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Educators Evaluate 'Flipped Classrooms'
Benefits and drawbacks seen in replacing lectures with on-demand video
A growing number of educators are working to turn learning on its head by replacing traditional classroom lectures with video tutorials, an approach popularly called the "flipped classroom." Interest in that teaching method was in full view this summer at the International Society for Technology in Education annual conference in San Diego, where almost every session on the topic was filled to capacity.
The movement was inspired partly by the work of Salman Khan, who created a library of free online tutoring videos spanning a variety of academic subjects, known as the Khan Academy, which many view as a touchstone of the flipped-classroom technique. But, much like the Khan Academy itself, the approach is attracting increasing scrutiny—and criticism—among educators and researchers.
The term "flipping" comes from the idea of swapping homework for class work. Students typically are assigned the video-watching for homework, freeing up class time that used to be spent listening to lectures for hands-on activities and application of knowledge, which used to serve as homework.
However, as most educators who have begun to use the technique are quick to say, there are a multitude of ways to "flip" a classroom. Some teachers assign a video for homework, while others allow students to watch those videos in class. Still others make videos for the lesson, but do not require students to watch them at all, giving students a variety of resources and allowing them to choose what they utilize to learn the required information.
But just as the Khan Academy has recently come under fire from some in the education blogosphere for what critics say is flawed pedagogy, the flipped-classroom technique has also garnered criticism from some who believe that flipping is simply a high-tech version of an antiquated instructional method: the lecture.
"My concern is that if you're still relying on lecture as your primary mode of getting content across, … you haven't done anything to shift the type of learning that's occurring," said Andrew Miller, an educational consultant who works with the Alexandria, Va.-based professional-development group ASCD and the Novato, Calif.-based Buck Institute of Education, which works to promote project-based learning in classrooms.
"That's not how all of us learn," he said. "Just because you flipped your classroom doesn't mean your students will watch the videos. How are you engaging your kids?"
Ramsey Musallam, a chemistry teacher at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, a private Catholic high school in San Francisco, shares Mr. Miller's concerns.
"Everyone initially thought that [flipping] was an innovative way [to teach] because we're so rooted in this idea that students don't like homework," he said. "However, when you step back a little bit, what you're looking at is simply a time-shifting tool that is grounded in the same didactic, lecture-based philosophy. It's really a better version of a bad thing."
Mr. Musallam, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco's college of education, began flipping his classroom in 2006, but after noticing little difference in student learning despite the extra in-class time for labs and hands-on activities, he shifted his perspective.
He still uses flipping as an instructional technique, but instead of giving students the video initially, they first go through an exploratory, guided inquiry-based period. Next, the students receive basic instructions and materials to complete lab work and observe the phenomena they are studying.
Only then, "when I feel that they can't form any more ideas on their own," does Mr. Musallam make videos to address misconceptions and provide instruction, he said.
Delaying the direct instruction as much as possible increases students' curiosity, he said.
Using the flipping technique is not necessarily negative, Mr. Musallam said, but teachers should be realistic about what it really is.
"I say keep the flip alive, but lower the volume and think about it like we think about anything," he said. "It's a thing you do in the context of an overarching pedagogy," not the pedagogy itself, he said.
Sharing Questions
Jonathan Bergmann, the lead technology facilitator for the 600-student K-8 Kenilworth school district in Illinois, is considered one of the pioneers of the flipped movement. He and his former fellow teacher Aaron Sams began using the flipping technique in 2006 at the 950-student Woodland Park High School in Woodland Park, Colo., to teach chemistry.
1. Don't get hung up on creating your own videos. While some believe that students prefer to see their own teacher in the videos, others recommend harnessing the educational content that is already available on the Web. Resources such as the Khan Academy, YouTube EDU, and PBS can provide well-produced video content for your students.
2. Be thoughtful about what parts of your class you decide to "flip" and when. Deciding to flip part of your lesson will not automatically make it a better lesson. You have to be intentional about when to flip and clear about what the benefit will be for students.
3. If possible, find a partner to create videos with. Students enjoy hearing the back-and-forth conversation of two teachers, especially when one teacher plays the role of mentor while the other plays the role of learner.
4. Address the issue of access early. Survey your students to find out what technology they have at home, and find alternatives for students who lack Internet access. Alternatives may mean burning the videos onto DVDs or creating lists of places where students can go online.
5. Find a way to engage students in the videos. Just having students watch videos instead of listening to lectures doesn't guarantee that they will be more engaged. Requiring students to take notes on the videos, ask questions about the videos, or engage in discussion about them will help ensure that they watch and absorb the material.
The pair created videos of their lectures and posted them online for their chemistry and Advanced Placement chemistry classes during the 2007-08 school year. They required the students to take notes on the videos and come to class with one thoughtful question to share.
The teachers found that the technique allowed them to spend more time with students one-on-one and to provide just-in-time intervention when students needed it. They also noticed an uptick in test scores in the students using the flipped-class technique.
Soon they began visiting other schools that were curious about the method and hosting conferences on flipping. They recently co-wrote a book called Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day, published in July of 2012 by the International Society for Technology in Education and the ASCD.
"You need to figure out the answer to the question: What's the best use of your face-to-face instruction time?" Mr. Bergmann said.
After the first year, he and Mr. Sams made adjustments to the flipped classroom, moving from what they call the "traditional" flip to the "mastery based" flipped classroom.
In the mastery-based model, students are not required to watch videos at home on a specific day. Instead, they are given an outline for each unit that includes all the resources they might need for each objective, including videos, worksheets, and textbook excerpts. They can then work through the material at their own pace, even taking tests and quizzes and performing labs when they are ready rather than as a whole class.
Using technology to create test-question banks that could be randomized, so that no two students receive the same test and may receive completely different questions altogether, made the mastery flipped model possible, said Mr. Bergmann.
'Self-Paced Became No Pace'
Deb Wolf, a high school instructional coach for the 24,000-student Sioux Falls district in South Dakota, also uses the mastery technique. Instead of letting students have complete control over their pace, though, she sets deadlines to keep everyone on track.
"For students who had not been challenged in the classroom, this was an opportunity for them to just fly," she said. "For others, it was an opportunity to take the time that they needed to move slower. And for some, self-paced became no pace," and teachers had to step in and create deadlines.
Ms. Wolf began flipping her chemistry class at Roosevelt High School in the spring of 2008 after hearing about the technique from Mr. Bergmann and Mr. Sams. During the 2008-09 school year, all the chemistry teachers in her school flipped their classrooms, and the next year, the district applied for a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, which Ms. Wolf facilitated, that provided professional development for the district's 35 math and science teachers around technology in the classroom.
"Most of them took away from that grant the idea that they could use technology to help provide students opportunities to master content in a variety of ways so that time became the variable, … not learning," she said. "We didn't have 35 teachers that all suddenly flipped their classrooms, but the take-away was that by harnessing technology, they provided students the opportunity to master what they didn't master the first time."
Still, engaging reluctant learners continues to be a challenge, said Ms. Wolf.
"[Our teachers] realized that we were dragging [such learners] along. They may have been in class, but they weren't engaged. I know that we weren't meeting all of their needs in the traditional classroom, and I'm not sure that we were meeting their needs in a flipped classroom either," she said.
Like Mr. Musallam, Ms. Wolf emphasized that flipping is one approach in a wider framework of instructional methods to help reach students.
"You can't just hand the flipped classroom off to an ineffective teacher and say you're going to transform the classroom," she said. "It's not going to make a bad teacher a good teacher."
Students and teachers at the Havana Community Unit School District's 1,100-student high school in rural central Illinois will try their hands at the flipped technique when the entire school flips this fall.
In a district where 65 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, Superintendent Patrick Twomey hopes that flipping the school will help address the inequalities that hamper the high school's population of students deemed at risk academically.
