text:
2002 Highlander turn signals flashing, relay chatter in engine compartment, and tachometer broke
A few days ago I went to take my 2002 Highlander AWD 3.0L V6 with 210,000 miles from work to get some lunch and found the doors locked and the left and right turn signals front and rear were both flashing for no reason. I unlocked the Highlander and tried to turn off the emergency flashers but the lights kept flashing and the turn signal stalk was in normal position. But when I started the Highlander, the lights stopped flashing and everything was fine! When I parked the car, as soon as I turned the vehicle off (key still in RUN), the lights began flashing again and stayed flashing when I took the key out of the ignition. Several hours later after the vehicle was stopped, the lights were still flashing but now flashing erratically, and when I lifted the hood I could hear what sounded like unusual relay chatter near the fuses on the left front of the engine compartment.
But when I started up the Highlander, again, as before, everything returned to normal.
Another item I noticed was that my tachometer is no longer working and I am sure it was working the day before this all started.
Any idea what is going on? For now, my Highlander has it's battery disconnected!
The battery was disconnected for three days, and when re-connected, the flashers no longer acted abnormally and the tachometer was working again. However, the VSC and ABS lights were both flashing quickly on the dashboard. The vehicle appeared to be running fine.0


text:
Oct 21, 2020
Sep 27, 2016
Using drones that follow automated flight paths without the need for a human pilot could allow wind farm project teams to inspect up to twice as many turbines in a day as they can today, experts told Wind Energy Update.
Sep 26, 2016
Wind energy news you need to know.
Sep 13, 2016
Emerging oil filtration techniques could minimize pad-mount transformer faults and reduce one of the biggest sources of wind farm balance-of-plant (BoP) maintenance, Judah Moseson, vice president of operations at service provider Cooke Power Services, told Wind Energy Update.
Sep 13, 2016
Improving wind turbine reliability to 99.5% will require new data analysis approaches across the industry as existing techniques won't allow the sector to go above current reliability levels, according to Carsten Westergaard, senior advisor, Wind and Water at the Sandia National Laboratories and Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University.
Sep 13, 2016
Wind energy news you need to know.
Aug 30, 2016
The existing fleet of turbine and foundation installation vessels is well suited to serve the European offshore wind market in the short and mid-term but it will not be sufficient to support installation demand after 2020, Michael Guldbrandtsen, senior consultant at MAKE Consulting, told Wind Energy Update.
Aug 30, 2016
Most independent developers and utilities in Europe's offshore wind sector are responding to new financing models and more complex projects by switching from multi-contracting to 2-3 construction contracts per project, Rob Mcabb, partner at Eversheds, told Wind Energy Update.
Aug 17, 2016
A competitive Dutch tender system and favorable site conditions were key to DONG Energy's record-low bid strike price of 72.7 euros per MWh for the Borssele 1&2 offshore wind projects, but the Danish utility likely beat other bidders by revving up efforts to maximize its energy production, optimize its operating costs and by securing lower-cost financing, industry experts said.
Aug 16, 2016
Wind turbine manufacturers are responding to greater operations and maintenance (O&M) competition with longer maintenance contracts and lower service charges, experts told Wind Energy Update.
Jul 19, 2016
Offshore accommodation platforms can boost turbine availability by several percent on larger wind farms and extend the reach of crew transfer vessels further offshore, industry experts told Wind Energy Update.
Jul 19, 2016
Predictive maintenance will allow wind farm operators to maximize gains from the latest bearings research and extend gearbox lifespans in the coming years, industry experts said.
Jul 6, 2016
Fresh wind power commitments by oil majors have prompted more oil sector suppliers to seek cross-sector synergies in vessel and equipment delivery, experts said.
Jul 5, 2016
The planned cost of the 21 MW Icebreaker Great Lakes wind project has fallen 17% in the last two years to $125 million and generation costs are expected to be lower than the 30 MW Block Island wind farm off Rhode Island, Lorry Wagner, president of Icebreaker developer Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDCo), said.
Jun 21, 2016
A flurry of U.K. offshore extension projects is set to yield major cost savings through a deeper understanding of site challenges, technological gains and economies of scale, industry experts said.
Jun 20, 2016
Wind turbine suppliers are leveraging global operations data from hot and sandy sites to drive down costs in growing Middle East and North Africa markets, leading firms said at the MENAWind 2016 conference on May 25.
Reuters Events is part of Reuters News & Media Ltd, 5 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AQ. Registered in England and Wales: 2505735.
© Reuters Events 2020 | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | +44 (0) 207 375 7575

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Fundamentals of Writing for South Carolina ELA Standards:
- Employ a recursive writing process that includes planning, drafting, revising, editing, rewriting, publishing, and reflecting.
- Interact and collaborate with peers and adults to develop and strengthen writing.
- Produce writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, discipline, and audience.
- Use clear and coherent written language to accomplish a purpose such as learning, enjoyment, argument, and the exchange of information.
- Monitor progress throughout the writing process and adjust strategies as needed from independence to collaboration within a writing community.
- Incorporate authors' craft techniques observed from wide reading of anchor and mentor texts across disciplines to inform, explain, convince/argue, and entertain.


text:
Film Puts Surrogacy Under Examination As Legislation Is Debated Nationwide
Producers Of "Breeders: A Subclass of Women?" to Hold Special Screenings In New York City & Washington, D.C.
Jun 03, 2014, 10:04 ET
PLEASANT HILL, Calif., June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Jennifer Lahl and The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC), producers of the award-winning documentary, "Eggsploitation" (2010) and "Anonymous Father's Day" (2011), announced they will host special screenings of their new film, "Breeders: A Subclass of Women?," on June 18 in New York City and June 19 in Washington, D.C.
The legality of surrogacy is currently on the hotplate of political discussions throughout the nation. Just last weekend, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal vetoed a bill for the second time to legalize compensated surrogacy for married, heterosexual couples. A bill introduced in D.C. last year would allow residents above the age of 21 to enter into surrogacy agreements. After the parents agree to pay medical expenses, the gestational carrier surrenders her rights to raise the child. In New York, State Senator Brad Hoylman is co-sponsoring a proposed law to overturn the current prohibition, making compensated surrogacy legal.
Lahl's film, "Breeders: A Subclass of Women?" raises vital questions about surrogacy through the experiences of four women: the unexpected consequences and heart-wrenching emotions when their maternal identity and personal autonomy are taken from them. Alongside their stories, reflections and opinions from a wide range of feminists and industry professionals reveal that, while technology might have made obtaining biological children easier, the human heart remains deeply complex.
"While extremely sympathetic to the desires of infertile couples to have children, I am deeply concerned with how little focus is placed on the children created via surrogacy or on the women needed to supply their wombs," said Lahl. "I was a pediatric nurse for over two decades. In that field, a high priority is placed on the maternal-child bond. With each year, we learn more about the importance of the womb and about the life-long connection between mother and child. The relatively new field of epigenetics demonstrates clearly that those nine months in the womb have an extremely important impact on the child's later health, sense of identity, and connection."
Screenings of "Breeders" will take place in New York, New York, on June 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bowtie Chelsea Cinema at 260 West 23rd Street, and on Thursday, June 19 in Washington, D.C., at 7:00 p.m. at the Landmark theatre at 555 11th St. NW. Tickets can be purchased in advance at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/. Lahl will be on-site to host a Q&A after both screenings.
For additional information about "Breeders," visit breeders.cbc-network.org/.
The Center for Bioethics and Culture (CBC) addresses bioethical issues that most profoundly affect our humanity, especially issues that arise in the lives of the most vulnerable among us.
For more, visit www.CBC-Network.org.
Note to Editors: For additional information, including downloadable images, visit http://breeders.cbc-network.org/. To attend either the New York or D.C. screening or to arrange an interview with Jennifer Lahl, please contact Heidi McDow at 972.267.1111 or via e-mail at [email protected].
SOURCE The Center for Bioethics and Culture


text:
This just occurred to me, if the Goauld Sarcophagus (spelling not sure), brought back Aphopis from the dead.., can they do the same for anyone.. ?
Can one use it to bring anybody back to life ?
And is it compatible with just Human physiology ?
Because we did see it keeping a Goauld and some... ? ..centipede like creature alive for hundred's of years.
Would something of this sort work on the Asgard ? (Since the Asgard are more advanced, i'm sure they have a superior healing device, or medicine, atleast i think they would)
Or perhaps their condition was a lot more severe..
A lot of question marks', i know. But it seems' like an interesting topic to discuss.


