text:
Ray of Light
|Ray of Light
|Studio album by
|February 22, 1998
|June–November 1997
|Larrabee North Studio (Los Angeles)
|Madonna chronology
|Singles from Ray of Light
Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on February 22, 1998 by Maverick Records. After giving birth to her first child, Madonna started working on the album with producers Babyface and Patrick Leonard. Following failed sessions with them, Madonna pursued a new musical direction with English producer William Orbit. The recording process was the longest of Madonna's career and experienced problems with Orbit's hardware arrangement, which would break down, and recording would have to be delayed until it could be repaired.
A departure from her previous work, Ray of Light is an electronica and dance record which incorporates multiple genres, including ambient, trip hop, and Middle Eastern music. Vocally, the album saw Madonna sing with greater breadth and a fuller tone. Mystical themes are also strongly present in both the music and lyrics, as a result of Madonna embracing Kabbalah, her study of Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as her daily practice of Ashtanga yoga.
The album received universal acclaim, with reviews commending the singer's new musical direction. Called her "most adventurous" record, Ray of Light has been noted for its introspective, spiritual nature, with Madonna's vocals also being praised. Ray of Light won four Grammy Awards from a total of six nominations. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, with the biggest first-week sales by a female artist at the time. It also peaked at number one in many countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and has sold over 16 million copies worldwide.
Five singles were released from the album, including the international hits "Frozen" and "Ray of Light". The album's promotion was later supported by the Drowned World Tour in 2001. Music critics have noted the album's influence on popular music, and how it introduced electronica into mainstream pop culture in America. They also noted Madonna's musical re-invention which helped her remain contemporary among the teen-marketed artists of the period. Ray of Light is frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest pop albums of all time.[1]
Following the release of her compilation album Something to Remember (1995), Madonna started taking vocal lessons in preparation for her role in Evita (1996). She would also give birth to her daughter, Lourdes, later in 1996. These events inspired a period of introspection. "That was a big catalyst for me. It took me on a search for answers to questions I'd never asked myself before", she said to Q magazine, in 2002.[2] During the same period, she embraced Kabbalah and started studying Hinduism and yoga, all of which helped her "step outside [myself] and see the world from a different perspective".[2] Madonna felt that there was a "whole piece" of her voice left unused, which she decided to utilize for the album.[2] By May 1997, Madonna had started writing songs for the album. She began collaborating with Babyface, who had first worked with her on her previous album Bedtime Stories (1994). The two wrote a couple of songs together before Madonna decided the collaborations were not going in the musical direction she wanted for the album. According to Babyface, the songs "had a 'Take a Bow-ish' kind of vibe, and Madonna didn't want, or need, to repeat herself".[3]
After abandoning the songs she had written with Babyface, Madonna turned to musician Rick Nowels, who had previously co-written songs with Stevie Nicks and Celine Dion. The collaboration produced seven songs in nine days, but those songs also did not display the album's future electronic musical direction.[3] Three of the songs, "The Power of Good-Bye", "To Have and Not to Hold" and "Little Star", appear on the album.[3] Madonna then began writing songs with Leonard, who had produced many songs for Madonna in the late 1980s. Unlike her previous albums, Leonard's song writing collaborations were accompanied by very little studio input. Madonna believed that Leonard's production "would have lent the songs more of a Peter Gabriel vibe", a sound that she did not want for the album.[3] Guy Oseary, chairman of Maverick Records, then phoned British electronic musician William Orbit, and suggested that he send some songs to Madonna.[2] Orbit sent a 13-track digital audio tape to Madonna. "I was a huge fan of William's earlier records, Strange Cargo 1 and 2 and all that. I also loved all the remixes he did for me and I was interested in fusing a kind of futuristic sound but also using lots of Indian and Moroccan influences and things like that, and I wanted it to sound old and new at the same time", Madonna said.[2]
In early June before starting recording, Orbit met Madonna at her house in New York, and she played him the music she had worked on with other producers up to May 1997, which he felt sounded "slick".[2][3] They visited the Hit Factory later that week, where Madonna invited the producer to work on Ray of Light.[4] Orbit then sent her a tape of musical snippets he was working on, which were usually eight or sixteen-bar phrases and stripped down versions of tracks that would later be heard on the album.[3] Madonna listened to the samples, over and over again, until she was inspired to write lyrics. Once she had an idea about the lyrical direction of the song, she would take her ideas back to Orbit, and they would expand on the original music ideas.[3] As most of the instrumental demos pre-existed, Madonna worked on the lyrics and melodies while at home or while travelling.[2]
The album was recorded over four and a half months at Larrabee North Studio in North Hollywood, California, beginning in mid-June 1997, the longest Madonna had ever worked on an album. For most of the recording process, only three other people were in the studio with Madonna: William Orbit, an engineer named Pat McCarthy, and his assistant engineer, Matt Silva.[3] They started recording in Los Angeles, but the recording process was initially plagued with machinery problems, as Orbit preferred to work with samples and synth sounds, and not with live musicians. The computers would break down, and recording would have to be delayed until they could be repaired.[3][4] Orbit recorded the bulk of the album's instrumentation over a four-month period. Orbit recalls playing the guitar and having his fingers bleed during the long hours he spent in the studio.[3]
After some errors in her pronunciation of Sanskrit shloka "Yoga Taravali" during the song "Shanti/Ashtangi", the BBC arranged for Madonna to take telephonic lessons to learn the basic correct pronunciation of Sanskrit words from eminent scholar Vagish Shastri. She then made the necessary pronunciation corrections on the album.[5][6] In an interview with MTV, Madonna recalled the recording of the album, saying her business partner Guy Oseary was a helpful friend, and that after she and Orbit played him the tracks, he, to their dismay, said nothing and left the studio. "He really hates those icy strings. Right when I think the track's done, he sort of pushes us another step further. 'Maybe we should try this', or 'I really don't want to hear that'. And then of course, later on, it creeps in my brain, and I'm like, 'maybe I should have done a background vocal on that'. And then she comes in and happily does it, right?" Madonna said.[7] Orbit also recalled during an interview with Q magazine that Madonna recorded "Swim" the day her friend and fashion designer Gianni Versace was killed in Miami, Florida. He also commented that this is probably why the track has an emotional impact.[2]
Title and artwork[edit]
According to spokesperson Liz Rosenberg, Madonna considered titling the album Mantra, which she thought was a "really cool title", and she also considered calling it Veronica Electronica;[8] however, she discarded both of those ideas and called it Ray of Light, as her albums were always titled after one of the songs from that album.[9] The artwork was shot by Peruvian photographer Mario Testino on November 28, 1997 in a studio in Golden Beach, Florida. They had previously collaborated for a Versace brand collection a few years earlier. Madonna was impressed with the natural look Testino had captured, so she booked him again for the album's photoshoot. He recalled, "At 2pm she said, 'OK, I'm tired. We're done'. And I said, 'But I don't have the pictures yet'. She said, 'You're working for me and I say we're done'. I said, 'No, we carry on'. The picture she used on the cover came after that".[10]
—Madonna talking about the inspiration behind "Sky Fits Heaven" and "Shanti/Ashtangi".[3]
Ray of Light was a notable departure from Madonna's previous work, and has been described as her most "adventurous" record.[11] An electronica, trip hop, dance and techno-pop album,[12][13][14][15][16] it also contains elements of several different types of music, including house, ambient, drum and bass, rock, new wave, eastern and classical music.[17] Vocally, the album was also a marked change from Madonna's previous work; as the singer underwent vocal training lessons for her 1996 film Evita, her vocals exhibited greater breadth and range, as well as a fuller timbre. In many songs, she also abandoned the vibrato which was present in her previous work. Critically, it is said to have Madonna's most full-bodied vocals.[18]
The opening track and third single, "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", is a downtempo ballad drawing influences from jungle, drum and bass and trip hop music.[19] The title is inspired by J.G. Ballard's post-apocalyptic science fiction novel The Drowned World (1962).[19] "Swim", the second song, has a spiritual tone. She sings: "Swim to the ocean floor/So that we can begin again/Wash away all our sins/Crash to the other shore".[20] "Ray of Light", the third track and second single, is an uptempo electronic dance-pop song with strong techno and trance influences. A "sonically progressive" track,[11] it also incorporates elements of rock, with a prominent electric guitar riff. Its sound effects include whistles and bleeps.[11] "Candy Perfume Girl" has a grunge intro and continues to pair post-modern beeps and beats with old-fashioned electric guitar flare ups.[21] In the next song, "Skin", Madonna sings "Do I know you from somewhere?" in a yearning voice over the beats of an electronic orchestra.[21]
The sixth track, "Nothing Really Matters", is an up-tempo dance track which contains influences of techno.[22] "Sky Fits Heaven" focuses on Madonna's spiritual studies and her daughter Lourdes. Some lyrics include: "Sky fits heaven so fly it, that's what the prophet said to me/Child fits mother so hold your baby tight, that's what my future can see".[21] Elements of the lyric are taken from the poem What Fits? by poet Max Blagg, the poem used for a 1993 advertisement for Gap Inc.[23] "Shanti/Ashtangi" is a Hindu prayer and up-tempo techno song sung by Madonna in Sanskrit, over a driving dance rhythm.[20] The techno dance track features Madonna singing the adapted version of Shankaracharya entirely in Sanskrit with lines such as "Vunde gurunam caranaravinde/Sandarsita svatma sukhavabodhe".[24][25]
"Frozen", the ninth track and album's first single, is a mid-tempo electronic ballad which has a layered sound enhanced by synthesizers and strings.[26] The song additionally contains ambient qualities, a moderate dance rhythm during the chorus and techno-influenced beats towards the end. Madonna's vocals throughout the song lack vibrato, and have drawn comparisons to medieval music. Lyrically, the song is about a cold and emotionless man; nevertheless, subtexts have been noticed.[26] According to Jarman-Ivens, lyrics such as "You're frozen, when your heart's not open" reflected an artistic palette, "encompassing diverse musical, textual and visual styles in its lyrics."[27] "The Power of Good-Bye" is an emotional ballad which lyrically meditates on loss and longing. It was released as the album's fourth single. "To Have and Not to Hold" is about a distant lover and "Little Star" is about her daughter, Lourdes. Both are superficially vibrant but with underlying subtlety and restrained arrangements prevailing.[21] "Mer Girl", the album's final track, is a surreal meditation on mortality and the death of Madonna's mother, in which she sings, "And I smelled her burning flesh/Her rotting bones, her decay/I ran and I ran/I'm still running away."[19] "She stepped out of the vocal booth," Orbit recalled of its recording, "and everybody was rooted to the spot. It was just one of those moments. Really spooky."[28]
Release and promotion[edit]
Ray of Light was released in Japan on February 22, 1998, with an additional Japan-only bonus track "Has to Be".[29] The album was later released in the United States on March 3, 1998. In New Zealand, a box set of Ray of Light and The Immaculate Collection was released to accompany the album. It reached number 12 on the albums chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipment of 7,500 copies.[30] A promotional instore VHS compilation titled Rays of Light was released in the United Kingdom in 1999, compiling all the music videos to all five singles from the album. All five videos were later included on the compilation The Video Collection 93:99 (1999).[31] "Sky Fits Heaven" was released as a promotional single in the United States. It peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.[32]
To promote the album, Madonna made a number of televised appearances and live performances of the album's songs. On February 14, 1998, she debuted "Sky Fits Heaven", "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" at Roxy NYC nightclub.[33] "Frozen" was performed on The National Lottery Show in the UK (February 21),[34] 1998 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy (February 24),[35] Wetten, dass..? in Germany (February 28)[36] and the Rosie O'Donnell Show in the United States (March 13).[37] On April 27, Madonna made an unannounced appearance at the Rock for the Rainforest benefit concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City to sing "Frozen". She also joined the other stars of the concert, including Sting, Elton John, and Billy Joel to perform "With a Little Help From My Friends" and "Twist and Shout" with them.[38] On May 29, Madonna appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and sang "Little Star" and "Ray of Light" there.[39] On September 10, she opened 1998 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City with the performance of "Shanti/Ashtangi" and "Ray of Light" featuring Lenny Kravitz on guitar.[40] "The Power of Good-Bye" was sung at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards in Italy (November 12)[41] and Top of the Pops in the UK (November 19).[42] On February 24, 1999, Madonna performed "Nothing Really Matters" at the 41st Grammy Awards ceremony at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.[43]
Madonna performed "Drowned World/Substitute For Love", "Ray of Light", "Candy Perfume Girl", "Sky Fits Heaven", "Frozen" and "Mer Girl" on the Drowned World Tour, her fifth concert tour, which promoted Ray of Light and its successor album. It started in June 2001 and was Madonna's first tour in eight years. The tour was to be started before the new millennium,[44] but she had become pregnant with her son Rocco Ritchie, released Music that year, and married Ritchie in December 2000.[45][46] The show was divided into five sections, Cyber-Punk, Geisha, Cowgirl, Spanish and Ghetto.[47] The Drowned World Tour received positive reviews.[48] The tour was a commercial success, grossing a total of US$75 million, and it was the top concert tour of a solo artist in 2001.[49] The concert was broadcast live on HBO from The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan on August 26, 2001.[50] The Drowned World Tour 2001 DVD was released in all regions on November 13, 2001. Like the original airing of the show, the DVD received very good reviews. The photographs used on the DVD packaging were taken by Madonna's friend Rosie O'Donnell.[51]
"Frozen" was released as the lead single from the album on February 23, 1998. It peaked inside the top five in most musical markets worldwide, while topping the singles chart in Finland, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, where it became Madonna's first single to debut at number one.[52][53] It became her sixth single to peak at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, setting a record for Madonna as the artist with most number-two hits in the chart history.[54][55] The song received critical acclaim, and was labelled a masterpiece whose sound was described as "cinematic".[19] However, the Belgian court in 2005 ruled that the opening four-bar theme to the song was plagiarized from the song "Ma vie fout le camp", composed by Salvatore Acquaviva. The ruling forbade the sale of the single and the entire Ray of Light album, as well as other compilations that included the track in Belgium.[56] In February 2014, a Belgian court ruled that Madonna did not plagiarize Acquaviva's work for "Frozen". The court spoke of a "new capital offense" in the file: composer Edouard Scotto Di Suoccio and societies Tabata Atoll Music and Music in Paris had also filed a complaint for plagiarism. According to them, both "Ma vie fout le camp" and "Frozen" originated in the song "Blood Night" which they composed in 1983.[57] After all three tracks in the case were compared, the final ruling was that the songs were "not sufficiently 'original' to claim" that any plagiarism had taken place.[58] This ruling ended the eight-year ban of the song that was in place in Belgium since 2005.[58]