"[In the current model], one student goes home to educated parents who can help him with his homework, while another student goes home and gets no help," Mr. Twomey said. "In the flipped model, both of those kids come back to the classroom after receiving the content, and now all of the help with the homework is given by the expert in the field."
Vol. 32, Issue 02, Pages s6, s7, s8Published in Print: August 29, 2012, as Educators View 'Flipped' Model With a More Critical Eye


text: My Blink unit has started giving the self-test fault after 5 years in service, and it is getting more frequent. A reboot used to last a week, and now it is becoming a daily routine, so I am going to lobotomize it today. Thanks to the forum for the detailed instructions to turn it into a dumb charger!

subset: commoncrawl


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Mustang MonthlyFeatured Vehicles
Monroe Handler 1978 Ford Mustang II - The Handler
Tony Hall Found A '78 Mustang II With One Of The Original Monroe Handler Kits
Tony Hall, from Port Coquitlam in Canada's British Columbia, has owned his share of cool rides, starting with a '65 Mustang as his first car. After a 20-year break from playing with cars, he ended up with a Mustang II Ghia, but quickly discovered that parts were scarce. A parts car was located, then another, and soon Tony had picked up a habit-buying discarded Mustang IIs to strip them of usable parts and make them available to other Mustang II owners.
Through his contacts on the Mustang II forums, Tony heard about a Monroe Handler Mustang II for sale. Not aware that such a car even existed, Tony researched the Monroe Handler and discovered that the first one had been built by Monroe Shocks and Hot Rod magazine in 1977. Starting out as a plain Mustang II, the original car had steel IMSA-style fenders by Creative Car Craft, Monroe suspension upgrades, and an engine reworked by Roush. The following year, Creative Car Craft was asked to create six more Monroe Handlers using fiberglass pieces. These six cars, plus one more built for a Southern politician (as the story goes), were not fitted with bumpers and were given away in a contest sponsored by Monroe, BF Goodrich, Centerline, Ford, Motorola, Revell, and Roush.
For Mustang II owners who wanted to build their own Monroe Handler, Creative Car Craft also sold the fiberglass pieces as a $1,250 kit, consisting of front and rear fenders, front air dam, rear spoiler, and rear air dam. As few as 30 kits were sold. Maier Racing produced similar kits, but the lighter weight made their panels more suitable for race cars than street cars.
Intrigued, Tony contacted the Monroe Handler seller, learned that it was a '78 Rallye model equipped with one of the Creative Car Craft kits, and worked out a deal. But the car was far from perfect. It had been wrecked, then repaired with weird show-style modifications, including Lambo-style doors. At some point, it had fallen off a trailer, smashing the radiator support. The previous owner had developed a sequential taillight system and was looking to make the Monroe Handler a rolling sample of his work until the economy shifted and that business got shelved. Basically, Tony's purchase had a long way to go before becoming a Monroe Handler again.
Tony went to work to restore his Monroe Handler. He ripped out the awful yellow and red leather upholstery so it could be replaced with a more original deluxe black interior. The rear seat was removed, and a rollbar and racing fuel cell were installed to mimic the original Monroe Handler. Thanks to Shawn Mann's collection of Monroe Handler photos, Tony was able to recreate the paint scheme while Axe Graphics helped him create the needed decals. Two paint schemes were used on the Monroe Handlers; this one matches the seven promotional cars built by Creative Car Craft.
Not looking to build a purist car, Tony installed larger 17-inch Centerline wheels, a custom air cleaner, and a hoodscoop from a '72 Gran Torino. Heidts upper and lower tubular control arms were installed in the front, and the back end got lowering blocks and Monroe shocks. Tony also installed rear window louvers, although this car did not originally come with them.
Power comes from an '87 5.0-liter HO pumping out 325 hp, backed by a modified C4 transmission.
Tony also took care of the small details, like recreating the Monroe Handler dash and door panel plaques. It's the little things that have helped put this Monroe Handler tribute back in the limelight.
Hot Rod Handler
In 1977, the "IMSA look" was the going thing. So when Monroe decided to build a Mustang II to promote its Handler line of shocks, they went for the wider fenders and tires as used on the sports cars in the International Motor Sports Association race series. The Monroe Handler appeared on the cover of the June 1977 Hot Rod, which also included part one of the car's buildup. There were a total of three articles in the series, with two more in the July and August issues.
The styling of the original Monroe Handler came from a contest-winning sketch and was combined with creative additions by well-known designers like Harry Bradley, Tod Gerstenburger, and Harry Weeks. Creative Car Kraft's Dave Kent created the body kit out of steel while Jack Roush built a 363ci small-block that produced 400 hp. Harris Dynamics modified the suspension, using Monroe Handler shocks, of course.
Upon completion of the project, Monroe liked it so much that the company commissioned Kent to build six more, this time with fiberglass, for promotional purposes. On his own, Kent sold complete Monroe Handler body kits.


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The House Mr. Vegas Built
Legendary entertainer Wayne Newton's former estate is up for sale along with a jet plane, equestrian pool and arena, and even a peacock or two. Stefanos Chen joins Lunch Break with the dramatic backstory of the property. (Photo: Getty)
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... I ... the invite the home that Mr. Bay gets built entertainment entertainer Wayne Newton's former state is up for sale one of the jet plane ... a palatial to rise and ... even a peacock or to Stephen standards here at the dramatic backstory of the property ... I'm taking it all did you know the way noone was before were slated ... to our ... forecasts say ... there are some people are dead now I'm just in ... time to say alright ... the drama behind this property is a sound in Kelis was happening so that there's a lot of backstory here in two thousand ten weaning is way behind in Elysee to be a favorite restaurant ... it sold its forty acre property to a group of investors hoping to turn this into an event ... that brings the anti contraction almost like Elvis is Franklin ... where were the living museum weren't where we went with me so really amongst some part of forty acres but the rest the home would be this open to the top attraction to the museum assumed ... there's going to be a jet plane all the great things apart Museum ... but ultimately there were misunderstandings that somehow be ... agreements outward in several lawsuits ... at that ... time I ... really into it and in the thirty million yen partners but that almost twenty million of thirty million later when looking at an incomplete museum ... still have a couple of acres of SU ... but at this point they've just put the two Boston that projects an hour we had a seventeen million dollars sale of its entire forty acre property ... how Mr. new no longer owns the property is moved off that so will we have is that few remaining investors were not so insensitive or residential or commercial wow just a cyst ailing property mean just from hearing the aerial view in even just looking next year is the main entrance mean that you just read that UR delicate that that's a dramatic ... iPhones hold the company at the whole compound and there are at the residences of the property Newton's house was roughly eleven thousand square feet ... there are seven other homes where where ... various family members and friends of state ... you have ... about two acres of the zoo where he had vacuum of the review courses he had gotten to do this every night that he had peacocks the ad slots the head of monkeys exotic birds most of those have left within a month due to go with him in the Canadian acrimonious that ... that split their series took most between channels to some stayed behind somewhat ... skeptical but that the team associate of peacocks Micoperi sobriety agent tells me ... you have ID commissioned jet plane which was used in jet plane being taken in for kitchen has had an entertaining ... so the man cave ... that night and nineteen seventies feel to recall ... that there is a huge carport that there was so steep part of the museum ... were authentic cars Rupert to be shown ... we have a photo of it in their weird ideas Venetian plaster the walls chandelier SAP are bidding for the public bathrooms ... and that it's it's just remarkable come much ... stock in Yemeni in your home and the large copper trees ... it's on the market for how much now seventy know why but that includes everything you just mentioned thing that you know like get some corporate rate somebody is getting rock Tenn didn't get that plane and the good fight it's not what I can try to fly its not gonna work ... if I can ... buy just for that to happen to ... pull our minds to accept a thanks be with us


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A child with a critical illness who has reached the age of 2½ and is younger than 18 at the time of referral is potentially eligible for a wish.