text:
ConversaSpain is a Spanish organization that cooperates with more than 250 public schools in different regions in Spain. It offers inspiring, challenging and rewarding opportunities to potential English language assistants from all over the world who want to teach English in Spain. With ConversaSpain, native English speakers can teach English in Spain as language and cultural ambassadors in public schools in Madrid or Murcia (Auxiliares de Conversacion program)
Meddeas, a Spanish organization renowned for cooperating with private schools in Spain, has developed ConversaSpain, a spin-off with its dedicated team and brand. In fact, Meddeas supports ConversaSpain with its expertise. The corresponding regional Education Authority is in charge of the placements and of any school-related matters.
Created with the aim of providing high-quality experiences for hard-working and creative ESL teachers, ConversaSpain helps students in Spanish public schools with exposure to English from native speakers.
With ConversaSpain, participants teach English in Spain to students in Elementary, Middle, and/or High Schools in the public system. Tasks and teaching activities will vary from day-to-day, but it is a supportive role. Indeed, participants aren't in charge of an entire class, nor are they responsible for students' final grades or any serious disciplinary action. ConversaSpain are looking for truly dedicated ESL teachers who can fully embrace their role in Spain.
Here is a breakdown of some of the important information to consider before applying for the ConversaSpain program to teach in Spain:
Do you want to teach English in Spain next academic year? Become a Language and Cultural ambassador with ConversaSpain, which currently works with more than 250 public schools in Madrid or Murcia. This program will provide participants with support moving to Spain, health coverage, initial training, and advice for every day practical non-school-related matters.
Important dates
The conditions for the Auxiliares de Conversacion are different depending on the region participants choose:
Teach in Madrid
Teach in Murcia
If you are interested please send an email to [EMAIL VISIBLE TO REGISTERED USERS] or apply through www.conversaspain.com
Meddeas, a Spanish organization renowned for cooperating with private schools in Spain, has developed ConversaSpain, a spin-off with its dedicated team and brand. The corresponding regional Education Authority is in charge of the placements and of any school-related matters.
Requirements to Participate
· Native-level English speaker
· Citizen of a country where English is the official language/ Hold a C2 certificate or equivalent
· Applications accepted from candidates aged 18 to 60
· University degree in any subject
· Speaking Spanish is not required
What's included?
· Job placement and monthly stipend ensured (€875 in Murcia and €1,000 in Madrid)
· Private health insurance (non-EU participants)/ EHIC coverage (EU participants)
· 15- 16 teaching hours per week in 4 consecutive teaching days
· Paid school holidays (except for the summer period)
· Welcome document and pre-departure assistance (visa process and bank account)
· Help with the police registration process
· Induction meeting in the region: initial training, orientation, and meeting with other participants
· ConversaSpain support while in Spain
· Access to a multimedia platform: MOOC course, resources, and information
· Certificate of completion at the end of the program (Regional Education Authority)
· Activities held under the supervision and guidance of school teachers
· Four different programs available (TEFL course and/or immersion week available if wanted)
"I would recommend the experience with ConversaSpain as it was great to have a guaranteed placement and the support before coming to Spain was very helpful. I chose the immersion week option and was very happy. It gave me a good introduction to some of the main sites of Madrid, but more importantly allowed me to meet some other people in our program who I have remained friends with in my time here", Grant H., participant in Madrid.
Fees/Costs and Available Options in Madrid
Fees/Costs and Available Options in Murcia
* The 140-Hour TEFL and Teaching English to Young Learners Course is a co-branded TEFL course that includes the following modules: grammar, methodology, video observation, teaching larger classes and young learners. The online platform is available 24/7 and tutors are professional and available within 48 hours. A TEFL certificate will be issued on successful completion of the training and a hardcopy certificate will be sent by post to students' addresses.
The Role of an Auxiliar de Conversacion in Spain
Participants could deliver conversational English lessons to students or staff, encourage oral practice in English, explain the culture of their own country, help in other subjects (such as science, art, P.E., history, or music), assist with pronunciation and grammar, prepare students for oral exams, and collaborate with teaching staff in creating teaching materials and planning lessons. The specific activities and tasks depend on the school.
Language Assistants in Public Schools help teach English to Elementary, Middle and High School students. This is a supportive role; thus, they aren't in charge of entire classes and aren't responsible for grading or discipline.
Assignment: Selected candidates will receive the details of their specific school placement 8 to 10 weeks before starting at the school. Age-group and location preferences are considered whenever possible (we cannot guarantee specific placement preferences).
If you are interested please send an email to [EMAIL VISIBLE TO REGISTERED USERS] or apply through www.conversaspain.com
Remember Me


text:
Religion, as it's talked about in politics and the news, is almost always a negative thing. It's a source of fear or threat. Inflammation in the Middle East is triggered by competing visions of Allah.
It's a marker of difference. Pundits obsess (pointlessly) over whether Mitt Romney's religion make him unelectable; whether President Obama's former church is a breeding ground for black separatists; whether any belief in any God betrays an ignorant, superstitious or science-phobic mind.
Religion is a stick, which the in-crowd uses to punish the outliers: As in, God hates gays, or God loves gays, or God hates the sin but loves the sinner. Polls have shown that the main reason a younger generation is abandoning religion boils down to this: It's punitive and mean — too much of a bummer too much of the time.
The truth is that even in private, religion can feel like a weight. You go to church or synagogue because you feel obligated; you send your children to Hebrew school with reservations and over their protestations. The upcoming Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur in particular, can feel like an orgy of self-immolation. The fasting. The counting of sins. The beating of breasts. During this season, the liturgy forces the faithful to regard without blinking their mortality and worse: the chanciness of everything. One rabbi friend prefers to translate these holidays as "the Days of Dread" instead of the preferred but more anodyne "Days of Awe." Over 10 days, he says, Jews "telescope the horror of life in general and of our lives in particular."
At their best, the Jewish holidays require a downscaling of expectations. A Jew must recalibrate his or her hopes for the future against last year's realities. And for so many Americans, reality — personal, political, financial — has fallen far short of dreams. During his staff meeting this week, Rabbi Daniel Zemel of Temple Micah in the District asked the leaders of his congregation to contemplate and discuss this passage from John Stuart Mill: "I have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires rather than in attempting to satisfy them." Hardly euphoric stuff.
Over the past several weeks, I have found myself anticipating these holidays, which my family celebrates, with foreboding. It's not just their message that makes me tremble, it's the work. Even Rosh Hashanah, that annual celebration of life's sweetness, means extra chores for a Jewish mother. I am making lists of ingredients in my head, calculating errands with strategic preciseness, worrying whether last season's tights fit. My mother would have spent this week polishing the silver, but I have a different life and have to fit my piety in between my deadlines. It might be easier, I sometimes think, to abandon all the effort: We could order Chinese and watch a romantic comedy instead.
But then I remember that, for me, religious observance is about duty, yes, but also joy. And pleasure. The Essenes, an ascetic sect of desert dwellers who lived around the time of Jesus, believed that when they sang in unison on the Sabbath, they were mirroring the songs of the angels in heaven. Even today, Jews' Saturday morning prayers begin with a flood of thanks: for the roofs over our heads, for the breath in our bodies, for the eyes we have to see. We gather our children close, placing our hands on their heads, and we pray to God to give them health and peace. Saturday by Saturday, we watch them grow.
In this season, I asked the rabbis I know, where is that pleasure? In a divisive political year, in a fragile economy, with tensions simmering in the Middle East, how do we do that spiritual alchemy and turn obligation into joy? My rabbi friend who speaks of "horror" reminds me that although Judaism is a disciplined religion, it is not an abstemious one. We are to take pleasure in sex and in wine (when appropriate). We say blessings before drinking water and when reuniting with a friend after a long time.
Pleasure can even be found on Yom Kippur within the Jewish act of repentance, says Rabbi Gil Steinlauf at Adas Israel in the District. "Even as life can be harsh and painful and filled with loss, we always have the power to act to sweeten life and make it more bearable, even pleasurable." Repentance in Judaism is a returning to our truest selves, he says; embedded therein is the assumption that "our best nature is good and kind, and the act of acknowledging our mistakes and owning them is, ultimately, a pleasure, a spiritual pleasure that is experienced bodily as we speak our truth and make amends in this lifetime." In Hebrew, Rabbi Steinlauf reminds me, there are 10 different words for joy.
To read Lisa Miller's previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/onfaith.


text:
2014 Data Science Salary Survey
Tools, Trends, What Pays (and What Doesn't) for Data Professionals
Get the free ebook
As a data professional, you are invited to share your valuable insights. Take the short, anonymous salary survey here: http://www.oreilly.com/data/salarysurvey2015.csp. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you.
For the second year, O'Reilly Media conducted an anonymous survey to expose the tools successful data analysts and engineers use, and how those tool choices might relate to their salary. We heard from over 800 respondents who work in and around the data space, and from a variety of industries across 53 countries and 41 U.S. states.
Findings from the survey include:
- Average number of tools and median income for all respondents
- Distribution of responses by a variety of factors, including age, location, industry, position, and cloud computing
- Detailed analysis of tool use, including tool clusters
- Correlation of tool usage and salary
Gain insight from these potentially career-changing findings—download this free report to learn the details, and plug your own variables into the regression model to find out where you fit into the data space.
John King is a data analyst at O'Reilly Media. Roger Magoulas is O'Reilly's Research Director.
Fill out the form below
All fields are required.Please read our Privacy Policy.


text:
Those viewers who are still watching Scandal only for Olivia Pope's seemingly endless wardrobe of beautiful black-and-white coats and perfectly tailored suits (no judgment here—that's as good a reason as any to keep watching at this point) are in luck, as The Limited has just announced a Pope-inspired clothing line. Working with Kerry Washington and Scandal costume designer Lyn Paolo, the line marks The Limited's first Hollywood collaboration. The Shonda Rhimes-created show, which airs on ABC, wrapped up its third season in April, with Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope and her team of gladiators attempting to handle business in the face of politically motivated murders, family secrets, and epic monologues.
The line will reportedly include tops, pants, jackets, and "heroic outerwear pieces"—no hats, white or otherwise, are mentioned—and range from $49 to $248. No photos have been released for the line, which launches in late September, but presumably it will be based on a palette of white, black, and gray. Red wine and popcorn not included. [via The Hollywood Reporter]