The album's second single, "Ray of Light", was released on May 6, 1998. It peaked at number one in Spain and attained the top five position in Canada, Finland, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States.[53][59][60] It entered the Hot 100 at number five, becoming Madonna's highest debut on the chart ever.[54] The song was also a hit on Hot Dance Club Play chart, remaining at number one for four weeks, and became the "Top Hot Dance Club Play Single" of 1998.[61] Critically, it also received positive reviews, being praised for its club-perfect, yet "sonically progressive" sound, as well as her powerful vocals.[11]
"Drowned World/Substitute for Love" was released on August 24, 1998 as the third single outside the United States. It reached number one in Spain and the top ten in Italy and the United Kingdom.[53][62] The music video, directed by Walter Stern, caused controversy due to scenes that featured Madonna being chased by paparazzi on motor-bikes, a scenario similar to Princess Diana's death in 1997.[63] The fourth single, "The Power of Good-Bye", was released on September 22, 1998. It reached the top-ten peaks in Austria, Canada, Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom.[53][64] In the United States, the song peaked at number eleven on the Hot 100.[54] Its music video was directed by Matthew Rolston. "Nothing Really Matters" was released as the album's fifth and final single on March 2, 1999. It became a top-ten hit in Canada, Finland, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.[53][65] In the United States, it became Madonna's lowest-charting single on the Hot 100, peaking at number 93, but was a number-one hit on its dance chart.[54] Its music video, directed by Johan Renck, was inspired by Arthur Golden's book Memoirs of a Geisha, and featured Madonna dressed as a geisha.[66]
Critical reception[edit]
|Review scores
|Chicago Tribune
|Encyclopedia of Popular Music
|Entertainment Weekly
|The Guardian
|Rolling Stone
|Slant Magazine
|USA Today
Ray of Light received universal acclaim from critics.[75] Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called it Madonna's "most adventurous record" and "most mature and restrained album."[11] Paul Verna of Billboard commented: "Easily her most mature and personal work to date, Ray of Light finds Madonna weaving lyrics with the painstaking intimacy of diary entries and wrapping them in hymn-like melodies and instrumentation swathed in lush, melancholy ambience—with forays into classic house, trance, and even guitar pop. Of course, she balances the set's serious tone with chewy pop nuggets that allow her to flex her immeasurably widened vocal range to fine effect." He finished the review by calling the album "a deliciously adventurous, ultimately victorious effort from one of pop music's most compelling performers."[76] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described the album as "one of the great pop masterpieces of the '90s" and stated that: "Its lyrics are uncomplicated but its statement is grand" and "Madonna hasn't been this emotionally candid since Like a Prayer".[19] Rob Sheffield's review for Rolling Stone called the album "brilliant", but was critical of Orbit's production, saying that he doesn't know enough tricks to produce a whole album, and so becomes repetitive.[73] "Until Simply Red enlist John Zorn, or Mariah Carey works with Tortoise," Stuart Maconie wrote in Q, "she remains the only pop aristocrat who's keeping her ears open."[77]
David Browne of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "For all her grapplings with self-enlightenment, Madonna seems more relaxed and less contrived than she's been in years, from her new Italian earth-mother makeover to, especially, her music. Ray of Light is truly like a prayer, and you know she'll take you there."[69] Roni Sarig, in City Pages, was most impressed by Madonna's vocal range, depth, and clarity and called Ray of Light "her richest, most accomplished record yet."[78] Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times wrote: "One reason why her new Ray of Light is the most satisfying album of her career is that it reflects the soul-searching of a woman who is at a point in her life where she can look at herself with surprising candor and perspective."[79] In Melody Maker, Mark Roland drew comparisons with St Etienne and Björk's Homogenic album, highlighting Ray of Light's lack of cynicism as its most positive aspect: "It's not an album turned on the lathe of cynical pop manipulation, rather it's been squished out of a lump of clay on a foot-powered wheel. Lovingly teased into life, Ray of Light is like the ugly mug that doesn't match but is all the more special because of it."[80] Joan Anderman from The Boston Globe said Ray of Light is a remarkable album. He described it as a deeply spiritual dance record, ecstatically textured, a serious cycle of songs that goes a long way toward liberating Madonna from a career built on scavenged images and cultivated identities.[14] Robert Christgau was less impressed in Playboy, deeming it a "great-sounding" but average record because enlightenment themes always yield awkward results for pop entertainers. However, he praised sensual songs such as "Skin" and "Candy Perfume Girl".[81]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United States, Ray of Light debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart on the issue dated March 21, 1998.[82] It set the record for biggest first-week sales by a female artist in Nielsen SoundScan era at that time with 371,000 copies sold.[82] However, the album was not able to top the soundtrack album of the motion picture Titanic, becoming Madonna's fifth album to peak at the runner-up position.[83] During the second week, the album sold 225,000 copies and was still kept off the top spot by the soundtrack.[84] On March 16, 2000, the album was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of four million units of the album.[85] Madonna became the first female artist to have seven multi-platinum studio albums by RIAA.[86] According to Nielsen SoundScan, Ray of Light had sold 3.891 million copies in the United States as of December 2016.[87] This figure does not include units sold through clubs like the BMG Music, where the album sold over 459,000 copies.[88] In Canada, the album debuted at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart with first week sales of 59,900 copies.[89] It was later certified seven times platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA) for shipment of 700,000 copies.[90] The album also achieved commercial success in Oceania, debuting at number one on the albums chart in Australia and New Zealand. It was certified triple platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and platinum by Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) for shipments of 210,000 and 15,000 copies respectively.[91][92]
In the United Kingdom, Ray of Light debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, remaining at the top spot for two weeks.[93] It was certified six times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 1.8 million copies.[94] In France, the album entered the albums chart at number two, staying there for seven weeks before descending the chart.[95] It was certified three times platinum by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) for shipments of 900,000 copies.[96] Actual sales of the album in France stand at 925,400 copies.[96] In Germany, the album reached number one on the Media Control Charts and remained there for seven weeks.[97] It remains Madonna's best-selling album in Germany with three times platinum certification from Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) for shipment of 1.5 million copies.[98] Due to its commercial success in European countries, the album ultimately topped the European Top 100 Albums chart[99] and was certified seven times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for sales of seven million copies, becoming the third best selling albums in Europe for the 1998-2007 period.[100][101] Ray of Light achieved similar success in the rest of world, topping the official charts of Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Norway, Singapore, Spain and Switzerland.[59][95] It was the best-selling album from Warner Music company in the Asia-Pacific region during the 1998.[102] In total, Ray of Light has sold over 16 million copies worldwide.[103][104]
At the 41st Annual Grammy Awards, Ray of Light received four awards out of six nominations.[105] The album won Best Pop Album and Best Recording Package, and was nominated for Album of the Year, while the title track won Best Dance Recording and Best Short Form Music Video, and was nominated for Record of the Year.[106] The album gave Madonna her first musical Grammy of her career as previously she only won in the video category. Madonna also became the biggest winner of the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, winning six awards from nine nominations.[107] "Frozen" won Best Special Effects; "Ray of Light" won Best Choreography, Best Direction, Best Editing, Best Female Video and Video of the Year, and was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Dance Video and Breakthrough Video. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored Madonna two awards of Most Performed Song for "Frozen" and "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Pop Music Awards,[108] as well as Top Dance Song for "Ray of Light" at the 1999 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.[109]
Ray of Light also gave Madonna several trophies from various international award shows—including two Danish Grammy Awards for Best International Album and Best International Female Vocalist from IFPI Denmark,[110] a Fryderyk award for Best Foreign Album from Związek Producentów Audio Video (ZPAV) in Poland,[111] a Golden Giraffe Award for International Pop Album of the Year from Mahasz in Hungary,[112] two Porin awards for Best International Album and Best International Video ("Frozen") in Croatia,[113] and two Rockbjörnen awards for Best International Album and Best International Artist in Sweden.[114]
In Canada, Madonna won Best International Video for "Ray of Light" at the 1999 MuchMusic Video Awards and was nominated for Best Selling Album (Foreign or Domestic) at the 1999 Juno Awards.[115][116] She also received Best Female and Best Album trophies at the 1998 MTV Europe Music Awards.[117] At the 14th annual International Dance Music Awards, Madonna won Best Dance Solo Artist and Best Dance Video for "Ray of Light".[118]
Impact and legacy[edit]
Ray of Light has been credited for bringing electronica music into global pop culture. The Los Angeles Times noted that "aside from occasional breakthroughs such as Fatboy Slim, electronica wasn't totally mainstream fare when Madonna released Ray of Light."[119] Until the album brought the genre to the top of music charts, according to author J. Randy Taraborrelli, "techno and electronica had, for years, been the music played at so-called raves, hugely popular, illegal underground parties taking place in abandoned warehouse and deserted areas on the outskirts of town all around the world."[120] AllMusic editor Liana Jonas stated that the album's title track has "brought mainstream attention to electronica music, which ascended from its underground status to wild popularity in the early 21st century."[121] The Observer's writer Daryl Deino called Ray of Light "a risk-taking album that helped define mainstream electronic dance music."[122]
Elliott H. Powell in an American Studies for New York University observed that Ray of Light made South Asian culture accessible to the American public in the 1990s.[123] Rhonda Hammer and Douglas Kellner in their book Media/cultural Studies: Critical Approaches recalled that "the phenomenon of South Asian-inspired femininity as a Western media trend can be traced to February 1998, when pop icon Madonna released her video "Frozen"." They explained that "although Madonna did not initiate the fashion for Indian beauty accessories [...] she did propel it into the public eye by attracting the attention of the worldwide media."[124]
According to Taraborrelli, the album has been hailed as bold and refreshing in contemporary music of the late 1990s, which was dominated by boybands and teenage artists such as the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.[125] Larry Flick from Billboard said that the album "not only provided the chameleon-like artist with her first universally applauded critical success, it has also proved that she remains a vital figure amongst woefully fickle young audiences."[126] Music critic Lucy O'Brien commented: "1998's Ray of Light certainly rehabilitated Madonna's image. Up to that point she had still been written off as an average pop glamour girl who got lucky, but with this record she reached a whole new audience, proving that she was a good songwriter with an intensely productive talent."[127] Mary von Aue from Stereogum stated that "Ray of Light reestablished Madonna as a groundbreaking artist."[128]
Ray of Light has been featured on numerous critics' lists of greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine placed the album at number 367 on the list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[129] In September 2020, an updated edition of the Rolling Stone list was published, showing the album rising 145 spots, at number 222.[130] In 2001, a quarter of a million music fans on VH1 voted Ray of Light as the 10th of "100 Best Albums of All Time".[131] In 2003, Ray of Light was allocated at number 17 on Q magazine readers' list of "100 Greatest Albums Ever".[132] The album is also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[133] Mojo magazine also listed Ray of Light at number 29 on "100 Modern Classics: The Greatest Albums of Our Lifetime".[134] In 2013, the album was also included at number 241 on NME magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[135] British singer Adele named Ray of Light as "one of the chief inspirations" for her third studio album, 25 (2015).[136] Madonna herself considered Ray of Light the most fulfilling evolution of her career.[137]
Track listing[edit]
|"Drowned World/Substitute for Love"
|"Ray of Light"
|"Candy Perfume Girl"
|"Nothing Really Matters"
|"Sky Fits Heaven"
|"The Power of Good-Bye"
|"To Have and Not to Hold"
|"Little Star"
|"Mer Girl"
|Total length:
|"Has to Be"
|Total length:
Additional notes[138]
- "Drowned World/Substitute for Love" contains a sample of "Why I Follow the Tigers", as performed by the San Sebastian Strings.
- "Shanti/Ashtangi" adapted from text by Shankaracharya, taken from the Yoga Taravali. Additional text: Traditional, Translation by Vyass Houston and Eddie Stern.
- "Mer Girl" contains an interpolation and elements from "Space" performed by Gábor Szabó.
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is adapted from the album's liner notes.[138]
Weekly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
Certifications and sales[edit]
|Certified units/sales
|Argentina (CAPIF)[183]
|Australia (ARIA)[91]
|3× Platinum
|Austria (IFPI Austria)[184]
|2× Platinum
|Belgium (BEA)[185]
|Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[186]
|Canada (Music Canada)[90]
|7× Platinum
|Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[187]
|France (SNEP)[189]
|3× Platinum
|Germany (BVMI)[98]
|3× Platinum
|Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[190]
|Japan (RIAJ)[192]
|2× Platinum
|Netherlands (NVPI)[193]
|3× Platinum
|New Zealand (RMNZ)[92]
|Norway (IFPI Norway)[194]
|2× Platinum
|Poland (ZPAV)[195]
|2× Platinum
|Spain (PROMUSICAE)[59]
|3× Platinum
|Singapore (RIAS)
|Sweden (GLF)[197]
|3× Platinum
|Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[198]
|3× Platinum
|United Kingdom (BPI)[94]
|6× Platinum
|United States (RIAA)[85]
|4× Platinum
|Europe (IFPI)[100]
|7× Platinum
*sales figures based on certification alone
Release history[edit]
|February 22, 1998
|United Kingdom[202][203]
|March 2, 1998
|CD, LP, cassette, mini-album
|Standard, limited edition
|United States[204][205]
|March 3, 1998
|Standard, limited edition
|September 8, 1998
|Double edition
See also[edit]
- List of albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK Albums Chart
- List of best-selling albums
- List of best-selling albums in Brazil
- List of best-selling albums in Europe
- List of best-selling albums in Germany
- List of number-one albums of 1998 (Australia)
- List of number-one albums of 1998 (Canada)
- List of number-one hits of 1998 (Europe)
- List of number-one albums of 1998 (Spain)
- List of number-one albums of the 1990s (UK)
- ^ Taraborrelli 2008, pp. 535–538 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFTaraborrelli2008 (help)
- ^ a b c d e f g h Black, Johnny (August 2002). "Making of Ray of Light". Q. 17 (8). ISSN 0955-4955.
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- Taraborrelli, Randy J. (2002). Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-2880-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Fouz-Hernández, Santiago; Jarman-Ivens, Freya (2004). Madonna's Drowned Worlds. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 0-7546-3372-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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- DeRogartis, Jim (2003). Turn On Your Mind : Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780634055485.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Gopinath, Gayatri (2005). Impossible Desires: Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures. Duke University Press. ISBN 9780822335139.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
External links[edit]
- Ray of Light at Discogs (list of releases)
- 1998 albums
- Madonna (entertainer) albums
- Maverick Records albums
- Warner Records albums
- Albums produced by Patrick Leonard
- Albums produced by Madonna (entertainer)
- Albums produced by William Orbit
- Albums produced by Marius de Vries
- Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
- Electronic albums by American artists
- Trip hop albums by American artists