After a child is referred, Make-A-Wish® will work with the treating physician to determine the child's eligibility for a wish, i.e. suffering from a progressive, degenerative or malignant condition currently placing the child's life in jeopardy.
Our vision is to grant one wish to every eligible child. While more than 15,300 wishes were granted across the United States last year alone, this reached only half of the potentially eligible children diagnosed with a critical illness.
Make-A-Wish accepts referrals from:
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Sungai Chongkak Recreational Park.
It's been 2 weeks since I blogged about my gallivantings around town. That's because for those few weekends (1st & 2nd Dec, 8th & 9th Dec) I went off the city track and headed off to 'Hulu Langat' for some nature therapy to offset my daily urban grip of road blocks, queues, & mass groups of sheep known only as people. Anyway, here's a little information about 'Hulu Langat'. It is basically a district bordering between Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with metropolitan settlements sprinkled all over. Amongst the population, it is eclipsed with vast areas of natural greenery and its hilly geography makes it a unique companion to the concrete surroundings of the City Center, Ampang, Cheras and such. It must be noted that enclosed in 'Hulu Langat' is also Selangor's only forest reserve.
My first stop was a nature park which is very popular amongst the local people, and has been around for many years. It's the Sungai Chongkak Nature Recreational Park. If you are passing through a village called Kampung Kuala Perdik from Kuala Lumpur, do look out for a small signage on your left along the main trunk road. Turn in, drive along the small winding roads and you will be met with sounds of splashing water falls and welcoming breaths of fresh air. But do not stop if you really wish to visit the Sungai Chongkak Nature Park. Do keep on driving and you will eventually see the entrance to the park. You will not miss it. Parking can be considered limited, as space is constrained with growths of trees and such. This trip will take you approximately 45 minutes from the end of Jalan Ampang, coming from the City Center.
This is the part where you unload your belongings from your parked car and leave your city burdens well locked in it. It is an excellent nature stop with stretches of picnic spots and well maintained basic amenities for the guests. While enjoying the facilities, you will be accompanied by majestic trees, free-flowing rivers of crystal clear waters and unique companions of the forest that will entertain you throughout your visit.
While I was there, I had made many observations with this engagement with nature:
Trees as old as time stand firmly all around the park, looking down on the guests as though guarding them from the evils of the city and the sun. But the tree roots grip firmly onto the ground to make their stand of authority in the forest known, for we, the humans are on sacred ground of the natural world. Bestow respect to them, and they shall respond in kind return. Many leaves glisten the forest floor, and many more still strong in their attachment to the trees. The leaves come in a myriad of colors, shapes and sizes, all splendid in their natural forms, so splendid as though they are God's canvas of paintings left behind for us to see, for it is only God can craft such heavenly creations.
Glittering multihued flowers dot the natural landscape, enchanting all visitors that lay their eyes on to them, while many more shy blooms hide in secret gardens veiled deep in the forest, for they appear only to those that dare seek them. From hues of amber, turquoise to burgundy, all flowers bask magnificently in the attention of the alluring sunlight, giving a performance of color and figure so splendid, it is nature' version of a fashion show with sounds of waterfalls as its music and the sunlight as its runway.
The dwellers of the forest, just like the human world, come in all color, shapes, and sizes too. But they come in combinations so unique, they make man pale in comparison to the inspired creativity of nature. Blends of color so vivid and unimaginable, it as though colors were erratically poured, but aided with a touch of an artistic hand by God. Many inhabitants reside in this forest, some bold and some shy, but it is their world, and all respect should be given to them while we take pleasure in their domain.
Basking in this natural setting, I whiled away my time free from the demons of the city as the angels of the forest stood as guardians above me. Of life's stress and torments flowed absently away with the tide of the river, poured into me a new rejuvenation of life, of confidence and of a perspective that, come what challenges or confrontations that may emerge in later times, I know in safe thinking that there is a place to search for safe sanctuary. And it is here, not far away...
Come with your family or your significant other, this place has a charm only you can sense when time is spent admiring its natural environment. Take some time off and bask in its sunlight, in its invigorating waters and its welcoming inhabitants, for that small amount of time you take to get here, it may just repay you back with a timeless piece of natural memory…
Look-out point, Hulu Langat.
If you are coming to Hulu Langat from the Ampang direction, then you should not miss this opportunity to dine or have a cup of java with the company of the clouds. Ok, maybe not exactly that high up the sky but closer than any place you can find in KL. Up above the hilly landscapes of Hulu Langat, there sits a place called 'Menara Tinjau', and enveloped in it are a few restaurants with spectacular views of the city skyline.
Mind you, this place is not new, as it has been there for many years. For those that has yet to visit this place, it is best that you do because if you are a citizen of KL like me, you will be amazed at how such a place can exist among the confines of city concrete and glass, and yet such a unique oasis is readily available so near to the city.
Back to 'Menara Tinjau' or the 'Look-Out Point' as it is most commonly known, it is approximately 300m above sea level, hence it offers a bird's eye view of the city for just a 30 minutes drive from Ampang (pending on traffic of course). In it, there sits 3 food & beverage outlets for your convenient patronage: 1 café, 1 steak & chicken chop restaurant called 'Look-Out Point Restaurant' (duh) and another just opened namely 'The Bread & Olive' which offers a Mediterranean menu (this place offers a more up-market feel).
However, I visited the 'Look-Out Point Restaurant', and had some black pepper chicken chop that is honestly speaking, just your standard fare that you can get commonly anywhere around town (especially around Taman Billion, Cheras). The food is not too expensive, as it is on par with middle-class chicken chop places (RM 12 for Sizzling Black Pepper Chicken). But what made it special is of course, the view. The scenery is priceless and a camera is a must if you intend to go there. If you go there early in morning for a cup of coffee, you might be lucky enough to experience some mist in your panoramic view of Kuala Lumpur. If you are there in the evenings, do go early and grab a seat close to the edge of the restaurant as the sunset can be magnificent while it descends peacefully and slowly, like God's eye closing lazily for the day, amid the city's vast skyscrapers.
The food is decent, the journey slightly tedious, but the view makes up all the flaws and blemishes that you may encounter. But In the end, after the sun has set and the meal is done, it will linger in your memory like a nice cozy dream still lazily swimming in consciousness, and will be a moment forever lightly etched in your life until time passes no more.
C.A.F.F.E.I.N.E.E.S., Ampang Hilir.
After a day of high altitude splendor, coming down back to Earth can really be a hard task. To ease your transition back to your city grind, there is a place that can offer a cozy solace. If you are still in the Ampang area, do stop by at C.A.F.F.E.I.N.E.E.S. located at Jalan Excella 2, Taman Ampang Hilir. It's a bit hard to find as it has just opened for business in the rows of shop lots not far from Ampang Point. This place it is a little unique from other cafes as its design is based on 'The Apartment' concept were a homey feel is offered to patrons while dining. So, expect some cozy sofas to snug into while you take pleasure in your cup of coffee or food. A outside patio of candle-lit tables offer patrons the opportunity to have the al-fresco motive while tall refined chairs deck long tables that are suitable for the bold and the beautiful to strut their stuff. Inside, candles light up most of the dim corners and this gives a very gothic feel that is very moody and is excellent for close proximity chats (either that or they were having a cost-cutting exercise on electricity usage while I was there). The food is not bad too, as they offer food like sandwiches, salads and steaks which comes in quite big portions. I had the 'Caribbean Chicken Sandwich' which was excellent, offering a slightly spicy feel to the usual chicken-sandwich taste. The Garden Salad came in an abundance of fresh vegetables, cut in large chunky bites very well suited for the hard-core veggie lover. The coffee was brewed in satisfactory perfection too as the fine aroma was rich, but subtle to the mouth and the many other drinks offer great enticements, just like an oasis of temptation in a desert sand dune. All in all, it may not be as classy as its counterpart at 'The Curve', but it is still a good retreat nonetheless and offers plenty of opportunities for long chat sessions and at the same time provides a decent gamut of fine food and beverage.