text:
Skip to 0 minutes and 4 seconds What is exercise? How can we define it scientifically? Simply put, exercise is the physical exertion of the body that results in expenditure of energy, and that, in the long term, enhances or maintains fitness and health. In this video, we will explore the immediate physiological responses of the body to different types and intensities of exercise. A single bout of exercise can mean a leisurely hike on Saturday morning, or running a record breaking marathon. Most of us will never even come close to achieving the feats of physical performance displayed by elite athletes, participating in Olympic games or world championships. But, from a physiological perspective, the fundamental responses of the body to exercise are similar in everyone.
Skip to 0 minutes and 50 seconds Our bodies are made up of 11 organ systems that function in a coordinated, integrated way that allows us to maintain optimal health. A single bout of exercise profoundly changes the function of most of these systems. You don't have to be a physiologist to recognise that the responses of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, which will be discussed here, are particularly evident during exercise. But why is that? Our body's cells, whether muscle cells, brain cells, or liver cells, require oxygen and nutrients in order to carry out their functions. ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is a molecule that acts as the energy currency of the cell.
Skip to 1 minute and 36 seconds Using ATP allows us to drive the chemical reactions in the cell that are fundamental to life, including muscle contraction. Cells produce the ATP that drives these reactions by using oxygen, absorbed in the lungs from inhaled air, and fuels, in the form of nutrients absorbed from digested food or released from energy stores, such as adipose tissue. In the process, carbon dioxide is produced, as is heat. This is aerobic cellular metabolism. We can also produce ATP using metabolic pathways that do not require oxygen. This is anaerobic cellular metabolism and causes the production of substances, including lactic acid.
Skip to 2 minutes and 21 seconds The job of the cardiovascular system is to deliver blood to all tissues of the body, in order that they receive oxygen and nutrients in proportion to their needs. The blood is also the means by which we remove metabolic wastes from our tissues and dissipate heat produced by these thermogenic chemical reactions. When we exercise, the metabolic needs of working muscles change. Their demand for oxygen and nutrients increases, along with the need to remove metabolic wastes. Essentially, they need more blood. So how do we deliver more blood to the tissues? The average human being has five litres of blood.
Skip to 3 minutes and 3 seconds The pumping activity of the heart means that these five litres are constantly being circulated from the heart to the lungs and back, so that the blood can pick up oxygen and deliver carbon dioxide, and from the heart to all the body tissues and back, so that the tissues can use oxygen and nutrients for metabolism. When you're lying down or sitting quietly at rest, the heart is pumping five litres of blood, the total blood volume, from each side of the heart, every minute. This is called the cardiac output.
Skip to 3 minutes and 37 seconds As soon as you increase physical activity, a cardiac output of 5 litres per minute is no longer sufficient and you will not be able to exercise for very long without giving up through sheer fatigue. This is the reason why the heart rate needs to increase with exercise. We need to increase the cardiac output in order to match the metabolic needs of the tissues. Cardiac output is driven by heart rate, the number of times the heart beats per minute, and stroke volume, the volume of blood ejected from the heart every time the heart beats. During exercise, both of these variables increase. Hand in hand with this increased cardiac output, we also see an increase in systolic blood pressure.
Skip to 4 minutes and 27 seconds Depending on whether you're exercising at low, moderate, or maximal intensity, the cardiac output can change quite modestly, perhaps by less than two-fold when walking, right up to an incredible seven-fold or more in elite athletes who are exercising maximally. But this is only part of the story. Many changes take place within the working muscles themselves during exercise. Our blood vessels are very dynamic. They literally change their size in response to tissue activity. When you're sitting at rest, many of the blood vessels in your muscles are narrowed or even closed. This limits the blood flow through the muscles when activity is low.
Skip to 5 minutes and 12 seconds However, as soon as muscle activity increases, the blood vessels sense metabolic changes in the tissues, causing them to widen, and capillary beds to open, thus allowing a hugely increased blood flow. Again, the purpose of this is to serve the metabolic needs of the tissues. We see major increases in blood flow to the working muscles, the heart, and the skin during exercise, increasing with increasing exercise intensity. Flow to the muscles and heart drives their increased activity, while increased flow to the skin, in combination with sweating, helps to dissipate the increased heat produced during exercise. That is, it helps you to thermoregulate.
Skip to 6 minutes and 1 second Conversely, we see a modest decrease in blood flow to organs such as the kidneys and the digestive tract during exercise, which again helps to facilitate increased blood flow to regions where it is needed when we exercise.
Cardiovascular responses to acute exercise
A single bout of exercise can greatly change how our organ systems work. In this video, Aine talks about these changes in the cardiovascular system.
From a health perspective, it is the repeated occurrence of these changes, over time, that can prevent or help to treat different diseases.
Consider the changes in the cardiovascular system discussed in this video in response to exercise.
In the comments section below:
- Consider the importance of aerobic exercise intensity (mild, moderate or strenuous) when prescribing exercise to patients.
- What issues do you need to take into account for different patient populations?
© Trinity College Dublin


text:
MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. The Russian short film Violin, part of a full-length project in memory of Holocaust victims, seeks to contend for an Oscar award, film producer Yegor Odintsov told TASS on Wednesday.
"Representatives of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have confirmed that the film has qualified and will contend for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film," he said.
The short film, directed by Konstantin Fam is the last, third part of a full-length project of three novels in memory of Holocaust victims.
Violin is built around an amazing fate of a unique musical instrument that lives through all horrors of the war. The story begins at a violin manufacturing facility, where a violin, created at the start of the 20th century, is meant as a gift to a Jewish boy, and ends years later with a concert at Jerusalem's Wailing Wall.
The film is based on the story of musicians from the Janowska concentration camp, where an orchestra of outstanding Jewish musicians was executed in 1944. This tragic episode was part of the Nuremberg Trials. The filming took a year with locations in Russia, the US, the Czech Republic, Belarus and Israel.
The lead roles were played by Vladimir Koshevoy, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Masha King, Mikhail Gorevoy, Vyacheslav Chepurenko, Aleem Kandour and Maria Zykova.
The first series of the package film, Shoes, was released in 2012, becoming the winner of many Russian and international film festivals. The next series, Brutus, filmed along the same lines, showed the tragedy through the eyes of a German shepherd dog called Brutus.
"The filming process was truly difficult. We had to work in five countries which is too much for a small novel," producers quote film director Konstantin Fam. "I think that having finished work on the film, I discovered part of myself and I want very much to share this feeling with the viewers," he said.
According to the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Russian Federation, Alexander Boroda, the novel Violin unveils the tragedy of the Holocaust from an absolutely different angle. "The fate of a musical instrument, accompanying tortures and executions at the concentration camp in Janowska with a frightening Death Tango - allegorizes the lives of those Jews who survived in the Holocaust. Their enemies failed to destroy their spirit, but they reemerged after the most awful tragedy as their former selves, continued to carry the light - like the violin that played its melody at the Wailing Wall," said Boroda.
According to the President of the Russian Jewish Congress, Yuri Kanner, "the package film is an illustration of staunches and fight for the historical truth."
The film premiered at the competitive program of the 39th Moscow International Film Festival in 2017 and will be released in 2018.


text:
Windows Phone and Android apps screen comparison
There's a long discussion on Geekzone on why won't you try Windows Phone. Interestingly a lot is talked about the apps (or lack of them). Also there's a lot of talk about the user interface on these apps. Some people don't like the way Windows Phone apps look, but I've found that most of the apps actually look the same as in other platforms – the main difference is really on the "home screen".
I'd say that most of the people will find the apps they use are available in all mobile platforms. Few people will find that the app they want is not available on Windows Phone. For example, I have come to really like Authy, simply because I try to use two factor authentication wherever I can and really dislike the idea of having to recreate all those tokens every time I changed devices. Authy makes those tokens portable so you can simply swap a device, load the app and re-authenticate to load everything. It is probably the only app keeping me away from Windows Phone today (after using a Windows mobile platform since its beginning back in the early 2000).
Based on that Geekzone discussion I decided to go around taking screenshots in apps I can find in both Android and Windows Phone and see if they are that different – I don't think so. Below you will find a series of apps on Android (left) and Windows Phone (right) to compare their interfaces:
Other related posts:
Windows Phone 8 Portico update: at last here in New Zealand
Windows Phone updates, again
More Windows Phone account troubles
comments powered by Disqus