text: After a 3 year break, Seattle Fashion Week is back. Tonight was the first meet and greet for the newly revamped Seattle Fashion Week. Although it was only a small sneak peek, the staff did mention the runway date of March 4-7th, their location at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and that it will be featuring mostly ready to wear clothing.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Environmental Engineering Program — FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for admission to Environmental Engineering Program
What is the deadline to apply to for the MS or PhD programs?
The deadline is February 15 of each year for the upcoming fall semester.
Can I apply for the spring semester to the MS or PhD programs?
No. Typically, the program admits students for the fall semester. However, under special circumstances (determined on a case-by-case basis), a student may be offered admission for the spring semester.
Can I apply for a PhD with only a bachelor's degree?
How do I apply?
All students must submit an online application. Also you must submit all required documents requested on the Environmental Engineering admission website.
What criteria are used to admit students?
The Admissions Committee looks at grades, GRE and TOEFL scores, recommendation letters and the student statement of purpose. To be admitted, a student must receive approval from the Committee and the Associate Dean of Engineering for Graduate Programs.
Is there a minimum GRE score?
The Quantitative + Verbal scores combined should be at least 1100 (Verbal minimum is 450 and Quantitative minimum is 650); however this does not guarantee admission.
What kind of GRE is needed for the program?
The General GRE Exam.
Is there a minimum TOEFL score?
Yes - the minimum scores are as follows:
550 - Paper Based Test
213 - Computer Based Test
79 - Internet Based Test
6.5 - IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
No exceptions are made for scores below these minimum scores.
Can GRE or TOEFL exam be waived?
All interested applicants must take the GRE. For international or permanent resident applicants, the TOEFL exam is required unless you have an undergraduate degree from a US institution.
Please see rules for exemption from TOEFL exam.
What is the Institution Code for UH that ETS will report GRE and TOEFL scores?
The code for the University of Houston is 6870; no dept code is needed. However, the department will accept a paper copy of the scores for the review process.
What about the application fee?
The application fee is $75 for international applicants and $25 for domestic applicants. It can be paid by credit card when submitting the online application or by check or money order payable to the University of Houston.
Can I contact individual faculty to help me get admitted?
No. The Admissions Committee, not individual faculty, makes all admission decisions.
What about Financial Assistance?
All qualified candidates who are accepted into our PhD program receive full financial aid. No separate application is necessary for you to be considered for financial aid.
How do I find tuition and fee costs?
For estimated costs, please review this web site.
How many full-time students are admitted each year?
The number of full time students varies each year, but typically the Environmental Engineering program admits around 25-50 students per yr.
What is the correct address to mail required documents?
University of Houston
Civil and Environmental Engineering
N107 Engineering, Bldg. 1
Houston, TX 77204-4003
ATTN: Grad. Admissions
Last Updated: August 1, 2018


