is important. If you don't think you can do it, you're already talking yourself out of it. Review the points above and believe that you can! Do you believe that you can do it?
My aim is to have faith in my own creative abilities.
So, now you've heard my strategies to overcome my excuses, what are yours? What can you commit to doing which will help you become more productively creative? Please feel free to share in the comments below.
Linking up with Essentially Jess for #IBOT
Graphic used with permission of Creative Something


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Dr Simone Laubscher PhD explains why not all proteins are the same, and why working a plant-based option into your daily diet can see your health soar.
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Unlike fat, protein is not stored and must be consumed regularly for optimal body function, we have to eat it! It's recommended that 10-20% of our daily intake should come from protein. Protein forms the building blocks of the human body; it is in every part of us and the second largest component after water. The benefit goes beyond muscles; it is essential for tissue repair and growth, supports a healthy metabolism and promotes feeling full for longer. Without it, our metabolism become sluggish; we lack energy, give into our cravings and reach for the wrong foods.
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Compiled on 26 May 2019 .....
Our weekly Themed Rounds quizzes comprise seven rounds and a total of 58 questions as follows:
1. General Knowledge, questions could be on any subject
2. Simply Connect, find the common link between the answers
3. Mini Mastermind, two sets of five specialist subject questions
4. A List With A Twist, create a list - and beware the fiendish twist
5. Spellbound, the first letter of each answer spell a word
6. Who, What, Where, identify a single person, thing or place from the clues given
7. Survival, get an answer wrong and stop scoring for the rest of the round
There is also a tie-breaker question.
A printable answer sheet is provided with this quiz.
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YouTube – The Big Bang Theory – Talk Nerdy to Me: Beautiful Minds
Why was I not made aware of this earlier?
YouTube – The Big Bang Theory – Talk Nerdy to Me: Beautiful Minds
Why was I not made aware of this earlier?
EETimes.com – Silicon compound superconducts at room temperature
Instead of super-cooling the material, as is necessary for conventional superconductors, the new material is instead super-compressed. The researchers claim that the new material could sidestep the cooling requirement, thereby enabling superconducting wires that work at room temperature.
Nice. Continually cited as the holy grail in superconductor research. We'll see what happens but is good to see continuous improvement in basic materials science.
Canadian Cynic: A nice Chablis, and I think were set.
"I must say, Im a little envious," Bush said. "If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed."
"It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. Youre really making history, and thanks," Bush said.
Charlie Angus – News and Issues
You tell 'em Charlie. Jim finally responded to my letter. Didn't actually say anything.


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Meta Memphis is a play on the Greek word metamorphosis, change. After the Memphis Milano movement ended, in 1989 Meta Memphis sprang onto the scene with the philosophy of challenging artists to design domestic objects. Names such as Boetti, Calzolari, Chia, Kosuth, Mochetti, Paladino and Pistoletto experimented with designing tables, chairs, bookshelves and lamps for the collection's production.


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Munich (Germany) , August 8, 2006 -- Genomatix Software GmbH, a pioneer and leader in the analysis of eukaryotic transcriptional regulation, releases MatBase, a knowledge base of transcription factors (TF).
It contains genomic TF binding sites and protein binding domains, related literature, more than 27.000 known TF - gene interactions, experimentally verified complexes with other TFs (promoter modules), and weight matrix descriptions for the DNA binding sites of TFs. In contrast to other available TF databases, each entry in MatBase is thoroughly tested for quality and usability for functional analysis of DNA regulatory regions.
"We have developed our in-house TF database now for more than a decade", says Kornelie Frech, Genomatix´Head of Biological Databases." Quality is essential for all further downstream analyses. Our quality standards were the key to success for MatInspector, the de facto gold standard in gene promoter analysis, used by more than 31.000 scientists around the globe today. More than 80% of our matrices match less than once in 1000 base pairs of random DNA sequences", she continues.
MatInspector employs the weight matrix descriptions as contained in MatBase for performing TF binding site search in regulatory DNA sequences. Each single matrix is optimized for a minimum number of false positive results in non regulatory DNA.
MatBase is available stand-alone or in combination with MatInspector, either accessible via the WWW or as local in-house installation.
More details at http://www.
Genomatix is a pioneer and leader in the analysis and understanding of eukaryotic gene regulation. Core competences at Genomatix are annotation driven microarray analysis, regulatory network and pathway mining, and promoter analysis on sequence level. Genomatix has published more than 170 peer reviewed scientific papers that have been cited in more than 4,000 papers. Over 31,000 researchers worldwide currently apply Genomatix tools and databases. More information is available from http://www.