text:
ALLEN B. ROBERTS is a Member of Epstein Becker Green.
Mr. Roberts represents public and privately held domestic and international businesses and not-for-profit organizations in developing and effectuating strategy and policies in employment law and labor relations matters. Leading the firm's representation of several national and multinational clients, Mr. Roberts combines experience and perspective as a hands-on litigator and advocate with strategic advice and counsel.
In addition to counseling on labor and employment compliance, litigation avoidance and strategy, and case management, Mr. Roberts also represents clients in related judicial, administrative, and arbitration proceedings involving:
- Wage and hour class and collective actions
- Whistleblowing compliance and defense of retaliation claims
- Collective bargaining and withdrawal liability issues associated with multiemployer plans
- Revisions to retiree benefits programs affecting union-represented and non-represented participants, and related proceedings
- Prevailing wage and living wage obligations
- Challenges to independent contractor classifications and related claims of employee status and entitlement to employment benefits
- Employment agreement formulation and enforcement
- Restrictive covenants and non-solicitation obligations
- Employment discrimination and retaliation
- Union relations and maintaining union-free status
- Unfair labor practices and related United States Court of Appeals enforcement proceedings
Mr. Roberts' recent cases establishing important precedents include:
- Campbell, et al. v. Empire Merchants, LLC – Won summary judgment dismissal of putative collective and class action claims seeking compensation for time that employees supplementing an employer's regular workforce on an as-need basis waited during a "shape-up" procedure to learn if work assignments would be received, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 86172, 2019 WL 2206065 (E.D.N.Y., May 18, 2019) (adopting Magistrate Judge's Report and Recommendation, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 146510 (E.D.N.Y., Aug. 27, 2018))
- Swanson, et al. v. Manhattan Beer Distributors LLC, et al. – Won summary judgment dismissal of putative collective and class action claims that commissions earned by delivery drivers and helpers should be included in calculation of overtime pay by establishing that the Motor Carrier Act grants overtime pay exemption from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York State Labor Law, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 218219 (E.D.N.Y., June 28, 2018); successfully opposed motion for class-wide discovery of claim asserting unlawful payroll deductions for driver shortages, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 170228 (E.D.N.Y., Oct. 2, 2018); successfully averted conditional certification of FLSA overtime pay collective action (2017)
- Mills v. Standing General Commission on Christian Unity, et al. – Won summary judgment dismissal of a breach of contract claim by a minister against a church organization by establishing the First Amendment Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause as a bar to secular court litigation, 39 Misc. 3d 296 (Sup. Ct. N.Y. Cty. 2013), affirmed, 117 A.D.3d 509 (1st Dep't 2014)
- Duraku, et al. v. Tishman Speyer Properties, Inc. – Won stay of federal court proceedings and order compelling arbitration of employment claims, 714 F. Supp. 2d 470 (S.D.N.Y. 2010); won appellate court confirmation of arbitration award dismissing all claims, Matter of Duraku v. Tishman Speyer Props., L.P., 133 AD3d 525 (1st Dep't 2015)
- Local 917 of the Int'l Bhd. of Teamsters v. NLRB – Won National Labor Relations Board proceeding and United States Court of Appeals enforcement, holding that a union unlawfully pursued arbitration to retain jurisdiction of work assignments for the transportation of wine and spirits to the warehouse of a distributor after the supplier introduced "delivered pricing," whereby delivery from ports and other terminals was included in the supplier's pricing. The union's efforts to enforce a contractual work preservation clause in arbitration were held to be an unlawful secondary boycott in violation of Section 8(e) of the National Labor Relations Act, 577 F.3d 70 (2d Cir. 2009), enforcing 345 NLRB 1010 (2005)
Since 2013, Mr. Roberts has:
- Participated for parties in merger, acquisition, joint venture, and strategic investment transactions having a combined value of more than $12 billion, performing labor, employment, and ERISA due diligence analysis, strategizing terms, negotiating and drafting transaction agreements and accomplishing post-closing objectives in varied industries, with complex issues of employee, union, and defined benefit fund considerations
- Represented developers, owners, operators, and managers of commercial, residential, hotel, retail, distribution, and manufacturing projects totaling more than 17 million square feet in matters concerning prevailing wages, living wages, or labor peace agreements
Consistent with the breadth of his practice, Mr. Roberts has lectured and written on such diverse employment law topics as mergers and acquisitions, facility closings and relocations, Equal Employment Opportunity, disabilities accommodation and compliance, management of investigations, and governance and whistleblower issues. Mr. Roberts' publications include the Labor & Employment Part of Clark Boardman Callaghan's Attorney's Desk Library and featured articles in journals and periodicals.
Reflecting the confidential opinions of members of the judiciary and practicing attorneys, Mr. Roberts has the distinction of receiving an "AV Preeminent" rating by Martindale-Hubbell in both the Judicial Edition and the Peer Review editions, signifying the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© (2006 to 2021) in the fields of Employment Law—Management and Labor Law—Management and named to the New York Metro Super Lawyers list (2006 to 2019) in the areas of Employment & Labor and Employment Litigation: Defense.
With his wife, Heidi, Mr. Roberts is a founder of the U.S. Friends of Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, Inc., supporting programs in South Africa for breeding, care, and research for individual animals and entire species and for outreach to South African schools and community organizations. From 1995 to 2011, Mr. Roberts served as chair of the board of Aging in New York Fund, Inc., a not-for-profit organization established by the New York City Department for the Aging to promote productive aging and enhance the quality of life of older New Yorkers and their families.
- Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1971)
- The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania (B.S., 1966)
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Western District of New York
- New York
- Pennsylvania


text:
Getting ahold of your intended prospect can sometimes be a challenge. Occasionally there is a gatekeeper standing in your way. This is generally an associate or assistant that sits between you and the person you are trying to connect with. Often times gatekeepers are more prevalent in large businesses than small ones where the owner is generally present.
A sales person feels armed with their thought out pitch and well-identified contact list, but the gatekeepers could be keeping you from ever getting in contact with the decision maker. The gatekeepers job is to make sure the calls going through to individuals are appropriate. Since decision makers are busy, the gatekeeper can often be cautious to which calls go through. As you work to get ahold of your intended prospect, don't look at the gatekeeper as a roadblock, but instead as a tool to use at your advantage.
Here are five tips to help you navigate your way around the gatekeeper while also gaining valuable information from them.
1. Connect with the gatekeeper
Just as you have researched the decision maker, it's also important to gather a couple key details about the gatekeeper. With the help of social media platforms like LinkedIn and a company's website, it only takes a few minutes to learn a few facts about who you are talking to. This will give you instant leverage by connecting with the gatekeeper on a personal level.
Remember, the gatekeeper is a wealth of knowledge, but in order to gain information, you'll need to build rapport. Since they are the gateway to the decision maker, they are scanning many calls a day. You are going to have to find a way to stand out. Be kind and friendly. This will probably be a change from the usual conversations and in turn, yield better results.
2. Have a Script
Just as you will have a script in hand for the decision maker, also have one documented for the gatekeeper. This should be short and sweet. No more than 30 seconds. It should sound natural and be something you can customize as you go.
There's nothing worse than sounding like you are reading off of a piece of paper. A gatekeeper will be able to spot a rehearsed script from a mile away, but you'll still want to have your message planned out to keep you on track. Many times sales reps can get caught up on the details and deliver more information than needed off the bat. Remember, the purpose of this call is only to get you through to the decision maker.
3. Know who you are asking for
When calling the gatekeeper, know who you are asking for. The best way to do this is by sounding like you've been there before. By doing so, though, don't lie. Even if it gets you past the gatekeeper, it's going to start the entire conversation on a bad note.
Continue to use the gatekeeper as tool. The person you originally thought was the best to get in contact with, might actually not be. There could be someone else within the company who would be better suited for your presentation. The gatekeeper will be able to guide you in the right direction if you work the conversation to your advantage. You could start with a discovery question such as, "If (blank) isn't available, is there anyone else I could get in contact with that is in charge of (blank)?"
Then if that doesn't get you anywhere, you could try asking a couple of your qualifying questions such as:What's the purchase approval process like?
How have decisions like this been made previously?
Who else is involved in this process?
They may not know the answers to these questions depending on who the gatekeeper is, but it could help guide you in the right direction if you were at a standstill.
4. Save your presentation/pitch
Save your pitch for the actual person you are trying to get a hold of – not the gatekeeper. Remember, the gatekeeper does not usually have buying power or the ability to say yes. Don't waste their time and yours by diving into unnecessary details about your product or service. Instead your goal is to schedule a follow-up call or appointment to talk to the decision maker.
Again, the gatekeeper works closely with those that hold the power to make decisions. Use them to your advantage. Ask questions and start conversations that lead you to find out more information such as an email address, your prospect's schedule or a better time to call.
5. Be genuine
The most important thing to remember when it comes to the gatekeeper is they should be looked at as an ally. Don't dismiss them, but instead treat them with respect. This will give you the best chance of getting through to the decision maker.
Don't forget, the gatekeeper holds an immense amount of power when it comes to who gets through to the decision maker and who doesn't. Trying to intimidate them or diminish their worth will only earn you a negative reputation within that company. Appreciate their role within the company and they'll show consideration to your needs in return.
To learn our top tips to construct your script, target your message, refine delivery and evaluate success, download our New Year, New Pitch whitepaper!


text:
A categorical study of compactness via closure
Thesis (MSc (Mathemathical Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2009.
We have the familiar Kuratowski-Mr owka theorem in topology, where compactness is characterised by a closure and a projection-map (X is compact i p : X Y ! Y is a closed mapping, for any space Y , i.e. p(A) = p(A) A X Y ). Using this as our starting point, we generalise compactness to a categorical setting. We then generalise even further to "asymmetric" compactness. Then we discuss a functional approach to compactness, where we do not explicitly mention closure operators. All this provides economical proofs as well as applications in di erent areas of mathematics.


text:
Raised on an island in Casco Bay Maine, I moved to the high desert of Santa Fe, New Mexico four years ago. After graduating from the Institute of American Indian Arts with a BFA in Ceramic Sculpture my career has moved from that of a graphic designer to a creator of mythical art. I could be considered a "Late Bloomer" but it seems to me that I have just been continuously unfolding, expanding and discovering who I truly am all along the way.
With a background in antique furniture restoration, my aesthetic has always been in the character of old finishes; appreciating their preservation. It is the beauty of the imperfect and the impressions of age that intrigue me. It is as if time has laid its hand upon a piece. I interpret this as a benediction from the past.
The term sanctification was once conveyed to me as the "digging up" and making pure again. My art is an internal excavation; a connection with a distant past: the world of our ancestors. This is a world in which we all share a common history.
I have intentionally maintained an ambiguity within most of my artwork, leaving its interpretation to you the viewer. By what you see, you make it your own. Other sculptures, such as my Atlantean Series, have a more specific translation and also speak to our mutual pre-history.
As author Zen Su stated in the amazing work "Orgone Dream Codex" "the world of our ancestors surround us in all its clarity and pristine beauty, but few see its presence.... the Presence, the mythological, the alchemical, the mysterious, has never left us."
In my collection: Shards of Our Ancestors, it is my desire to share with you my interpretation of our shared lineage.
We are most likely to accept offers of 10% or less off the list price.