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Holiday parties every weekend, traveling long distances, decorating your home. Christmas lists from the kids to Santa, Hanukkah presents for eight nights, extra time with extended family. Colder, winter weather (well, as cold as it can get in Southern California!) and endless sweet treats when we're trying to follow a healthier eating ...read more
You Don't Have to Go Home for the Holidays: How to Keep Your Sanity in Check When You Come from a Toxic Family
You may cringe every time you hear Andy Williams sing the classic, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." You're not a Grinch if you feel this way. You just may be dreading going home for the holidays. If you come from a toxic or abusive family, the feeling of obligation to spend time with them over the holidays can be enough to ...read more
Is It Time to Invite Your SO Home for the Holidays?
The holidays are upon us and you may be wondering if you should bring your boyfriend or girlfriend home for the holidays. This is one of those major milestones in a relationship, so there is a lot to consider. Elite Daily recently interviewed me about Should You Bring Your SO Home for Thanksgiving? 4 Signs You're Ready. So, if you're thinking you ...read more
How to Ask Your Parents About Dating Advice
If you're a young adult, or even a not-so-young adult, talking to your parents about dating can stir up a range of emotions from frustration, to embarrassment to deep love and respect. And with the holidays afoot, there are plenty of opportunities for these conversations. Your parents are naturally curious about your life, and dating life in ...read more