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Friday, March 1, 2013
Two common dolphins were observed in the inner coastal waters of Chappaquiddick this week. The pair were observed swimming close to shore in an area known as the narrows, near the opening to Cape Pogue, north of the Dyke Bridge. On Thursday, a team of field volunteers working with the New England Aquarium watched the animals for five hours. By Friday morning, they were believed to have left the area.
Read more about the dolphins, and what they were believed to be doing in the area.


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DNV GL's Maurice Snoeren will contribute to the conference program with the presentation 'Risk Management - defining a comprehensive risk assessment strategy to effectively manage internal vulnerabilities and adjust to external threats' with topics as:
- Integrating corporate objectives into the risk assessment process to ensure effective prioritising of actions and investments
- Ensuring cooperation of IT and OT and the integration of their risk management strategies.
- Examining how external market trends and changing hacker profiles are pressurising the risk management process
- Determining how internal infrastructure developments and interconnectivity are rendering the risk environment more complex
- Overcoming the challenges of investing in new technologies with ambiguous embedded security
- Working around the inherent limitations of equipment which prevent straightforward and accurate vulnerability assessments
- Prioritising which equipment should be secured based on the likelihood and scale of external threats and internal organisational objectives
- Identifying techniques for validating the risk assessment such as attack simulations and external data sources
- Reaching the optimal risk mitigation strategy without compromising functionality and operational efficiency
Live Demo Lab
In this interactive meeting, we will select with you one or more of the topics below and dive a little deeper into your organization's questions. At the end of the session you leave with ingredients, ideas and inspiration for a strategy to solve your company's cyber security challenges.
Identifying cyber-attacks. Are you fully aware of cyber-attacks executed on your system? How well equipped are you to detect cyber-attacks in your system? In this case study, we present you examples, show some specific steps you can take to improve detection and present a pathway to face the cyber security challenge. Of course, we challenge you to bring in your own practical issues.
Testing. Have you ever tested state of your company's cyber security? Can you be sure there isn't attacker already inside your critical network? Are you aware of the current level of security of your systems and the components in it? Testing is the only reliable method to ensure your configurations are done correctly and there are no access vectors to your systems. With our SCADA network vulnerability scanning and penetration testing service, we ensure that our automation devices operate safely in your critical environments.
Technical and administrative security. Do you know what kind of attack vectors there are into your systems? Have you done a thorough 360-degree overview of your company's cyber security practices in administrative and technical level? Moreover, how do you ensure components are correctly installed and configured to guarantee security? What is the level of security you demand of your system? With examples, we show you how to embed cyber security in your daily operations process.
At DNV GL we combine traditional IT security expertise with a deep understanding of the elecricity utility environment to help you minimise these risks. Our in-depth advice and support helps you deploy an effective defence-in-depth strategy based on efficient methodologies that go beyond standard firewalls and passwords. We can also help you develop and implement proper testing to ensure your cyber security measures are adequate and up to date. We at DNV GL are looking forward to the chance to meet you at SmartSec Europe 2016. We have a small stand where are experts are available to you and are more than happy to answer any of your questions. So, please put the date in your agenda: 29-30 November. In the meantime, follow us on LinkedIn for the latest energy news.


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WideTEK® 36CL MF5
WideTEK® 36CL-600-MF5 Pricing
Image Access offers the most transparent pricing in the industry, taking the effort out of making a purchasing decision. With only four sheet feed scanner models, Image Access successfully covers all requirements in the market. You will find all products and options on a single page, making it easy to find your solution and ensuring that there are no hidden costs.
In the documents below, you will find pricing for the WideTEK 36CL-600-MF5 as well as other WideTEK sheet feed scanners and the associated bundles, options and accessories for each scanner. Generally, your best buy will be a bundle if you need accessories and software to enhance your scanner. Configure your scanner and buy what you need. All prices are retail prices, import duties and taxes might increase the price in some countries.
For further information, contact Image Access or your local sales partner.


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Hugin Crop tab
Use the Crop tab to indicate the area of the panorama that should be used as output. This crop tab doesn't work on the individual images, but on the entire panorama.
The "Autocrop" and "HDR Autocrop" buttons will adjust the crop rectangle so that it is entirely within the image area, i.e. there will be no 'black' borders in the final stitched image (In other words: it determines the maximum number of pixels having no empty, black space). It does this by maximising the area of the rectangle rather than the width or height. This is automatically done when running the Hugin Assistant tab.
To change the cropping at each edge, move the mouse towards that edge until a semi-transparant white box appears along it, then drag with the left mouse button until the edge is where you want it. The area outside the dragging rectangle represents the areas that will be cropped off the panorama. You can move two edges at once by moving the mouse towards the corner shared by the edges until both white boxes appear. If you wish to move the whole region at once, move the mouse into the middle so that all four edges have boxes along them and drag.
This Hugin Crop tab also has the option to display guides in the preview to help you crop the panorama until the composition applies to for example the "rule of thirds".
Note: cropping the panorama shouldn't be confused with a camera's Crop factor, which is something else entirely.
Note 2: This Hugin Crop tab is neither to crop individual images, like you would do for e.g. fisheye Projection images having a circular area in the middle with a useless black area outside, or scanned images that might have edges that need to be cropped away.


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table of contents
|User Contributed Perl Documentation
NAME¶DR::Tarantool::Spaces - Tarantool schema description
use DR::Tarantool::Spaces; my $s = new DR::Tarantool::Spaces({ 1 => { name => 'users', # space name default_type => 'STR', # undescribed fields fields => [ qw(login password role), { name => 'counter', type => 'NUM' }, { name => 'something', type => 'UTF8STR', }, { name => 'opts', type => 'JSON', } ], indexes => { 0 => 'login', 1 => [ qw(login password) ], 2 => { name => 'my_idx', fields => 'login', }, 3 => { name => 'my_idx2', fields => [ 'counter', 'something' ] } } }, 0 => { ... } }); my $f = $s->pack_field('users', 'counter', 10); my $f = $s->pack_field('users', 3, 10); # the same my $f = $s->pack_field(1, 3, 10); # the same my $ts = $s->pack_keys([1,2,3] => 'my_idx'); my $t = $s->pack_primary_key([1,2,3]);
DESCRIPTION¶The package describes all spaces used in an application. It supports the following field types:
- The standard Tarantool <http://tarantool.org> types.
- The same as STR, but the string is utf8-decoded after it's received from the server.
- The same as NUM and NUM64, but contain signed values.
- The field is encoded with JSON::XS when putting into a database, and decoded after is received back from the server.
my $spaces = DR::Tarantool::Spaces->new( $spaces );
space¶Return space object by number or name.
my $space = $spaces->space('name'); my $space = $spaces->space(0);
space_number¶Return space number by its name.
pack_field¶Packs one field into a format suitable for making a database request:
my $field = $spaces->pack_field('space', 'field', $data);
unpack_field¶Unpack one field after getting it from the server:
my $field = $spaces->unpack_field('space', 'field', $data);
pack_tuple¶Pack a tuple before making database request.
my $t = $spaces->pack_tuple('space', [ 1, 2, 3 ]);
unpack_tuple¶Unpack a tuple after getting it from the database:
my $t = $spaces->unpack_tuple('space', \@fields);
SPACES methods¶
use DR::Tarantool::Spaces; my $space = DR::Tarantool::Space->new($no, $space);
tuple_class¶Create (or return) a class to hold tuple data. The class is a descendant of DR::Tarantool::Tuple. Returns a unique class (package) name. If a package with such name is already exists, the method doesn't recreate it.
name¶Get a space name.
number¶Get a space number.
field_number¶Return field index by field name.
tail_index¶Return index of the first element that is not described in the space.
pack_field¶Pack a field before making a database request.
unpack_field¶Unpack a single field in a server response.
pack_tuple¶Pack a tuple to the binary protocol format:
unpack_tuple¶Unpack a tuple in a server response.
index_number¶returns index number by its name.
index_name¶returns index name by its number.