text:
When asked at the first gathering of the event how the accommodations were, I responded that it's all a matter of perspective. The location was on the spectrum between Motel 6 and the Venetian, leaning more towards the Motel 6 end.
Not to worry, upon returning from the first gathering, our greeters were human: FOUR bus loads of middle school girls! And truly, I think most of them were on our floor. Is it better or worse to knock on an adjoining door to request the noise level be reduced? Sigh . . .
Oh well, the tv had 419 channels to give Tom a little variety while I tried to get a handle on Google +. When his chin dropped for the third time, I figured it was time for me to unplug. Thankfully, the middle school girls also seemed to be winding down.
Have you ever had a time when you did your research, thought things through, and then . . . it didn't turn out quite like you'd hoped or imagined? Probably all of us have to some degree or another.
The good news is nothing surprises God: "I thought about all this very carefully. I saw that God controls what happens to the good and wise people and what they do." (Ecclesiastes 9:1a ERV) I don't know about you, but that gives me great comfort, especially when things don't turn out like I'd hoped.
And God doesn't leave us there. He is the God of "more": "And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans." (Romans 8:28 TLB) He's not surprised, or a bystander. God's working for our good, and that's pretty great, People!
But wait, it gets even better! God knows what's going on, he's working things out for us, and he doesn't settle for second best: "With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of." (Ephesians 3:20 ICB) Did you catch that, Dear Reader? God can do much, much more.
God wants only the best for his kids. And that's us! You and me! Guess what? The towels may have been the best part of the accommodations, but having our precious granddaughters nestled in before the big event of the weekend left the towels in the dust!
God is so good, Dear Reader! When I turn my senses down a notch, and my heart up a notch, I can see his goodness all around me. Sweet dreams, Dear Reader! God's got it all under control.


text:
Change is good. I'm changing the platform of the site over to WordPress. They say that one of the characteristics of success is a willingness to forge ahead and accept change. Of course it is also the lack of fear of failure. Hopefully, I am displaying the both those character traits without falling fully into the abyss of utter failure. I was beginning to see more visitors to the site, but I do have my reasons for making the change.
I enjoyed very much the look and the fluidity of my old design. As you may have noticed by now, I had previously been using iweb to design the blog. It is a very versatile web designer for a beginner. However, it is not search engine friendly. So, while I was able to customize the site to my liking, I found more often than not that other sites were having trouble crawling my site.
So, with those limitations in mind, I had been planning to switch over to wordpress. I've taken the opportunity of the long weekend to search out a theme to my liking, and have begun the process of moving the site over. At the same time, I am simplifying the blog, so that the features are more accessible to you, my readers.
Today, I am moving in the new design. I will be transferring the content over more gradually, and also keep up to date with new posts as well. If anyone is looking for any of the old content, I am keeping the old design live and you can still visit it here.
Please enjoy the new look of the site. Thank you.


text:
Your Heading Here
Popular Posts
Read the Past Six Months Posts
Art Marketing Business Books for Visual Artists
As Seen In
You work one-on-one with me to get important stuff done fast and right!
Every entrepreneur struggles with something — sometimes even important things that need done now. You know what I mean. Either you don't want to do it, don't know how to do it, or feel too overwhelmed to get around to it. Let's fix that!
When you work with me, you to get your most important and urgent tasks done fast and right. It's hard, if not near impossible, to go alone sometimes. Get my expert hands-on help to get things.
Details at BarneyDavey.com/consulting
Barney Davey
Art Marketing News
About the Author
Barney Davey has an extensive background in the art business and encourages artists and is ardent enabler of the direct patronage movement. He began teaching artists new ways how to find art buyers and how to sell art in 1988.
He shares insights and experiences with artists. They use his insider knowledge to help them find collectors, sell more art and create abundance and prosperity in their businesses.
Davey is the author of six bestselling books on art marketing. He's presented workshops and published articles for The Artist's Magazine, Art Business News, Art World News, Professional Artist, Picture Framing Magazine, Artists Network and more. The online courses and workshops he produces at MyMarketingCourses.com include the most comprehensive art marketing training available for artists.
"Thank you for the excellent instruction you provided for us sculptors at the 2017 Loveland, Colorado Sculpture in the Park artist's seminar. Because of your presentation, I was able to sell 60% of the sculpture that I brought to sell at the show."
J. Richard White
"I've been an artist in two different mediums for over 25 years. I had some modicum of success. However, since I've been reading Barney Davey's books and joined the Art Marketing Mastery Workshop Facebook group I've learned more about art marketing and found tools that consistently work…Each time I utilize your training, I learn something, and go on to make art sales. I'm very grateful."


text:
Every Child Counts
Revealing disparities, advancing children's rights
Thirty years have passed since The State of the World's Children began to publish tables of standardized global and national statistics aimed at providing a detailed picture of children's circumstances.
Much has changed in the decades since the first indicators of child well-being were presented. But the basic idea has not: Credible data about children's situations are critical to the improvement of their lives – and indispensable to realizing the rights of every child.
Data continue to support advocacy and action on behalf of the world's 2.2 billion children, providing governments with facts on which to base decisions and actions to improve children's lives. And new ways of collecting and using data will help target investments and interventions to reach the most vulnerable children.
Data do not, of themselves, change the world. They make change possible – by identifying needs, supporting advocacy, and gauging progress. What matters most is that decision-makers use the data to make positive change, and that the data are available for children and communities to use in holding duty-bearers to account.


text:
Emily O'Neil hopes to increase diversity and improve Title IX training as student trustee
March 3, 2015
Affordability of education, Title IX protection and the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body are the three main components of Emily O'Neil's SGA campaign platform for student trustee.
The junior economics major and women, gender and sexuality studies minor is the only female candidate running for the trustee position.
O'Neil joined the SGA as a senator her sophomore year. She's currently the chair of the Diversity and Student Engagement Committee.
As student trustee, O'Neil hopes to build student power. She plans to hold monthly town hall events and weekly office hours in places that are easily accessible to students, like Earthfoods Café or the W.E.B. DuBois Library. Here, she said she will listen to student concerns and seek to understand what students need from the University.
"You're representing every student in the University, not just ones that are like you. That's important to remember," O'Neil said. "It's important for the student trustee to expand outside of the SGA, since that's not usually representative of the university as a whole."
O'Neil hopes to build a strong online presence so students feel she's easy to reach. This will include a website where students can voice concerns or give feedback, in case they don't attend a town hall meeting.
The governing document of the SGA is called the Wellman Document, which says the administration needs to consult the SGA when it wants to institute new policies that affect things students pay for or things that directly affect the students, for example, the recent policy regarding admission of Iranian national students.
According to O'Neil, that doesn't really happen, or at least not as often as it should. She said the document is supposed to be updated every five years.
"I don't think it's been updated since 1993," she said.
In addition, while the student trustee is required to attend SGA meetings but not Graduate Student Senate meetings, O'Neil plans to attend them anyway. As the voice of both undergraduates and graduates students, she believes it's important for the student trustee to be available to them as well.
In her current position, she led a campaign to make it free for students to take summer internships for credit, working closely with the Center for Education Policy and Advocacy. She is also a member of the Coalition to End Rape Culture.
O'Neil believes Title IX, the federal law that prevents gender discrimination at public institutions, has been mishandled at UMass.
To change this, O'Neil wants to implement a Survivor's Bill of Rights so that survivors of sexual assault who choose to report the acts can know what to expect.
"Survivors often lose control of their story to the University," she said about the current policy.
O'Neil also seeks to implement an affirmative consent policy supporting a "yes means yes" standard, something that is in the works in the University of California system.
O'Neil has played a part in organizing this year's Public Higher Education Advocacy Day, which will take place March 4. Students will go to the State House and lobby for a tuition freeze, which aligns with the affordability section of O'Neil's platform.
As trustee, O'Neil will push the University to take action on the points outlined in its Diversity Strategic Plan and ask it to go further by giving extra financial support to the groups it praises as making a difference toward diversity – asking the administration to put its money where its mouth is, essentially.
She believes that this will make progress toward her goal of retaining students of color at the university, an area in which she says there is a lot of work to be done.
"Ultimately it's about being transparent to do more effectively and uplifting student voices," O'Neil said.
Eleanor Harte can be reached at [email protected]