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How often do we make things out to be much bigger or harder than they really are? Or maybe you worry about what the effect of taking that bold step might be? Learn how to overcome the seemingly hard work, make it easy and take the actions you know you need to take as I break down an excerpt from U.S. Anderson's book — 3 Magic Words.
Are you looking to band together with like-minded alpha males who are looking to build discipline, regain control of your time, build wealth and ultimately live life on your terms? We have recently launched the Infinite Results Mastermind where you can do just that. If you are interested in committing to getting exactly what you want in your life then join us at the link below:
Are you looking to build rock-solid discipline? Regain control over your time? Build your bank account? Connect on a deep level with your family? If so and you're willing to invest the time, money and energy into reaching your goals checkout my discipline coaching program! I teach you the fundamental tools, strategies and tactics necessary to have discipline in every area of you life! It's by application only and I only have a few spots for this!
Get the same 'wheel book' I use here:
Connect with us here:
Zero Xcuses Facebook Group:


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Product Description
"Hatobana" is a complex harmonic sculpture featuring squealing tribal sounds and characteristic ethnic noise.
Masami Akita keeps us on our toes by offering experiments with varying instruments such as guitar, wooden percussion, violin and the unusual maranzano.
The deluxe edition includes a bonus third CD in a drawstring cloth bag with a postcard and pendant.


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STL file: http://www.geekhaus.com/makerhome/day107_sonicsleeves.stl
Tinkercad link: https://tinkercad.com/things/8BEl67GPJBF-day-107-sega-genesis-cartridge-case
Thingiverse link: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:203998
Settings: MakerWare .3mm/low in about 37 minutes on the Replicator 2.
Technical notes: We had hoped that since we found the "SEGA" and "Sonic" logos in .svg format we would be able to import them into Tinkercad without problems, but unfortunately the importing process made the insides of the letters all filled in, rendering the words illegible. To fix this we opened the files in Inkscape and did the following:
- Select image with the arrow tool.
- From the "Path" menu select "Object to Path".
- Using the node-arrow tool (under the usual arrow tool), select and delete parts of the image that are not desired. In this case there was an outline around the letters that needed to be deleted before exporting for Tinkercad. The "delete" key did not work for us, but using "Cut" under the "Edit" window did. This is not needed for all images but it was needed for both of the ones in this example.
- Save the image in .svg format.
- Import the image into Tinkercad using the "Import" tab at the top of the right column menu.


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The XperiFIX update 3.1 has just been released. With the new version there were a few small improvements and changes to the previous version. In addition, for the first time, this update has received the prepared support for additional devices whose security features within the firmware deviate from previous devices….
Update 3.0 – New design, new features, better, faster!
As announced a few days ago, I've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks working on a new version (3.0) of XperiFIX. With the new version come some changes and improvements that make XperiFIX 3.0 the best version so far. Alone the changelogs should say a lot….