Copyright (C) 2011 Dmitry E. Oboukhov <firstname.lastname@example.com> Copyright (C) 2011 Roman V. Nikolaev <firstname.lastname@example.com> This program is free software, you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the Artistic License.
VCS¶The project is placed git repo on github: <https://github.com/dr-co/dr-tarantool/>.
|perl v5.28.0


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Choosing The Best Acoustic Guitar Strings
After using your guitar for some time, you will need to change the strings so that you can get the best sound quality. The type of guitar strings that you choose have an impact on the sound you will get. Therefore, you should invest in buying best acoustic guitar strings so that you can enjoy playing.
You do not need prior experience for you to choose the best strings for your acoustic guitar. Even if you are buying the strings for the first time, the most important thing you need is information. When you have equipped yourself with the right information, you will not have any difficulty selecting the right strings.
To help you get the best, I have researched and offered you with important points that will guide you when you are buying acoustic guitar strings. You need to know the following:
Construction Materials
Guitar strings are designed using different materials. For you to know which one suits you well, you should learn all the materials that are used to make the strings. Some of the common materials that you will find in guitar strings include the following:
• Bronze- These strings are clear, have a brighter tone, but they age quickly as compared to other strings because bronze oxidizes easily.
• Phosphor Bronze- They are darker and warmer than bronze. They also have a crisp sound, and the phosphor makes them durable.
• Aluminum Bronze- The strings have a pronounced bass and crisp high. They also have a greater clarity that phosphor bronze.
• Brass- The strings have a jangling, bright metallic character.
• Silk and Steel- The steel core strings have silk, nylon or copper wrap wire on the lower string and they produce softer touch and delicate tone.
String Gauge
You should also consider the gauge of the strings before you buy. The gauge of guitar strings refers to the thickness of the string that is measured in thousands of an inch. The bigger the number, the thicker the string. If you are confused about what gauge to look for, this can help you because the string gauges are divided into different categories like:
• Extra light- string from .010-.047
• Light- strings from .012-.054
• Medium- From .013-.056
• Heavy-.014-.059
Type Of Guitar
Do not buy guitar strings without considering the type of guitar that you have. It is not advisable to cross the types of guitars and strings. For instance, you cannot use electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar or vice versa because this can end up damaging your guitar.
The type of guitar that you have highly determines the strings that you will use. In some cases, guitars with styles like dreadnaught work well with medium gauge strings. Others like concert style work best with light gauge strings.
String Coating
What type of coating do you want your strings to have? Coating the string of the guitar helps to make them long lasting as compared to average strings. If you get guitar strings which are coated, they work well in resting oils from your fingers and other natural things that corrode the strings hence making you replace them frequently.
String Winding
This is another vital factor that you should check when you are buying new guitar strings. If you are a beginner, do not even concentrate on the string winding. However, if you are well versed with playing guitar, you can consider the winding. Basically, there are two common types of windings that you can get which include the following:
• Round wound- This is a winding that is easy to make and also cheap which makes it the most common.
• Flat round- The strings are made with a different core (hexagonal) and a different winding which is flat. The strings are more expensive.
Personal Preference
You should always go for strings that you love. Just find out what you love and look for strings that will match your preference. You should always look for strings that will provide your fingers with a pleasant feeling especially if you want to spend many hours practicing.
Just like other products on the market, the strings also come at varying prices. It all depends on the amount of money that you have to buy the strings. Bronze strings are less expensive and coated strings are expensive. The cost of buying average guitar strings ranges from $5-$15, but if you purchase the strings in bulk, you can get better deals. So depending on what you want, you can get expensive as well as cheap acoustic guitar strings.
This might seem a minor factor, but it is important. Strings packaging has gone to new levels whereby their packaging is meant to make them more eco-friendly. This means no rust and they stay fresh until you put them in your guitar. For those who purchase guitar strings in bulk, you should consider the packaging especially if you will not be using the strings on your guitar for quite some time.
What Style Do You Play?
Choosing acoustic guitar strings also depend on your playing style. What types of songs do you play? For instance, if you are a finger picker, you are most likely to use lighter strings. These strings are very easy to use as compared to medium strings. For those who do strumming, then you are good with medium strings, but they can be hard on the fingers.
If you want to get the best from your strings, then you can opt for light-medium strings. With these strings, the bottom three strings are light gauge strings while the top three are medium gauge strings. These strings are awesome for players who do both fingerpicking and strumming.
Final Words
Replacing the strings of your acoustic guitar from time to time helps you get the best sound and an improved performance from your instrument. If you do not know where to start when you are buying your strings, I know this guide has helped you know some of the best qualities that you should check when you are purchasing the best strings for your acoustic guitar.
Discover How Good Are You At Lip Syncing Thanks To Artificial Intelligence
Lip syncing is incredibly popular, you just have to look at the success of TikTok to see the evidence. Today you can try LipSync by YouTube in order to find out how well you can do it. Google's artificial intelligence technology Tensorflow.js is behind this interesting challenge.
LipSync by YouTube will use your device's camera to detect landmarks on your face. You're then encouraged to sing along to the popular hit "Dance Monkey" by Tones and I, ending with an assessment of how accurate you were. It doesn't matter if you don't know the song. You can play it as many times as you like to familiarise yourself. Google promises all facial data and processing remain on your own machine.
When you're satisfied you've done your best, download your attempt as a GIF before sharing your score with others. Of course, you can challenge your friends and family to do better. I just hope in the near future they include more than just one song. Best of all, if you like this AI-powered challenge you can donate to the ALS research to help find a cure to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
1 Simple Rule To Boost Your Musical Creativity Is By Walking
Walking is the best possible exercise to boost your musical creativity. If you're a singer, producer, or songwriter you should habituate yourself to walk very far. Researchers have traced numerous connections between walking and generating ideas. A Stanford University study found that participants were 81% more creative when walking as opposed to sitting. According to the study, walking outside versus on a treadmill produces the most novel and highest-quality analogies in participants who walked and then sat down to do creative work.
The movement aspect of walking is obviously key. You've probably heard the phrase, "exercise your creativity," which refers to the brain as a muscle. Our creative mindset is triggered by physical movement, which is exactly why walking with your dog, a friend, or alone feeds creative thinking, especially in the musical field.
But the scenery is almost as important as the sweat. The National Human Activity Pattern survey reveals that Americans spend 87% of their time indoors. Being inside, you're more prone to stagnation, the antithesis of energy. Without energy, you can't create new songs or write unique lyrics. Disrupting your routine with a walk can be a catalyst for garnering fresh insights into problems or projects.
Just by going outside, you are stepping out of your habitual surroundings and your comfort zone, which is necessary if you want to open your mind to original ideas for your music projects. You can walk through a tree-filled neighborhood. You can walk through a park and observe people sauntering or birds singing. Even when you walk down a busy street, you can't help but get distracted by the sweet cinnamon smells wafting from a food cart.
Our brains work harder to process in different environments, so walking outside fosters our ability to glean fresh ideas, to take in new sights, sounds, smells, and flavors. Shinrin-yoku is a common form of relaxation and medicine in Japan. It was developed in 1982, and recent studies demonstrate that being in the forest and walking among the trees lowers your stress levels. The effects are so powerful that shinrin-yoku is now a government-endorsed policy over there. But you don't have to live near a forest to receive the psychological benefits.
Research has shown that immersion in nature, and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology, increased performance on a creative problem-solving task by a full 50% in a group of hikers.
So instead of setting a fitness goal, why not set a creativity goal that starts with walking? Engage more closely with your surroundings for the next four weeks. Turn off your phone and give yourself the chance to be present in the world, to hear conversations and natural sounds, to notice the way people move, the way the sun reflects in a puddle. Walk not just for exercise.