text:
The Complete Remote Viewing and Remote Influencing Courses…
My Review!
Affiliate disclosure.
I must advise that I am an independant publisher, and the opinions and review below are my own. The links in this review are affiliate links, and I will be paid financial compensation if you purchase though these links. But, as I enjoy using these courses and my intuition has increased, I have no issue with highly recommending these courses to anyone.
'The Complete Remote Influencing System', and, 'The Complete Remote Viewing System' are both created by Gerald O'Donnell, of probablefuture.com and is designed to help you achieved meditative states to access ultimately consciousness in its rawest form.
Created around 1997, probablefuture.com is aimed at allowing individuals to access their super-conscious in such a way as to enable them to receive information about their past, present or future as well as influence their own reality, all by the use of your own imagination and your intentions as well as taking inspired action.
The package can be bought as a whole or can be bought individually as The Complete Remote Viewing Training system (remote viewing essentially being able to view a destination or event outside, 'time') or The Complete Remote Influencing Training System (Remote influencing meaning to influence remotely, i.e using your imagination).
You can buy them as separate courses or both. I bought them as both.
But why use this system to begin with?
Well, by reading their numerous articles and listening to their audio's, it's pretty clear that probablefuture.com know a few things about consciousness and your interaction with it. Simply put, this whole package is a way to view or manifest things with the help of your imagination (as well as taking inspired action, of course;-). This is great for people who are into the Law of attraction, healers, or people who are looking for more information on the power of your consciousness. You buy it simply to be able to meditate more deeply, and to make your life better.
What it looks like when it arrives
When I ordered my package, it came with a big box full of the two CD boxes of the courses.
The remote influence course contains 14 audio disks and the remote viewing course contains 8 audio discs. Simply put, you put the discs into your CD player to play, and you simply listen to the instructions.
What you need to use the product
As these CD's take you into deep meditative states of consciousness, it is required that you have a Headphone set powerful enough to listen to these low audio frequencies, as the Theta Brainwave state is 4-7Hz, and the Delta State is 1-3Hz. That, as well as a CD player and a good chair or bed, so you can sit or lie down to listen to them as well.
What you have to do to use the product
For the most part, just listening to the CD's is all you need to do to get some benefit from these courses. There is the Remote Viewing Ebook on one of the CD's for you to view on your PC/laptop and likewise with the Remote Influencing course.
By sitting/lying down and being as relaxed as possible, you will be guided by Gerald O'Donnell's voice to reach deep meditative states of being.
Every CD (apart from the Ebook) contains different guided visualizations, that allows you to get deeper into a meditative state, allowing you to receive better forms of answers, as well as perform various visualization tasks.
Can anyone use this or a select few?
Believe it or not, I was a beginner when I first purchased this course, and have realised many benefits as a result of it, most notably my intuition has increased.
But it does help you to practice mindfulness meditation, as well as the ability to use peripheral vision to receive the information you may be getting. So if you are a complete beginner, don't worry, it will work, and you should be able to find peace after one session (provided that you follow the instructions), however you may need to stick with it to get some serious benefits.
How long for the results
For me, I began noticing my intuition increase more and more after the first few sessions, but everybody will be different.
For some, it will be less, for others, more. I remember visualizing as intensely as I could (which in my opinion looking back at it, is not the way to go. You just need the desire/fleeting thought), but then I was a novice at meditating, and realised that I was jumping into the deep end.
Like I said, for some people they will notice a difference after one CD, but for others, it may take a few sessions. The trick as always, is to be patient.
Any additional help/resources needed?
As I mentioned above, it is preferable that you begin to mindfully meditate first, to get you into the swing of letting your EGO go, and it is also preferable that you learn to incorporate peripheral vision during the day, which can be used to receive the information once you are in the deep meditative state.
Both of these things can be learned, so it is just a matter of time. It must be stated here, that I was new to meditating at the time (I bought this several years ago) but have gotten a lot better ever since.
I've also begun using peripheral vision in some of my day-to-day tasks, including using it during driving (peripheral vision can be good for noticing people and judging a situation, as you are also connecting your conscious mind with your subconscious when you are using peripheral vision).
I have also leaned a bit about NLP, and anyone who has leant or has an interest in NLP, will also find that their NLP knowledge will help them with this course. If you wish to know more about NLP which includes learning how to use some parts of your subconscious mind, please click here.
Will this work?
It depends if you are in this in the short or long run.
For some of the, 'instant' type of personalities, although you will get some benefit from this, it won't nearly be enough than for those of you who have a long term investment in these courses.
Simply put, if you can stick it out even after a few sessions or doing the course a few times, you will get tremendous benefit such as feeling more healthier and better intuition. But like anything in life, practice makes perfect.
No product is perfect, what isn't so great about this one?
Good question.
You do need to be able to mindfully meditate (in my opinion) to get good benefit from this course. The reason being, mindfulness allows you to reduce your own EGO'ic chatter.
You also need to be able to visualize a tiny bit as well, although don't worry if you are not a good visualizer as you don't need to be an expert.
Being in peripheral vision will help with receiving answers (in my opinion) but sometimes you may receive conflicting information, so you do need to keep practising and finding out how well you are doing in this world, i.e using a bit of trial and error.
Like I said, anybody who understands (for the most part) on how the subconscious mind works, especially with NLP, will benefit with this course.
Tips and Tricks
It goes without saying, that as this is about meditative states, you need to relax, so please do! Try not to worry about negative thoughts, as it is the feelings which take priority here.
Don't worry if nothing seems to be happening at the first time of asking as your subconscious listens to every word that is being said. I've done this course when I have been tired, and accidentally nodded of (this can happen, and is perfectly normal), only to wake up being slightly refreshed and realising the next day that I'm a bit more intuitive.
As with everything in life (driving the only obvious exception) persistence and having a playful attitude is key to getting the best out of this course, so try to incorporate those things into your life and into these course
Don't forget, your subconscious resides mostly in the right-hemisphere of your brain, with your conscious logic in the left.
This means that, as you get deeper and deeper into the meditation, you will only need to loosely visualize (if that). If you start thinking, you are still in the left hemisphere of your brain. The trick, therefore, is to go as deep as possible without thinking much at all (i.e, bounce around deep alpha and theta, by thinking only slight thoughts and then being mindful/peripheral) and then have a desire which will come from your right-hemisphere of your brain.
Put simply, try to do as little thinking as possible and just go by desire (again, based on my experience)
Now, it must be stated that this review is based on a product that I bought in 2010. Needless to say that the courses may have changed since then, and may even be in a different type of format. If that is the case, please accept my apologies for this slightly dated information.
I do highly recommend these courses as they do increase your intuition quite a lot. That, as well as that it does also promote deep peace, compassion and helps you feel healthy.
To purchase using this affiliate link, please click here


text:
WA Premier Alan Carpenter will tomorrow present a replica of the Villers-Bretonneux cross from Perth's St George's Anglican Cathedral to the Catholic Church of St John the Baptist in the Somme village liberated by ANZAC troops on the night of 25 April 1918.
The original cross, made of timber salvaged from the ruined village, hangs in St George's Cathedral, Perth. It is being taken to France for the 90th anniversary commemorations, The Australian reports.
Australian government officials expect up to 5,000 people will attend the first Anzac dawn service to be held at the Australian War Memorial, near Villers-Bretonneux, on Anzac Day.
THE Australian invasion of France for ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary of Australia's most significant victory on the Western front - 90 years ago on Anzac Day - is under way.
2,473 Australians were killed, along with 9529 Britons and 10,400 Germans, as Allied soldiers fought to retake the village after it was overrun by German troops two days earlier.
It was a Germany's last throw of the dice, after its spring offensive of 1918 had been stopped.
Henceforth German forces would be pushed back until the Armistice in November.
One of the destroyed buildings was the St Jean de Baptiste church - once the centre of village life, like so many others in the small towns of France's agricultural north. It had been pounded by the artillery shells of both sides, and was a smouldering ruin.
Also to be returned to St John the Baptist is a set of holy cards collected in 1918 by Australian soldier, Private Tom Treacy, son of a devout Catholic family from Cairns.
One was a picture of a saint, the other a prayer card used at the funeral of Villers-Bretonneux resident Francis Postel 25 years earlier, on April 8, 1893.
Treacy later posted the cards to his mother, Kathleen, in Cairns, adding a note on the back of the holy picture: "Dear Mum, I found these in the ruins of the church at Villers-Bretonneux."
Tom Treacy died on Australia Day 1939, his lungs finally destroyed by the heavy doses of mustard gas he received while carrying his countrymen out of the front line two decades earlier. He was 48.
When Kathleen Treacy died in 1956, her bible was passed on to her granddaughter, Norma Walsh, of Greenacre, NSW. Inside were the cards.
"I gave the picture card to my niece because it carried Tom's handwriting," Mrs Walsh said. "But I always felt M.Postel's prayer card should be returned."
When Mrs Walsh read of The Australian's Our Other Anzac Day tour to Villers-Bretonneux this year, she contacted tour organiser Paul Murphy and asked if he would carry the card back to its reconstructed church.
"I'm 86, and too old to go myself," she said.
"But it is the right thing to return it, and I'm very pleased that this will now happen,"she told The Australian.
The return to Villers-Bretonneux The Australian, 19/4/08)
Aussies flock to France for Anzac Day (The Australian, 22/4/08)
Villers-Bretonneux (Wikipedia)
Villers-Bretonneux (Digger History)
Villers-Bretonneux (Official website)


text:
The Pittsburgh Penguins are no strangers to concussions. They lost captain Sidney Crosby for half of the 2010-11 season and most of 2011-12 due to lingering symptoms. Now, the Penguins' other star, Evgeni Malkin, may have a concussion of his own.
In the third period of Friday night's game against the Florida Panthers, Malkin carried the puck down the left wing. As he shot toward the net, Panthers' defenseman Erik Gudbranson shoved the elite center into the lower boards causing Malkin to smack his head.
Though Malkin walked away from the impact, he is still experiencing concussion symptoms, according to Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Malkin has "severe headaches and mild disorientation."
Check out Malkin's brutal collapse into the boards in the video below.


text:
TherapeuticElement.com is an informational website that explains the services and benefits of massage.
The client was provided a CMS, booking module, and HD video production.
CMS - Wordpress | Coding - PHP, Javascript, HTML & CSS | Video - HD
Therapeutic Element is an informational site that informs potential customers on the massage services that Obele Acha-Ngwodo, LMT, NMT offers in the local San Diego area.
Facilitating health and defining a clear perspective of the advantages of massage for your mind and body was our goal for the benefits page.
Another tool we used to help with the promotions was some viral video marketing to introduce Obele to his audience and inquiring clients.
With opportunities around every corner Obele will never miss a chance to gain a new client with his booking module that updates him through e-mail.