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Adding an attachment
You can't add an attachment directly to your newsletter, but you can add a link to your attachment to the newsletter. For that, first upload your attachment to the cloud, for example to Dropbox or Onedrive. After that, get the link to your file and add it to your newsletter.
To add a link to your newsletter, select the word(s) in the text area of your template that you want to use to add the link (e.g. "Click here"). Then click on the link icon in the text toolbar, as shown below.
A new window appears, where you can copy the link URL. Click "OK".
Adding a video
You can add a video to your newsletter, by adding an image that links to the video.
For that, first make a screenshot of the video. You can add a "play" icon to the picture (use Photoshop, Gimp, Paint.net or some other image editing program for that). Play icons can be found for example from here.
Add your picture to the template as a usual. Then move your mouse to the upper left corner of the image, where a wrench icon appears and click on it.
The Image properties window will open. Copy the Youtube (or other video) link to the "URL" field and click "OK".
Adding a survey form
You can't add a survey form directly inside the newsletter, because most of the email clients do not support this, but you can create the form in web first and then add a link to it to your newsletter. If you already have a web survey form, move to step 2.
1. Creating a new Google Form survey
To create a new survey, go to docs.google.com/forms and click on the "+" sign that says "Start a new form".
A new window appears, where you can start adding questions. You can add questions by clicking on the "+" sign on the right of the page, and you can change the type of questions from the dropdown menu next to the question.
When the form is ready, click on the "Send" button in the top right corner of the page.
A new window appears with the send options. Choose the link option (1) and then copy the link address (2).
You can also view the Google Forms manual from here: Get started with Forms.
2. Adding the survey link to the newsletter
Open or create the template you wish to send out. Then add the link to your survey like any other link. To add the link to a word, select the word and then click on the link icon in the text toolbar. A new window opens, where you can paste the survey link and click "OK".
To add the survey link to a button, drag a button to the newsletter template and click on the settings icon of the button. Paste the link there.


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hydrated skin is happy skin
Make your skin smile with 15 of the world's best moisturizers.
love your feet
A new line of premium foot care products designed to give your feet the TLC they deserve. Crafted with advanced science and the best ingredients from around the world to nourish your skin, freshen your step, ease your pain, revive your nails and save your soles. Healthier, more beautiful feet made easy.
"Wow Twinkle Toes is a dreeeeammmm! My feet don't stank!"
"I can see the difference; my feet feel/look nice and soft and silky-smooth... No more scaring my clients away with gross, cracked and hardened skin! I am a fan."
"No more embarrassment. No more having to wear socks when i don't want to. I love me some Twinkle Toes."
"This stuff is amazing. I keep using it. My boyfriend keeps using it. We love the smell of it."
How does this happen?
is hard on your feet
Temperatures in your shoes can soar to over 100°, causing constant moisture loss in your feet.
Over 1 billion bacteria & 100 types of fungus can latch onto your feet each day, leading to odor & infection.
With each step, 1000lbs of force compress 7000 sensitive nerve endings, leading to calluses & sore, strained muscles.
What does this cause?
is hard on your feet
Shoes often rub back & forth on your skin more than 5000 times a day, causing painful, unattractive blisters.
Downward angles & constrained spaces squeeze your toes into 50% less space, leading to damaged nails & calluses.
What does this cause?
is hard on your feet
Micro-ridged skin acts like a sponge, collecting dirt, sweat, oil, bacteria & fungus from every surface you touch.
Hot, cold and dry weather can each dry out your foot's extra-thick skin, leading to painful cracks & dead layers.
What does this cause?
is hard on your feet
Help Your Feet Keep Up With Your LifeRoutineWorkDance BreakNamaste
Whether you're lawyer-ing, marathon-ing, red carpet-ing, dance floor-ing, CEO-ing or supermom-ing, life is more enjoyable and carefree when your feet look and feel their best. It's our mission to make perfect foot health and beauty easy. And to help make foot-pampering a more regular part of your life. You and your feet certainly deserve it.


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Peaches Geldof had reportedly not seen her father Bob for weeks before she died aged 25.
Peaches is said to have been distant from her dad in for weeks before she died suddenly on Monday.
A source close to the family told the Mirror: 'It makes it even harder for Bob. They had ups and downs but he loved Peaches more than anything.'
Police have said her death is 'not considered suspicious but is unexplained'.
The paper goes on to say that Peaches claimed in an interview two months ago that Sir Bob had not visited her sons.
MORE: Katie Hopkins on Peaches: 'She didn't want a tweet from me'
'It really is his loss to be honest,' she said at the time.
Peaches' 11-month-old son Phaedra was reportedly found next to her body.
A source said: 'The hope is that Phaedra was so young he wasn't aware of what was going on. The most important thing is that he's OK.'
Peaches was also mother to 23-month-old Astala and wife of musician Tom Cohen.
Prior to her death she had told how she had the 'heart of a 90-year-old gangster'.


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Parents do a lot for their children and, occasionally, the children of others. This generous mom donated 5,000 pints of breastmilk to parents in need. 37-year-old Carrie Deklyen saved her baby's life — and she didn't even know it. Deklyen chose to forego cancer treatment in order to protect her unborn child, giving birth while in a coma.
Dekylen… discovered she was pregnant in April, just two weeks after being diagnosed with glioblastoma. She underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and, along with her husband, Nick, chose to forego a clinical trial in order to protect the baby.
The miracle baby was born at 24 weeks and conveniently named Life. Weighing only 1 pound and 4 ounces at birth, Life has progressed immensely, according to doctors. Unfortunately, they couldn't say the same for Dekylen.
Dekylen's tumor was showing rapid growth, and doctors were forced to drain fluid from her brain several times. Doctors had hoped to delay delivery until 28 weeks gestation, but a decline in both Life and Dekylen's health had forced them to act earlier.
Alongside Life, Dekylen will be survived by five other children. As proven by Dekylen, nothing compares to a mother's love.


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Daughter of Ava and Leo A.
Hi Tracey, Just had a look, made me very sad but thank you. Would kill for another tonkinese but not fair to such a curious natured cat while we live on the road we live on. :( Miss Milo so much, he would've
been 18 months old now. Thanks Tracey. Deb


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Our good deals
Not to be missed
History and Heritage
Sport and Mountains
The Crossroads of Tourist routes
With the family
Our region
Audio guides
Le Pays Rhin Vignoble Grand Ballon
Les visites virtuelles
Noël à Guebwiller en Alsace
Bed and Breakfasts
Holiday rentals
Groups and Mountain shelters
Camper van sites
Hébergement insolite au pied du Grand Ballon
Programme of events
Places to visit
Leisure activities
Outdoor activities
In winter
Guided visits
Practical information
Depending on the weather
Around and about
Book your activities
Farms and inns
Pâtissiers, salon de thé
Local products
Les vins d'Alsace
Half-day visits
Day visits
All inclusive holidays
Small group special offers
Specific request
Wuenheim is a very pleasant village that stretches from a small valley to the plain at the foot of the Vieil Armand mountain, close to the towns of Soultz (2km) and Guebwiller (7km). Located at 320 metres above sea level on the tourist itinerary of the wine route, the Wuenheim owes its growth to wine making. 75% destroyed during the First World War due to its proximity to the Vieil-Armand (Hartmannswillerkopf) battlefield, this community has made return to a peaceful existence and provides visitors with a friendly welcome with its many departure points for MTB and hiking trails. Its wine museum is an important stop in discovering the wine-making heritage of the region. Here visitors can see how the working methods and tools for winemaking evolved from 1900 to the present. And why not follow up with a stroll along the wine-growers' trail at Wuenheim and learn about wine-making methods and the different grape varieties during this educational walking tour.
The Musée du Vigneron and the boutique The wine footpath of Soultz-Wuenheim Château d'Ollwiller (XIIIth s.) and the tiling factory Hiking circuit: The Vallon du Col Amic Hiking circuit: The vineyard path of Wuenheim MTB circuit: Hartmannswiller circuit MTB circuit: Saint Anne circuit MTB circuit: Stork circuit Farm market Wine route Wine cellars, tastings Events, excursions, activities: consult the events calendar
Accommodation (camping, inns, vacation rentals) and restaurants
Tourism packages: guided visit of the Soultz-Wuenheim vineyard path in summer with the Cave du Vieil-Armand, independent visit of the wine path with markers, independent visit of the wine path with map (available at the Tourist Office) Practical services: accommodation (camping, guest houses, vacation rentals) and restaurants Recreational equipment for children: playground, football field, bowling alley Amenities/related services: free parking for cars, regular bus service
New wine festival at Wuenheim
At the beginning of autumn, the harvest period provides the opportunity to taste the new wine, the famous "Neier Siasser" ("Neier": new, "Siasser": sweet), a drink somewhere between grape juice and wine. It is sampled with nuts and cured ham accompanied by country bread during this festive weekend that is held at the end of September at Wuenheim. A must-see is the guided visit of the wine trail and the folk parade with carts accompanied by the new wine distributed by participants of the procession. Traditional restaurant services onsite with musical accompaniment.
Other activities: see the activity guide
Key figures
GUEBWILLER Tourist Office 45 rue de la République - 68500 GUEBWILLER Tel.: 00 33 (0)3 89 76 10 63 Fax: 00 33 (0)3 89 76 52 72 Email: email@example.com