Are you still sitting there reading this? Get walking now!
These 4 Considerations Will Help You Buy The Perfect DJ Turntable
The mental image of a DJ churning out fresh tracks is too strong. DJ'ing fits the bill of a second job, a business you can run on weekends or as the occasion demands. Who knows, your next gig may be at a large music festival.
That being said, you are eyeing a turntable to add to your plethora of DJ equipment on your table. How do you end up buying the right one for you? Stop by here a moment, and find the answer to your question.
Do DJs Still Use Turntables?
Yes, despite the digitalization of music coupled with the rise of more complicated equipment. Turntables and DJ'ing go a long way back, so these devices never go out of style:
● Scratch. Nothing beats doing the scratching and spinning on a real analog player. The large platter contributes to the tactile and raw experience.
● Sound. Vinyl records are at the heart of turntables. This graph shows that the music on vinyl is better than on CDs or cassettes.
● SL-1200. This record player has become a standard for DJ'ing. Turntablism is proof.
The merits of the device for practitioners like you have been discussed. What would factor in your choice?
Consider Your Type of a Turntable
If you have little to no knowledge of this DJ equipment, do your research first. You will come across lots of details, including but not limited to the following:
● A belt drive or a direct drive? Each turntable has a platter where the record rests and a motor that rotates the platter directly or through a belt. The sound quality is a common point of divergence for audiophiles and DJs where the belt-drive type offers little to noise vibrations while the other one provides interesting sounds that DJs appreciate.
● Is it manual or automatic? The choice sometimes boils down to convenience and preference in moving the tonearm and turning the device on/off.
● Is a cartridge included? The cartridge fulfills a critical role in playing the record. If you are buying a new one, you are likely getting it with the unit. But play safe and ask.
Look Into Your Needs
The turntable is arguably the foundation of DJ'ing. Whether you want to specialize in scratching or mixing your beats, get the unit that lets you do that. As far as learning to scratch is concerned, direct-drive turntables have been the go-to choice. Some, however, use the belt-drive counterparts.
Think of Features
Don't be misled by the traditional label of turntables. They have evolved to cater to the ever-changing demands in the world of music and disk jockeys, aiming to combine the analog and the digital.
That being said, modern DJ turntables often have these:
● USB connectivity when you want to digitize your vinyl records
● DVS to vinyl switching
● Compatibility with DJ software
● High torque
● Pitch control
The list can go on, and you have to go over the technical aspects and features of each product.
Factor In the Money
How much do you plan to spend on a DJ turntable? Your budget will more or less determine your choice, taking into account the quality. If the more sophisticated ones are out of the question, you can opt for entry-level to practice. Also, look into buying a used turntable or financing the purchase.
Don't be surprised if you ever need another unit, though.
There's Another Kind of Table
You are pretty much excited to own a turntable. The next question is, how's your setup looking so far when you perform? DJ equipment is no joke, and you want to set it down somewhere safe and stable, as well as sleek and stylish for the audience to see.
Pick a reliable DJ table. It can be a foldable type that you can bring to any stage or event or a full-fledged DJ's booth that is still portable. The look always matters, and facades or screens provide the quintessential setup for a night of dancing and partying.
We hope you find the perfect turntable soon and expand your DJ skills.
Top 10 Cool Musical Instruments
Every musical instrument is special in its way. It depends more on the musician how he/she plays it such that it sounds cool and attractive to the audience. Be it classical music shows to operas to live pop concerts, the same instrument can be used to produce a variety of tones as per the requirement that fits the occasion best. While it is very difficult to choose the top 10 coolest instruments of them all, here is a list based on how some of these instruments are played in a funky way to give a song that additional boost it requires.
You will always see a harmonica or a melodica accompanying jazz and blues musicians. The harmonica takes the winds out of the sails. The harmonica is a reed instrument and is commonly known as a mouth organ in several parts of the world. The various air holes are sized in such a fashion that when you blow air, the seven notes of the natural scale are played. Scale changing harmonicas are also available that let you play more than one scale at a time. The Melodica is a similar instrument but has keys in it. It is like a keyboard that has a pipe where you blow air into. The classic Piano Man by Billy Joel uses Harmonica extensively.
The Cello is much cooler than you think it to be. Predominantly used as an accompanying instrument, the Cello is the backbone of any orchestra. It can be considered to be the equivalent of an acoustic bass guitar in an orchestra. With the advent of the electric Cello, there are no boundaries to what can be done on a cello. Apocalyptica has infused the Cello in heavy metal songs. 2Cellos is a band of two cellists that has blown the roof of some of the biggest stages of the world by belting out solos on Cellos taking center stage.
The Violin is one of the oldest stringed instruments known to mankind. While the general notion of the sound of Violin is sweet and mellow, some of the greatest violin players of the world have proven it to be otherwise. One of the best violin performances of today's time is by Lindsey Stirling when she performed Phantom of the Opera. Electric versions of the Violin are more in trend now, but the acoustic ones are still to be matched for sound. Not to mention, Albert Einstein loved playing the violin. If it could intrigue one of the best minds of the human race, it ought to be special!
Bass Guitar
Bass Guitar is the spinal cord of every rock and pop band. Although the sound of a bass guitar fades amongst the other instruments, without it, any song would crumble. Traditional bass guitars have 4 thick strings. These are available in both acoustic and electric variants. Paul McCartney of the Beatles was one of the first musicians to show to the world the variations and playing styles that one can use on a Bass. The 'slap' playing style has led to bassists now playing solos in rock gigs. Mohini Dey, the bassist in AR Rahman's ensemble is currently one of the best bass players in the world.
The saxophone is a thing of sheer beauty. It belongs to the wood-wind instrument family and is usually made of brass. It is played with a single-reed mouthpiece. The saxophone became cool right when Louis Armstrong walked on to the stage with a saxophone and sang 'What a Wonderful World' which is known to be one of the best performances of all times. Louis Armstrong's rendition of La Vie En Rose also has some serious saxophone in it. This instrument is mostly used in orchestras.
As the saying goes 'Old is Gold', the piano never dies. It is baffling to see how a set of keys on a huge structure has transformed music over centuries. To this date, every renowned musician still composes a new song on a piano or a keyboard. Starting from Beethoven, Mozart, and Rachmaninoff to Yurima, Stevie Wonder, and Freddie Mercury, the piano has been constant and ever mellifluous. Some of the contemporary piano players and composers are Chris Martin of Coldplay and John Legend. Piano is probably one of the few instruments that you can sit and listen to without blinking for hours together. Garageband happens to have the best library for piano now, after the recent update.
Drums is a rhythmic instrument that controls the flow and tempo of the song. It is the envelope and crutch of any song. Being a drummer is not an easy task. It requires a lifetime of dedication as it can get emotionally and physically draining at times. What people see in live performances is only the hands of a drummer moving so fast. It is just the tip of the iceberg as the footwork requires even more practice to master. Not to mention double bass players. If you are curious, look up a double bass player's footwork on YouTube. You will be nothing but amazed!
Electric Guitar
Electric Guitar is one of the most crowd-catching instruments. If one plays a good solo, no matter how well the singer sang or the drummer improvised, the guitarist is bound to leave a mark on the audience. Such is the power of a set of 6 strings. The list of great guitarists is never-ending. There is a hidden guitarist in every household now. With the help of cool accessories like processors and pedalboards, there is no tone you cannot sample on an electric guitar.
Mandolin is considered to be one of the sweetest instruments. It is a part of the lute family and has 4 strings. 5 and 6 stringed mandolins are also available. The normal way of playing this instrument is picking strings in quick successions such that every note you play has a lingering echo to it. This kind of instrument is commonly used in folk and country music frequently.