text:
News Hub: Apple Takes Center Stage for iPad 2
MarketWatch's Dan Gallagher reports Apple takes center stage as the company is expected to unveil its iPad 2 today. Also, speculation is swirling around the possibility of CEO Steve Jobs appearing at the presentation.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
GB's ... the ... Alwaleed updating its tablet we think ... later today Dan Gallagher joins us to bring early Sanford's as go I get what can you tell us that we don't really know at this point about this tablet device ... well officially we don't know anything can Apple keeps a very tight lid on the details we haven't officially announcing in yet ... what's widely expected to be a new I pad of my Queens can have my camera near GTB videoconferencing for it ... what a lot of people are watching for is ready and you with the price began to ... I keep your old model and drop the price on their they can bring this to what now working abilities of the same price ... you know right now they have the majority of the market said publicly ... that they want to keep the majority ... and are willing to put down margins to keep it ... yet Motorola Michaeli coming out with it Zoomlion look pricey hundred dollars but this is clearly a sign that the war between Googler Apple's heating up who's got the sack races and can ... I can get market share in even though Apple has bought a headwinds Android Google platform actually is is that more popular crackdown ... I in smartphones I it's they enter a despicable wanna share a short period of time to pay none ... of you know which were heard Party analyst report you read you can aam some people say that Android's overtaken Apple in terms of market share ... but ... the point is that right now Apple has a vast majority of the existing tabla market and its question will weather and terrain that the tablets from Mota role another and other device makers ... can you make a stiff condensed matter out we haven't seen that yet and it looked like a work ... in jobs can be that this announcements one pm Eastern ... I'm the official word um I don't think there's a wide expectation he will be there are few murmurs around the media AIA yesterday in the past week to be my biggest considering it ... literally know for sure and windows and worried status is still on a medical leave so will ... see ... a day to thank for much of that coverage of the event of course und Digits and then later on ... wat Mohs Burke will give us some sense of what is to get a look like I just a tentative the staff ... still working and