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Cesc Fabregas's switch to Chelsea has not gone down well with Arsenal fans at all.
The Barcelona midfielder , who was idolised by Gunners fans , became the Blues' second signing of the summer on Thursday when he he completed a £27m transfer.
Speaking after sealing a five-year deal with the Stamford Bridge side, the Spain international claimed that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had the chance to buy him, but declined.
He said: "I do feel that I have unfinished business in the Premier League and now is the right time for me to return.
"Yes, everyone knows that Arsenal had the first option to sign me. They decided not to take this option and therefore it wasn't meant to be. I wish them well in the future."
With Arsenal fans taking to Twitter to give their thoughts on the move, we've rounded up some of the angriest and funniest from around the web.


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Laura Talcott, Licensed Salesperson
Email: email@example.com
Cell: 315-729-3888
I am greatly appreciative of Laura Talcott, I believe she went above and beyond the call of duty, she was always available to answer any questions I had. I believe because of her, she got us a great buyer and a closing that was short and easy, thanks only to her.
Laura was very accommodating and helpful during the home buying process. I have physical limitations with mobility & my needs were a high priority. If Laura didn't have an answer to my question she made sure she found me an answer using various outlets.
– Dee
We found Laura to be very professional, willing to help us and to promote our rental property in the best way. She was very prompt and efficient. We will defiantly use her for our future real estate needs.
– Pat
Good communication and follow up throughout the entire buying process.


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Helloday.tv: The best music video discovery I've seen yet.
Being the self-proclaimed music junkie that I am, when I stumble across a cool music-featured site, I feel the need to share it with you. Helloday.tv is indeed one of those sites and you should check it out whether you're saying hello or goodbye to your day.
Much like what we've seen with other music video discovery sites, Helloday.tv simply asks you to pick the genre of music that you want, and then it starts your own video version of something like Last.FM or Pandora.
So what caught my attention? First off, the design. Helloday.tv is beautifully done and worked like a charm with any browser in which I tested it. The videos that are available appear to be of exceptional quality, compared to the typical YouTube releases that we see. In many cases, the YouTube-reliant services will simply take the highest-rated video, even if it's just a picture and the song. Helloday.tv hasn't thrown me any of these results yet. Where ever the site is getting its content, it appears to be top-notch.
So take a look at the video, then go watch some videos. Helloday might not change your life, but it certainly will brighten your day.
Read next: World's first music video shot using the iPad 2 [video]


text: Housed inside the Dutchess Plaza Building in the city's bustling Thonglor district, Escudo is a two-story nightclub offering clubgoers two distinctive nightlife experiences. Patrons on the first floor are immersed in the traditional nightclub atmosphere with a DJ playing current hip hop music. The second floor offers a more subdued environment characterized by house music. A popular destination among Bangkok's jet-set crowd, the club has ample opportunities for dancing. Liquor is served, and whiskey based drinks always prove a popular choice.


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Call for Artists
Accepted Artists
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Ink and Pen
Black ink on white paper may seem to be the wrong medium to create an image of fall leaves . But what I tried to do when drawing "November" is to manipulate values, shapes, and patterns to suggest that time of year when the veil between life and death is most sheer. If I have been successful, viewers will be in touch with the gentle melancholy of the season. The absence of color will heighten the effect. The shapes of leaves will work their magic.


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Clodiagh Gaels and Ballinamere/Durrow honoured at Offaly Convention
Clodiagh Gaels receives their award. Pic Twitter: @offaly_gaa
Clodiagh Gaels and Ballinamere/Durrow were the two clubs honoured at the Offaly GAA Convention on Tuesday.
Clodiagh Gaels were chosen as the Club of the Year after their tremendous achievements in 2016 and Ballinamere/Durrow were selected as the Underage Club of the Year for an equally outstanding season
Ballinamere/Durrow receives their award. Pic Twitter: @offaly_gaa


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Formula of Love
Did you know that love can be considered a chemical process? Indeed, even at the sight of a loved one in the body chemical reactions! Responsible for these processes are hormones that are produced in the body, depending on the particular situation. We'll talk more about them and try to understand what makes a woman a woman and a man a man and what gives them the ability to love.
Male sex hormone is testosterone, and women - estrogen. They form a purely male and purely female behavior.
And when we see that a woman is more like a man temperament or movements, we say that it has too many male hormones. Testosterone makes a man manly and estrogen a woman - feminine..
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One of the main objectives of the health care system is that the demand is filled as well and efficiently as possible within the health budget. There must be a balance between the demand and supply of care. Not only the quantity, but also the quality of healthcare supply should match the demand for care. Based on the demand for care, the wishes and claims of the population, and existing (international) medical content standards a (minimum) quality standards should therefore be drawn up. The preference is for the legal recording of this standard. An example of this is the Quality Act of Care Institutions (Kwaliteitswet Zorginstellingen) in the Netherlands.
To ensure that the population can count on care that meets or exceeds the quality standards, it is essential to set up a quality system with measurable indicators. On the basis of quality standard, measurable quality indicators for structure, processes, outcomes and patient satisfaction are developed which are appropriate to the local situation.
It is important that these indicators are also assessed on the basis of an assessment framework. It is important that a monitoring program is annually draws up on the basis of which the Inspection for Public Health can test the quality and safety in health care.
ACSION can support in all aspects of setting up a quality system.
Examples: SXM


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5 Key Ingredients to an Irresistible LinkedIn Profile (Hint: Use a Professional Profile Photo)
The photo you choose to use for your social media profile image sends a strong message about who you are. If your profile photo is in a casual circumstance then it doesn't come across as professional. And worse than having a bad photo is having no photo at all.


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Welcome to ScheningCreative, a graphic design & illustration firm. The images on this site represent a selected sampling of our graphic design and illustration work. Please browse the various sections of the site, and feel free to contact us with any questions you may have concerning the work, the website, or our availability to help you with any upcoming projects. More about ScheningCreative.
Download a printable portfolio (10.2MB high-res PDF)(2.7MB low-res PDF).
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Email me.