If you are moved by deep emotional sounds, the Sarod is going to tinker your emotions. It is a stringed instrument that is used in Hindustani Music. The sarod is increasingly being used in fusion music to create a perfect blend between eastern and western music. Unlike the guitar, the Sarod does not have frets so continuous transitions can be made between notes. This is known as meend. One of the greatest Sarod players to have lived is Pandit Amjad Ali Khan. He played with Pandit Ravi Shankar on one too many shows and projects.
Online Gaming Streamers Becoming The New Music Tastemakers
For years now the music industry has been leading the way in online content streaming, resulting in playlists from apps like Spotify being as commonplace on people's mobile devices as Google Maps or WhatsApp.
However, the change in how music is consumed and displayed has been huge, with music magazines and stodgy old critics being shunted onto the sidelines by online influencers who have adapted to the tech landscape quicker than their more outdated counterparts.
Among those influencers are online streamers, who often start as one-man bands, streaming everything from video games to beauty tips. Pretty soon, their growing channels allow them to become the go-to people in terms of music suggestions.
Here are just some of the most influential online streamers today, who are harnessing the power of music like no one before has ever managed to do.
Card Sharks, Chess Pros and Fall Guys – Filling Tension-Filled Silences with Carefully Curated Beats
Many online gaming streamers have too many crashes, bangs, and wallops going on in their live streams while pumping music simultaneously, while other streamers play the sort of game that is ideally suited to some soothing background grooves.
A growing subset of these streamers are pro poker, chess, and Fall Guy players, who often stream tournaments for hours on end.
As players whittle down at the business end of a tournament, and the streamer is required to make fewer plays, the music he or she uses becomes all the more important. Many pros such as Lex Veldhuis or GMHikaru have made their personalized playlists a highlight of their content, meaning these pros are now on-hand to show people how to conquer 1,000-players-strong tournaments on the world's biggest gaming sites such as PokerStars and Steam, all the while sharing their musical vibes.
Dr DisRespect – From Online Fragger to Music Video Super Star
The most popular streamers on the planet are undoubtedly those that play battle royale video games such as PUBG or Call of Duty, with many becoming so popular that they can take their content to the next level with help from editors, tech support, and sound teams.
No more so is this true than with one of the greatest of them all, Dr DisRespect, whose 6-foot-8 frame, flowing black mullet and red bulletproof vest have become iconic in the eSports world and beyond.
Not content on featuring other peoples' music on his YouTube Gaming channel, the Doc has taken to collaborating with recording artists such as J+1, who create retro synth beats and lace them with voice samples from the big man himself to create tracks that have garnered millions of views and plays online.
Music Streamers – Using Twitch Donations to Launch a New Career
While there is every reason to suspect that gaming streamers of all varieties are having a meaningful impact on peoples' music tastes and preferences, there are also those streamers who dare to beam their very own music around the world and direct to listeners on platforms such as Twitch.
This means that whether you are an acoustic guitar whiz or a crooner with dulcet vocal chords, there is an audience out there who want to discover new talent. Now, new fans of an artist can not only listen to their newly discovered singer-songwriters but also gain personal insights from them regarding their everyday life or indeed how they go about writing their material or playing their instruments.
With many top DJs already using such platforms to perform in front of fans who cannot make it to stadium or club gigs, this seems like one music trend that is only just getting started. In a couple of years, we will see even the more popular gamers combine their love for online play with exquisite taste in music. Who knows, maybe you will be one of them?
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- Great position to get started in: it's comfortable, safe and relaxing.
- The man on top is mostly in control so he has to put the work in!
- The woman gets to to relax, but she has limited scope for movement or action.
- Eye contact can be romantic and connecting, but can also be experienced as claustrophobic.
He says:
Man on top is the most popular sexual position for lovemaking. It's sexy, it's comfortable, and it allows the man to feel dominant and the woman to feel feminine and receptive to her man – perhaps even to feel a little like she's being "taken".
Many women say that man on top sex makes them feel safe and protected. It's certainly a good position for intimate kissing, bodily contact, and looking deeply into your partner's eyes as you make love.
Besides all this, it's a very easy and natural way to make love. In fact, man on top is a sex position which is ideal for almost everyone: It's the most straightforward and possibly the most satisfying position of them all.
And there are many ways to enjoy it, as you can see here.
She says:
I guess I am starting from the assumption that sex in most positions is a great thing. What's unique about man on top?
I agree that it is a really comfortable position, especially for women: we can do the lazy, proverbial "lying on our backs" thing and enjoy.
It is a very intimate position from a woman's perspective and very relational. The partners can see into each other's faces and eyes, which can be loving and alleviate insecurities for both partners.
The man on top position is probably where most people start out with each other. It's safe and culturally acceptable and reaffirms gender roles for males and females.
What are the drawbacks of the man on top? Actually, I think there are quite a few.
Firstly, it restricts women's pelvic movements and means the female partner has to be fairly passive.
It's really hard work having to lift your pelvis off the bed and thrust against gravity and your man. This translates into you guys having to do all the physical work during sex, which can be exhausting and a real turn-off.
What if you want to have sex, but you're tired from your day at work? (Answer: don't choose this position).
Your body might be more inclined to give up on its erection if you are tired and you are having to be quite active as compared to a position in which you need less strength.
After all, man on top means you thrust, and it also means you need to support your body weight off the bed for a prolonged period of time.
Also, man on top doesn't allow the woman to adjust the angle of her pelvis much, so she can't direct his thrusts easily to the areas inside her vagina where she can feel him best.
However, sex in this position can feel safer for a women due to her internal anatomy: her lover will thrust towards the bottom and back of her vagina and there is less likelihood of his thrusts touching sensitive areas inside of her body such as the G-spot or the cervix, the latter possibly being quite uncomfortable if she is not psychically aroused.
Of course, if you are into relaxing and chilling out during sex, man on top is great (if you are female, that is).
Another major consideration for the man on top position is that sustaining eye contact right through can feel claustrophobic during sex.
You may feel like all your reactions are being watched or that you have to be constantly emotionally available to your partner rather than being able to give in to your own physical sensations.
If you're struggling to stay with your own sense of arousal, eye contact can be very distracting.
Also, it's easy to notice distraction or insecurity in your partner's face, which may only be there temporarily, but which starts to ricochet between both of you and ends sex all together.
Video – Laci Green On Sex Positions
He says:
Sex in this position can be slow and relaxed, or fast and furious, depending on your mood and how aroused you're feeling.
If you fancy gentle, relaxed lovemaking, you can move only a little, lying together kissing and cuddling with just enough movement to keep his erection firm.
Once connected through the act of penetration, many men and women experience a sense of fulfillment and connection that is rewarding to them whether or not the man thrusts.
If this is a new idea to you, try just lying still after penetration next time you make love. If you feel the urge to thrust, choose instead to lie still, and see if you experience this sense of intimate connection.
And if you lie still for fifteen minutes or more you may find that the sexual energy between you gradually increases – sometimes to orgasmic levels.
Or you could try some more unusual movements instead of pelvic thrusts.
For example, gently rocking on each other as the man lies on top of his partner rather than all-out thrusting can produce some wonderful sensations, and with a bit of trial and error it's possible to get into a position during sex where the man's pubic bone stimulates the woman's clitoris.
Another interesting variation is to move your hips in a circular pattern rather than to thrust in and out: this can feel wonderful!
And since the vagina is most sensitive nearest its outer edges, shallow penetration in which the man inserts his penis an inch or two and then withdraws again before re-entering to the same depth can be very teasing and enjoyable.
It's also extremely pleasurable for a man if his partner can use her vaginal muscles to squeeze his penis as it rests inside her.
She says:
Even in the man on top position, which doesn't allow for a lot of movement and sounds quite fixed, you can experiment a bit.
Both man and woman can play with the angle of their hips and the force with which they connect as well as with full body contact and stillness. Try tipping or rotating your pelvis and see what happens.
Also, feel free to use your hands too! Both male and female partners can easily reach either their own or each other's sexual parts as well as hips, buttocks, anus and breasts – this adds quite a bit of extra stimulation.