text:
When Nintendo of America's President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, says that the company's latest handheld, the Nintendo 3DS, is in a "category of one," he's not kidding.
When it ships on March 27, Nintendo's handheld will be the only gaming device on the market that provides glasses-free 3D. Along with upgraded hardware and software that builds on the strengths of its previous blockbuster handhelds, Nintendo is confident that it has a "game changer" on its hands.
We have it in our hands: I've personally been playing with a North American Nintendo 3DS, along with a handful of launch titles, for about a week now. Dale North picked up his 3DS back in February when the system launched in Japan.
Settle in -- we're about to tell you what we think, and we've got a lot to say.
Getting to know the 3DS for the first time
Nick says... "My first impression of the system is that it's too small. This is coming off of using the monstrous DSi XL, of course. Size aside, I'd say this is Nintendo's best handheld yet. I think Dale's mentioned it before, but it feels less like a toy than previous Nintendo handhelds; it's easily the company's most sophisticated piece of portable hardware to date.
"The form factor is not entirely dissimilar to the Nintendo DS, so you know what to expect here. The big upgrade, at least on the controls front, is the circle pad. This mini-analog stick runs circles around the nub Sony decided to tack onto its PlayStation Portable. With your hands gripping the 3DS, your thumb sits in the perfect place to reach the circle pad for a full range of movement. The rubber material gives you a nice, firm grip when playing.
"I've heard some talk about 'loose hinges,' but I feel like we hear that every time Nintendo releases a dual-screen portable. While it may be an issue for some, I haven't had any hinge issues with my handheld."
Dale says... "The 3DS is a fine piece of hardware, though I found myself wanting a less floppy top half. I suppose there's a lot of weight there with the larger screen, cameras and electronics, though. The rest is solid. I called it 'impressive' in my unboxing, and I stick to that.
"Unlike Nick, I feel that it's plenty big enough. Users of previous DS or DSi systems will feel right at home. The new buttons are a welcome addition -- especially the new analog pad. I can't wait to finally get to use this thing in a platformer or adventure game. I love the plus D-pad and buttons, as they're very responsive."
Now in mind-boggling, glasses-free 3D!
Nick says... "While Nintendo seems to want to sell the handheld on its revolutionary glasses-free 3D capabilities alone (it's in the name!), that shouldn't be what pushes you to reach for your wallet.
"The 3D effect is, in fact, quite stunning in person. The effect is less 'things popping out as you' and more of a sense of added depth. It's almost as if you were looking into a diorama, with little people moving around and living inside a box.
"How you view the 3D is going to vary based on a number of factors, including your own eyesight (if you're wearing glasses or contacts, your distance from the screen, the game in question, and more). Fortunately, Nintendo has put an easily accessible 3D slider on the top screen, allowing you to adjust the strength of the effect on the fly. The simple fact that it's so easy to adjust is not only brilliant, but completely necessary, given how nearly every game seems to utilize 3D differently.
"Not all 3D games on the 3DS are created equal, it seems. For me, a few games were virtually unplayable -- completely blurry, some giving me a double vision effect -- when the 3D slider was cranked up to the max. Others handled it quite nicely. I noticed that this was different depending on whether or not I was wearing my glasses, my contact lenses, or nothing at all. (I'm nearsighted, so I can generally play handhelds without assistance.) Personally, I found that moving the slider up just a touch was the sweet spot -- it gave me a nice sense of depth without becoming too overwhelming or distracting.
"Of course, the question remains: is the 3D really necessary? Of the launch games I played, there wasn't one for which I felt the 3D effect truly added anything to the gameplay experience. With the exception of Pilotwings Resort (an argument could be made for that extra sense of depth making landing aircraft easier), I didn't find I needed the 3D to play any of the games. In fact, after a while, I ended up turning the 3D off entirely. It's not that I was getting headaches (a common concern, but nothing that I experienced) or even that I found it distracting. It's that after a while, I hardly notice it's on; instead, I'm more focused on the activity of playing the game itself."
Dale says... "The 3D effect is really cool, especially in some of the Augmented Reality minigames that Nintendo has included in the system. It also looks great in proper 3DS games, but not great enough for me to leave it switched on. I'm going on a month of 3DS ownership now, and I have barely used the 3D. I 'check' to see how a new game looks in 3D, and then I shut it off. It's not that I don't like it or don't feel that it looks neat, but I just find that I'd rather play the game without it. Again, it doesn't really get in the way, but I do usually feel like it's something not needed for most of the games I've played."
Battery life... or lack thereof
Nick says... "It's been no secret that the 3DS' battery life isn't quite on par with what gamers normally expect from a Nintendo handheld. The company itself says you'll get between three and five hours, depending on your usage of various functionality, like the 3D or the system's Wi-Fi.
"During my usage, I didn't have any battery issues, placing the 3DS in the charging cradle every chance I got. Of course, only using the handheld around my house has that advantage -- I can constantly charge the device, between and even during usage. Traveling with it will be a different story; most flights I take exceed the battery life of the handheld, which means I probably can't expect my 3DS to be my main form of in-flight entertainment.
"Ben Kuchera from Ars Technica actually put the battery through its paces and confirmed what we already knew: it basically kind of sucks. Still, how much this is going to impact you depends on what kind of handheld gamer you are. If you use it on short commutes or just around the house, you should be okay. While that will probably be fine for most gamers (and it has been for my own use), battery performance is clearly the 3DS' biggest problem."
Dale says... "I've been everywhere with my 3DS. Day-long trips, overseas flights, road trips -- this little system has some major miles on it already. I can safely say that the standby battery life is awesome. It's really fantastic, even with Wi-Fi on. It's the gaming life that's not as great. You only get a few hours out of your 3DS battery on the go at max brightness, and with the sound, 3D and Wi-Fi on.
"I don't feel like this will be a problem in most gamers' day-to-day life, though. The handy cradle makes your portable gaming life really easy."
Rock the charge cradle of love
Nick says... "I have to admit, I couldn't initially figure out why Nintendo bothered to include a charging cradle with the handheld. The 3DS actually uses the same power adapter as the DSi, with a similar port on its top side as well. But with the dock, you simply plug the adapter into the dock, and gently place your 3DS into the little plastic shell to begin charging.
"What I appreciate so much about the dock is its convenience in practice. I simply set up the cradle on my desk, and every chance I get, I plop the 3DS down like it's a habit. Given the battery situation, I think this was a smart move on Nintendo's part -- it really encourages you to keep the handheld juiced up, because doing so is as simple as putting it down."
Dale says... "I joked that I was going to give away my cradle in my unboxing, but I've come to love and rely on the included dock. It's just so handy!"
Shooting you in the face with my Augmented Reality games
Dale says... "Face Raiders aside (not a great game), the Augmented Reality stuff is really going to knock people's socks off. I've shown off my 3DS to many people now. While most were mildly impressed with the new display and the glasses-free 3D, almost all were really excited by the Augmented Reality cards and applications.
"The ability to overlay graphics on a real-time camera display is nothing new, but it's certainly more fun with Nintendo's touch. Seeing your favorite Nintendo characters in your real-life environment is a trip, and it really gets the imagination going for future 3DS titles. Adding 3D to the AR was a nice touch. I think younger gamers are going to flip out when they see this stuff in person."
Face!: The Mii Maker
Nick says... "I'm not a huge fan of Miis; the novelty wore off for me only a few days after I got my Wii at launch. Still, it's nice to see Nintendo trying to tie its products together with the little buggers, and they've done a pretty nice job of bringing them to the 3DS.
"Of particular note is the ability to take a picture of yourself using the 3DS camera, and having the system auto-generate a Mii for you. The results vary wildly from person to person -- I don't think my Mii (picture in this article) looks anything like me -- but it's nice for those who aren't artistically inclined. As with the Wii, the parts that are included for your Mii are varied, and with some skills and a good eye, you can make some pretty wild-looking characters."
Dale says... "I could get all camera-nerd on you and talk about lens distortion, or I could nitpick and talk about how basic the facial detection is, but that would be silly. The Mii Maker is a lot of fun, regardless of the end result. I can't believe how many people thought I was serious about my Mii complaints in the demonstration video we ran. Yes, it's not even close, but I'm sure Nintendo wasn't going for close. They were going for fun, and they succeeded."
Is that a 3DS in your pocket or are you just happy to see my StreetPass data?
Dale says... "Where has this been all along? Most of the fun I've been having with the 3DS relates to its StreetPass functionality. Being able to walk on the street and 'pick up' data from other 3DS users sounds impossible, but it works beautifully, not to mention effortlessly. Later, when you open your 3DS, you'll find that you can enjoy the Mii Plaza games, see new Miis and find even deeper interactions in many 3DS game titles.
"With your 3DS on, or in standby with Wi-Fi switched on, the system will do all the work. The 3DS will notify you of new interactions when they happen. Game-specific ones are the best. In Super Street Fighter IV 3D, you will be able to use your personal Street Fighter trading figure collection in battle, going up against the people you've passed on the street. You pick your line-up of five characters and watch them go head-to-head. In nintendogs + cats, you'll be gifted free items to use in your game, as well as pictures of other people's pets. It's like an extra social game for every game you own. They're not deep experiences, but they're definitely fun.
"This stuff is so fun that I've found myself going Mii-gathering in the real world. It's to the point now where I'll walk slowly in front of someone just to be sure that I get their Mii exchange. Some just look up and grin, like they know exactly what I'm doing."
Nick says... "I don't have quite as much to say about this functionality as Dale, so forgive me if I'm not quite as excited. While Dale spent the better part of the last month living in Tokyo with his 3DS, I've been less fortunate. In fact, seeing as how the system hasn't been available in stores this past week, there was little to no chance that I would pass someone on the street, in my car, or at the supermarket who also had a 3DS in their pocket. (Believe me, I tried.)
"Even so, I'm still not entirely sold on how successful this will be for many gamers who own a 3DS. If you live in a large commuter area like New York City, for instance, I suspect you'll probably pick up some decent StreetPass stuff. If you're in school (college or otherwise), there's a good chance you can expect a decent volume of data, too.
"But for working adults who drive to and from work, it seems the cards are stacked against you when it comes to gathering StreetPass data. For me, outside of bringing the handheld to gamer-centric events (PAX, E3, and more), I'm not sure I'll see much -- if any! -- StreetPass data on a day-to-day basis. I'd love to be proven wrong, though, because I love the concept."
Mii Plaza, You Plaza
Dale says... "I'm really enjoying the Mii Plaza on the 3DS, even though it's not quite what I expected it to be. I guessed it would be a place where I could see the Miis of all of my friends walking around. Instead, it's a visual collection of the Miis of all the real-world people I've encountered via StreetPass. It's also a sort of hub for playing the two included social games, Find Mii and Puzzle Swap.
"Find Mii is a game that sees your Mii trapped in a dungeon. The Miis of people you encounter are enlisted to spring you out in a classic turn-based role-playing game. You'll use these Miis as playable characters in your party, commanding them to attack or use magic spells to defeat sub-bosses in each of the dungeons leading up to the one in which you're being held captive. It's really basic, but it's fun knowing that everyone else is using your Mii at the same time.
"Puzzle Swap is exactly as it sounds. There are several 15-piece picture puzzles to reveal, and the only way to get pieces is to encounter others via StreetPass. The people you encounter offer up any of the pieces they've already acquired, and you do the same for them. In other words, the more people you meet, the more puzzles you'll complete. When completed, these puzzles form a 3D figure that you can view and manipulate in 3D space. I became so addicted to this game that I'd constantly check my 3DS indicator light to see if I had another opportunity to earn another piece.
"If you're a lonely person but still want to play the Mii Plaza games, you'll need to take a walk. The 3DS has a pedometer built in. After taking so many steps, you'll earn a Game Coin. These game coins can be spent on the Mii Plaza games, which will give you combatants in Find Mii, or puzzle pieces in Puzzle Swap. Note that there's a daily limit of ten coins, so you'll really have to work to build up your count. Finding friends is much easier."
Nick says... "Given my tale of StreetPass woe, you can imagine I didn't have much fun with Puzzle Swap or Find Mii. I was able to get a nice chunk of coins by taking my 3DS to the gym and running with it, but that can only get me so far. In order to get the most of these games, StreetPass data is essential.
"Oddly, your Mii Plaza will only be populated by those you've 'met' through StreetPass. Connecting with buddies via the 3DS' friends list functionality allows you to see their Miis, but those Miis won't show up in your Plaza. Nintendo really wants you to leave the house, and really wants you to go hang out in places where people own and carry their 3DS systems, I guess."
Sound Off, or "If You've Always Wanted to Sound Like a Parakeet"
Nick says... "The built-in sound manipulation program from the DSi returns here. As far as I can tell, it's mostly identical software, which isn't exactly great news. You can record short sound clips and then modify them in various ways, like adding effects or changing the tempo and pitch. On its own, this stuff is pointless outside of being a diversion; this is about as basic as audio tools can get. Sure, it's fun to record your voice and then alter it in silly ways, but this novelty only lasts for a few minutes.
"The good news is that the 3DS supports MP3 files, something the DSi did not. What this means is that in theory, you can use your 3DS as a portable music player. Problem is, the file sorting and playback is so miserably basic that I can't imagine using it as a dedicated music player. The program does have some cool 3DS-specific StreetPass functionality -- trading song info of strangers and such -- which is nifty in its own right. But considering the low cost of competent portable media players and the fact that most cell phones can play MP3 audio, this is a feature I'll never touch."
Take a picture; it'll last longer
Nick says... "The 3DS features both front- and forward-facing cameras, just like the DSi. You can use both cameras to snap photos, which are saved directly to the console's inserted SD card in JPEG format. On the 3DS screen, these images appear passable, but viewed on a PC monitor (or anywhere else, for that matter), the quality is unpleasantly poor.
"Taking advantage of the glasses-free 3D capabilities, you can also take 3D photos with the camera. Depending on how you set up your shot -- with reasonable distance between objects to take advantage of depth -- 3D photos can look kind of 'neat.' But 'neat' is about as much credit as I can give them, and when you consider the low resolution of the images, this isn't really taking photography to the next level. I took a bunch just to test out the functionality, but I doubt I'll ever be using it to document my life.
"Also missing is the Facebook integration found on the DSi, and Nintendo offers no other way to share images with others -- even folks you've added to your 3DS friends list -- from the handheld itself. While there's a chance this functionality could come to the 3DS in a future system update, it seems like a strange thing to omit from the jump."
Dale says... "Indeed, there's nothing nice about the 3DS' photo quality, and that's a real shame. It's also surprising, as the image quality on the screen -- before the photo has been taken -- is really nice. I didn't even know it would be so bad until I stopped my initial photo-taking frenzy to check out the images.
"I'm hoping Nintendo also brings back Facebook functionality, or at least some kind of friend sharing ability, as these photos are near-useless when they just sit on your SD card."
Hey, wanna swap Friend Codes?
Nick says... "Along with Miis, a friends list also comes to Nintendo's handheld. Those irritating Friend Codes are still here, unfortunately, but you have to navigate fewer menus to input them than on the Wii.
"Once a friend is added, you can see things like their Mii, the game they're currently playing, and a short 'status' message. That's about it, really. There's no way to send a message to your friends. There's no way to see their progress on games, or which games they have in their library. The list does come in handy for games that support online multiplayer, like Super Street Fighter IV 3D, as you can easily find and connect with friends in private rooms.
"It's nice that Nintendo is offering a friends list, but the included functionality does feel a bit shallow, at least when you compare it to other offerings on consoles and mobile operating systems."
Dale says... "We've been in the Stone Age so long with Nintendo systems' online functionality that I was probably too excited to see the status of my friends online on my 3DS for the first time. I feel like we're finally getting somewhere by even being able to see that!
"I don't know Nintendo's plan, but I feel like they're going to beef up the Friends functions as time goes on for the 3DS. It's still early, and there's always firmware updates."
Nintendo Handhelds: Extreme Home Makeover Edition
Nick says... "Everything about the front-end software for the 3DS is a step up from the DSi. Essentially, it's the Wii home screen, but better. From it being cleaner and better organized, to some of the software suspension functionality, everything that came before it feels like a beta in comparison."
Dale says... "Yes, the 3DS menu is very Wii-like, but only in the best ways. The Home button is great. Being able to peek in at your main menu is really cool. You can see Wi-Fi status, on-going connections, Game Coin count, step count and more at a glance, at any time. It's clear that Nintendo has been listening to gamers."
About those games...
Nick says... "Few platforms knock it out of the gate at launch with their games, but the 3DS' initial offerings seem particularly weak. And while your mileage may vary depending on your interests, I don't think there are any 'must-have' games that are hitting shelves alongside the platform, at least based on the batch I've played.
"That's not to say there aren't 'good' games; Pilotwings Resort and Steel Diver are two decent first-party offerings, and Capcom kicked it out of park with Super Street Fighter IV 3D. But it's hard to recommend running out and buying a 3DS based on any of this starting line-up; there really isn't a 'killer app' available just yet.
"The games that are available do show the potential of the handheld, though. From a visual standpoint (even ignoring the 3D capabilities), titles look stellar on the 3DS screen; it's an immediately obvious step above the DS. The analog circle pad also adds quite a bit to the potential of experiences, which is particularly obvious in the third-person action of LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars."
Dale says... "I love Nintendo and own everything they make, but I've never been happy with a system launch line-up. nintendogs + cats is still my most played game, if that tells you anything. As Nick said, there's no must-have for the system. Yet.
"That said, all the games look great. Even the half-assed ones, like Ridge Racer 3D, still look nice, and far better than any DS game before them. Super Street Fighter IV 3D looks fantastic. I'm sure there's even more in store for us. I'm really looking forward to E3's 3DS showings."
The bottom line
Both Dale and I agree that the 3DS is an amazing device, despite a few concerns and gripes. Nintendo has made great strides in both the quality of the hardware as well as the usability of the built-in software. While the glasses-free 3D technology is impressive and on the cutting edge, neither of us are entirely sold on the notion that it's going to change how we play games.
As with any platform, it comes down to the available software. While there isn't that 'OMG must have' title on shelves just yet, there's little doubt that some are coming. Just the tease of a brand-new Mario game at GDC earlier this year had us foaming at the mouth.
If you're a gamer who enjoys playing a broad range of titles, you'll eventually want to own a 3DS. The question of 'Do you wait?' is something only you can answer for yourself. At $249.99, it's Nintendo's most expensive portable to date, which might make it a hard sell. With no 'must-have' software available right now, the only thing you'll really be missing is collecting valuable StreetPass data. But if you do pull the trigger at launch, we're both pretty confident it's not something you're going to regret in the long run.
reviewed by Nick Chester