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A leader with a strong background in building remote teams, coaching, guiding performance, and monitoring development. Excels at independently designing and building amazing products and services. Strong believer in innovation and constant learning. Can develop the full-stack, from programming, database design and maintenance, to server management and operations.
Adam Brown
Full-time, Remote, and Contract
Ithaca, NY 14850
Texas Bitcoin Conference 2014 Hackathon
CryptoCurrency Certification Consortium
Ithaca, NY
Creating and supporting standard and bespoke applications for the Computer Science department.
London, UK (Remote)
Primary developer and equity partner of CoinMall.io, the Bitcoin Marketplace for Digital Goods.
Ithaca, NY
Currently a Startup Factory that builds and sells turnkey websites and startups. In earlier years, it performed contract and consulting work.
Austin, TX
Service that sold gift cards for gaming and media platforms in exchange for Bitcoin. Retired when the primary product, Steam Wallet Codes, became obsolete because the Steam platform started accepting Bitcoin directly.
Austin, TX
Contributed to the core code-base of an advanced p2p payments platform and a credit card payment processor. Designed database schema, picked and implemented Laravel framework, designed the encryption methods and procedures, and implemented the basics of that security.
Austin, TX
Built the infrastructure to power a new generation of Authentication Providers to allow businesses to utilize Zero Knowledge Identity Verification. Goal was to allow users to prove their identity to an identity provider once and not have to prove it again to any websites that accepted the BlockAuth compatible logins. Benefits to business partners included guarantees that users were real people, unique, and meet any legal requirements to use the service. Recipient of $250,000 BitAngels.co Angel Investment.
Austin, TX
Responsible for implementing methods to keep 500+ client machines and 30+ servers up-to-date and operational, monitoring network and server health, prevention of virus and malware outbreaks, and investigating improvements to procedures and technology using current best practices.
Austin, TX
Created offsite data backup systems, Kept all workstations and servers up to date, Created and maintained company website, Implemented SEO and social media outreach programs, Created custom appointment and proposal system, Used new technologies to reduced time to create customer bid by 75%
I generally don't like phone calls. Please send me an email.


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Kids more likely to be active if their friends are
(CBS News) Letting your child hang out with his or her friends may provide more than emotional benefits: It could also boost your kid's health.
A new study in the May 28 issue of Pediatrics shows that kids who interact with active children are more likely to exercise themselves. Starting fitness habits earlier in life also means that these youngsters could be steered on a path to avoid obesity.
"These results suggest that friendship ties play a critical role in setting physical activity patterns in children as young as 5 to 12 years," the researchers wrote in the study.
Researchers analyzed data from 81 school-aged children between 5 and12 who participated in after-school programs. Surveys were given to determine each subject's social network, and accelerometers were used to measure physical activity for 12 weeks.
Children did not form or end friendships based on their original physical activity levels, according to the study - instead, their friendships influenced how moderately or vigorously active they were.
Kids routinely adjusted their average activity levels 10 percent or more to mimic the activity levels of their friends. They were also six times more likely to adjust to their friends activity levels than not, and would not end friendships just because their friends were more or less active than they were. The child's obesity status had very little effect, and gender had no effect on the activity levels.
"We see evidence that the children are mirroring, emulating or adjusting to be similar to their friends," Sabina Gesell, a research assistant professor in pediatrics at the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, told TIME. "And that's exciting because we saw meaningful changes in activity levels in 12 weeks."
Scientists told TIME that they see this effect as a potentially inexpensive way to help keep kids active. This is especially important since childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percentage of American children between the ages of 6 to 11 who were obese increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 20 percent in 2008. For those between the ages of 12 to 18, the percentage increased from 5 percent to 18 percent in the same time period. The study may show that instead of organizing an expensive exercise program, putting less active kids in social groups with more active ones might be more effective.
"Network-based interventions hold the potential to produce clinically significant changes to children's physical activity," researchers wrote in the study.


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Duncans Mills Solar Customer Reviews
I looked into Duncans Mills solar energy services before and talked to several different companies. Then I went online and entered, 'Best solar company' and Horizon came up so I contacted them. They have great software that takes a Google photo or to the house. Then they show exactly what the place that will be. They can put a plan together after they access the Southern California Edison, the averages of what it costs me and so that was fairly quick. They offered a good finance package which the interest rate was decent and brought a payment that was like 25 years finance payment of like $155, which if averaging that, my bill with Southern California Edison was like $240 so that was savings to me.
Horizon was a wealth of information about solar roof panels in the Duncans Mills area. We've just signed our contract with Horizon. I am looking forward to working with Horizon Solar going forward.
Looking For Duncans Mills Commercial Solar?
We custom-design a Commercial Horizon Solar Power Energy System to meet your specific power needs in Duncans Mills now and into the future. It's just a brighter way to do energy.


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Introduction to Designs
QualitySolicitors Jackson & Canter
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM (BST)
Event Details
CPD 3 Hours per module or 12 for the course SRA
Speakers: Jane Lambert and Dr. Peter Groves
Venue Morgan Cole, Buxton Court, 3 West Way, Oxford, OX2 0SZ
Fee £120 + VAT per module or £400 + VAT for the whole course
This is one of the modules of our Introduction to Intellectual Property course.
The course to intended to equip the solicitor or barrister who does not claim expertise in intellectual property law with the basics to represent a party to an infringement claim or negotiate a licence or distribution agreement. It will therefore be useful not only to a general or commercial practitioner or litigator but also to someone who intends to specialize in intellectual property but has not yet had much experience of the work.
When & Where
Morgan Cole
Buxton Court
3 West Way
OX2 0SZ Oxford
United Kingdom
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 from 2:00 PM to 5:15 PM (BST)
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QualitySolicitors Jackson & Canter
QualitySolicitors Jackson & Canter is a trading name of Jackson & Canter LLP, a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales with registered number OC344013 and its Registered Office is at 88 Church Street, Liverpool L1 3AY. A list of members is open to inspection at the Registered Office. It is also regulated by the Ministry of Justice in respect of regulated claims management activities; its registration is recorded on the website www.claimsregulation.gov.uk, number CRM15051
A solicitors practice regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority No. 511448


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Pay Scale for a Kitchen Designer
Kitchen designers specialize in renovating, planning and overseeing the building of kitchen spaces. They also put together the aesthetics of kitchens, aiming to blend their clients' personal tastes in with sensible design schemes. If you're considering a career in kitchen design, you should be aware of the factors which can potentially affect your income.
Average Earnings
The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies kitchen designers as interior design professionals, which is fitting because kitchen designers are a specialized type of interior designer. The agency's data shows that as of May 2011, the mean annual income for all interior designers is $52,810, while the salary of specialized interior designers, including kitchen designers, is $52,870.
Some states require kitchen designers to become registered or licensed interior designers, but there are other professional certifications for kitchen designers in states that do not regulate the trade, such as those offered by the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Kitchen designers with professional designations and certification typically earn more than those who have no experience or training in this specific industry. The bureau estimates that the top 10 percent of kitchen designers, including those professionals who are certified, make at least $86,430. The bottom 10 percent of kitchen designers, including entry-level designers and those who have no certification, make up to $25,720 per year.
Where you live as a kitchen designer will affect your income. Even if you're located in a large metropolitan area, that doesn't necessarily mean your earning potential will increase. The five locations in which kitchen designers earn the highest salaries are Washington, D.C., Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island and Utah. Kitchen designers in these states earn $76,020, $67,390, $65,540, $62,520 and $61,770 per year, respectively.
Career Prospects
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job opportunities for all interior designers in specialized industries, including kitchen designers, will grow up to 27 percent between 2010 and 2020, which is faster than the average for all occupations. By contrast, the industry growth rate for general, non-specialized interior designers is 19 percent. The bureau attributes the better outlook for kitchen designers to the fact that being highly specialized allows them to work with a greater number of design professionals in complementary industries.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images


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