Man on top can also be a position that can contain a lot of energy between the two of you.
Because both of you are held together by gravity you can really have a go at pushing into each other and using a lot of energy to connect with each other.
Man on top sex illustrated
He says:
If you're thinking, "Well, what is there to illustrate?" the answer is this: while we all tend to find one position we like and stick to it, there are many variations of the man on top position, all of which give you a slightly different experience during sex.
Some of these you'll really enjoy, some of them will be less intense for you: no two couples are quite alike when it comes to lovemaking. you may need lubricants to help during intercourse if the woman has a dry vagina.
Even in what most people would think of as the basic man on top positions, there can be immense variations in the sensations for each partner.
How high does the man support himself? Maybe he even lies on her, if she likes this pressure. Does he have his legs inside or outside hers?
If he has them inside, she will be easily receptive to him at the moment of penetration – but if she keeps her legs more closely together, her vagina will be tighter, and the sensations will be much more intense for them both.
That may make him reach orgasm more quickly.
How high does she raise her legs? In general, the deeper she raises them, the deeper he can penetrate.
That may be more or less enjoyable for each of them, depending on all kinds of things – how well-endowed he is, how relaxed and aroused she is, whether she actually likes deep penetration, and so on.
Sidenote: all men sometimes need help to control rapid ejaculation during sex – and the great news is that this is not such a challenge as you might think!
If you happen to be one of the 50-75% of men who ejaculate too quickly, either for their own liking or that of their partner, and you have a strong desire to end premature ejaculation, last longer in bed, and gain greater control of your ejaculation, then help is at hand in the form of a self-help treatment program for men with rapid ejaculation.
It was written by one of the therapists who authored this very site, and who is available at all time to provide back-up via email.
She says:
I really agree here with Rod. Don't get too cozy with the man on top position and what you might consider as routine sex. Try things out, even in this position. There is a lot of scope for flexibility. Try different positions for your legs and bodies and see how it affects your sexual experience.
He says:
One of the greatest pleasures of sex can be the fulfillment of deep penetration. Not only can this feel wonderful, but it can make a couple feel very emotionally connected.
Sure, the emotional experience of deep penetration is going to be different for a man and a woman, but it does seem to fulfill some very deep and primal instinctual needs for both sexes.
The deepest penetration in man on top sex is achieved when a woman is positioned lying back with her legs raised.
Fast and deep thrusting, which is easy in this position, can be very rewarding for both partners, especially if the angle of a man's penis and his partner's vagina are such that his erection rubs on her G-spot as he thrusts.
She says:
It's odd really that our sexual anatomies are so different: men I guess will experience the greatest stimulation at the tip of their penis (so I am told) and deep thrusting makes sense for that.
Women on the other hand feel most sensation in the outer third of their vagina, as well as their vulva and clitoris, so deep thrusting may or may not be special to a woman.
However, some women get turned on if the cervix deep inside their vagina is stimulated during sex, and others experience contractions around the uterus during orgasm.
Sidebar: How to make a woman come — advice for men!
He says:
The G-spot is a sensitive area of tissue on the upper wall of the vagina about an inch or two inside. Men whose erect penis curves upwards will be especially able to stimulate their partner's G-spot when making love in the man on top position. (Other men may find it easier to stimulate the G-spot during rear entry sex.)
And it's certainly possible for some women to reach a vaginal orgasm through G-spot stimulation alone, though usually this will require a fairly prolonged period of thrusting by her partner.
Unfortunately sex in the man on top position tends to make many men come quite quickly: the deep pelvic thrusting, the deep penetration, and the excitement of seeing his penis thrusting into his partner's body – all of these things can cause a man to ejaculate quite quickly.
To help prevent premature ejaculation, try this – it's all about overcoming premature ejaculation easily.
Sometimes it's a bit easier and more comfortable for a couple if they place a pillow under her hips. This lifts her pelvis slightly and allows the man more freedom of movement. He can pull her onto him, thrust deeply, and, if he is kneeling, touch her clitoris and vulva if she finds this arousing.
Find out how to improve the quality of your life, love, relationships and generate financial, spiritual and relationship abundance here.
She says:
If you think about the mechanics of it, I think it's fairly obvious that man on top isn't the best position to stimulate a woman's G-spot as this isn't where his pressure is directed.
On the other hand women's G-spots are very variable so each woman needs to discover what works best for her.
What's not so good about the man on top position is that the woman has so little room for movement and therefore will find it hard to direct his thrusting to the right place inside of her.
To stimulate her G-spot, it would make sense for her to have her legs on the inside of his as she can then use them to squeeze him tight and increase the pressure and sensations for both of them.
I take the point about men being very visual and getting turned on by the view in front of them as well as the sensations they're experiencing. I'm not sure many women think about that sort of thing.
He says:
By shifting his position so that his angle of penetration changes slightly, as shown below, the man's penis will touch different parts of his partner's vagina as he thrusts, which can be very exciting for her.
Simply thrusting in the same angle and direction can sometimes become a bit boring for her!
She says:
Yeah, I agree! However, I hope you guys don't feel like you need to take all the responsibility for making it work for her. She can move around too you know!
Continued Here – Man On Top Page 2


text:
The year is slowly drawing to a close and Christmas is just around the corner. Time to relax and share some holiday cheer with all of your nearest and dearest. The festive season is full of wonderful traditions to help create the fitting Christmas atmosphere in your own home. An especially lovely holiday tradition that helps put everyone in a festive mood is Christmas baking.
We'll show you how a gingerbread house can help you get into the holiday spirit and why we at Engel & Völkers are sure to have the best recipe for you.
Gingerbread houses are a must for that Christmas spirit
The holiday season is the most beautiful time of the year for many families. With the weather outside freezing cold, you can get cosy in the warmth of your own home and spend some quality time together as a family. Family baking days with traditional Christmas recipes are a great way to get into the holiday spirit.
The gingerbread house is a fixed Christmas baking tradition in many families, just like baking cookies or a Christmas fruitcake, and has become a genuine classic over time. Christmas without the elaborately decorated gingerbread houses is hard to imagine. The irresistible scent of spices like cinnamon, cloves or allspice ensure a festive cosiness while baking. The gingerbread house's many carefully crafted ornamental details also make this Christmas creation a real eye-catcher.
Anyone who owns a home and knows what it means to build a house from the ground up, or have it extensively renovated, will recognize that gingerbread houses are pieces of art, just like your own home – carefully designed and decorated just the way you want and with lots of attention to detail.
We've got the right recipe for you
While gingerbread houses are more about the recipe and decoration, value is the decisive factor for your property – especially when it comes to the sale of your real estate. Thanks to our years of marketing expertise and our first class network, we here at Engel & Völkers are able to find the exact right buyer - one that will appreciate the special value of your real estate. Our real estate consultants will sit down with you and develop an individualized recipe for the sale of your property.
Find out more about the sale of your real estate on our website!
To help get you into the holiday spirit, we've listed a recipe for baking two gingerbread houses:
Ingredients for at least 2 small gingerbread houses:
150 g honey
125 g sugar
1 egg
350 g flour
1 tsp cocoa powder
7.5 g gingerbread spice
5 g baking powder
For the decoration:
1 egg white
200 g powdered sugar
Heat and stir the honey, 100 g of sugar and 2-3 tbsp of water until the sugar has dissolved. Cream the egg and the leftover sugar; steadily pour in the honey-sugar syrup. Mix the remaining ingredients and sift them onto the honey-sugar base. Kneed the mass into a smooth dough and then refrigerate for 1 hour. Unroll the dough (approx. 5 mm), cut out the various sections of the little houses and place them on a baking tray, brush with water and bake in a preheated oven at 175°C (approx.15-20 min.). Cream egg white and powdered sugar and fill into a piping bag. Assemble the cooled-off house sections with the icing and decorate the house to your heart's content. Have fun baking!