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eMedia Band-in-a-Box 2012 Audiophile HD Audiophile-Audiophile Upgrade (WIN)
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Upgrade kit from Band-in-a-Box Audiophile to Audiophile HD, complete with free hard drive.
This is the 2012 Audiophile HD Windows Band-in-a-Box upgrade from any previous Audiophile version of Band-in-a-Box. If you own any Audiophile version of Band-in-a-Box, you can upgrade and take advantage of the more than 50 new features that have been released in the new version, along with all of the extra libraries and feaures listed here. Additionally, there are more than 100 new RealTracks for you to work with. If you never upgraded from 2011 to 2011.5, all of those upgrades are included as well. That's more than 100 new features and more than 200 new RealTracks for you to work with. This upgrade ships preinstalled and ready to use on a 750GB hard drive.
- Band-in-a-Box 2012
- RealBand 2012
- RealTracks Sets 1-154: All available RealTracks, Over 800 instruments total
- RealDrum Sets 1-29: All available RealDrums, over 250 main drum styles plus hundreds of variations
- Includes ALL of the original uncompressed WAV files for RealTracks Drums
- All compressed wma files that are shipped with other packages
- Styles Sets 0-77: All MIDI Styles Sets, over 1500 MIDI styles total
- Soloist Sets 1-13 & 16-20: Over 300 Soloists, including Andy Laverne 'Artist Soloist' series
- Melodist Sets 1-8: Over 200 Melodists
- Band-in-a-Box Video Tutorial PAK
- Band-in-a-Box Songs & Lessons PAK
- 25 Add-ons for Band-in-a-Box
- Essential Riffs and Phrases Series, Fakebooks
- Master Solos Series, CopyMe, Duets
- Novelty Piano Riffs, Country Guitar Solos, and Folk Songs
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- Windows 2000 / NT / XP / Vista / 7 (32 or 64-bit)
- Minimum 512 MB RAM
- Hard Disk space: Minimum 400 MB for the main Band-in-a-Box and RealBand programs. More space is required for RealTracks, depending on which package you buy...
- RealTracks & RealDrums: 100-400 MB per set
- Pro RealCombos: 4 GB
- MegaPAK RealCombos: 11 GB
- Full UltraPlusPAK/EverythingPAK when installed to internal hard drive: 60 GB
- (another 60GB is required for the installation files when downloading the UltraPlusPAK or EverythingPAK)
- Hard Drive versions of the EverythingPAK or UltraPlusPAK do not require any hard disk space when run directly from the external hard drive they are shipped on.
- Sound card or MIDI module


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It's with great sadness that we write this blog to tell you of the passing of artist Jennie Tomao earlier this month. Jennie's art career spanned over 50 years and numerous shows and awards. She was born in New York City and attended the prestigious New York School of Music and Art. Rita Chemers started collecting her work during the 1960's and Karen grew up surrounded by the painter's masterpieces. Jennie's work has been a staple in Chemers Gallery for the last 15 years. She will be sorely missed by those of us who were fortunate enough to meet her.
Jennie's work was slow and painstaking in detail. She painted still life, landscapes, life-like flowers arranged in intricate vases, and portraits. Jennie owned every rug, vase and artifact she placed in her artwork; even the flowers often came from her garden. She didn't limit herself to just one style of painting or just one medium. In the olden days, she also produced etchings and works in graphite. Jennie's classical style has earned a loyal following of fans and collectors. We've seen so many people stopped in their tracks by one of her birch forests or Tuscan vistas. Jennie brought her paintings to life with her jewel-like colors and created an inner light with her shadows and highlights.
Jennie was exceedingly humble. She never bragged about her work, always appreciative for how much we and our clients reacted positively to her art. We don't think she knew just how talented she was, although we told her again and again.
The art world has lost a truly talented artist in Jennie Tomao. Our deepest sympathies extend to her family and friends. Jennie, we love you and will miss you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Twenty five years after Hanna Buxbaum was dragged from her car and shot in the head three times by a masked gunman hired by her wealthy husband Helmuth (inset), the Buxbaum family is still battling in court. The legal feud is over the final division of cash in a trust fund established for the six children of the London, Ontario couple. One sibling disputed the handling of the money, touching off a nasty and bitter court fight that led to an order against one of the children today.
UPDATE: A final division of the remaining assets in the estate was ordered by a judge in 2012.
The children were essentially orphaned more than two decades ago by a murderous father. Helmuth Buxbaum had his wife killed and was sentenced to life in prison two years later though, as you can see in the rambling letters he wrote to me from prison (reproduced below), he repeatedly denied having anything to do with his wife's murder. He signed off on some of his penitentiary correspondence with the child-like alias "I.M Innocent."
Buxbaum was convicted of hiring hitman Gary Foshay to shoot his wife Hanna along a highway near London, Ontario, on July 5, 1984. Buxbaum pulled over at a prearranged spot. Foshay dragged Hanna from the car, threw her into a ditch and fired three shots into her head. Buxbaum's nephew, who was in the car, and was not part of the plot, watched in horror. Foshay got life with no parole for 15 years and has since been paroled. Two years after the murder, Buxbaum was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years, after a sensational 68-day trial that exposed him as a Jekyll and Hyde creature: By day, he was a church-going community leader and successful businessman who built a small empire of nursing homes that was worth millions. By night, he was a sex-crazed cocaine addict with an insatiable appetite for prostitutes.
In prison, Buxbaum was a target of conspiracies and plots, in part, because he still had access to cash. He was injected by fellow convicts at Millhaven penitentiary with battery acid. In Kingston Penitentiary, he was part of a clumsy escape plot that was discovered by prison authorities. He married a woman he met while behind bars, Liza Dikih, but the relationship quickly fizzled when Buxbaum realized she was simply after his money. In a telephone interview with me from Kingston Pen in April 1990, at the time his first since his conviction, he lamented his romantic failure:
I'm in prison and I have to try to survive and rebuild a life eventually and she expects me to buy her diamond rings and diamond bracelets and I just can't see that at all … I thought it was love.
Buxbaum would have been eligible to seek parole in July 2009. He died November 1, 2007, of lung cancer at age 68 while still behind bars. An inquest called to review his death, mandatory in all deaths in custody, did not produce any recommendations. The inquest jury's report appears below.
If you want to know more about the Buxbaum case, there are two books on it, The Prodigal Husband: The Tragedy of Helmuth and Hannah Buxbaum, by Michael Harris and Conspiracy to Murder: The Helmuth Buxbaum Trial, by Heather Bird.


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Ryan Gosling & Eva Mendes: Day Out in New York!
Ryan Gosling and girlfriend Eva Mendes step out of a taxi while out and about on Sunday (January 1) in New York City.
The 31-year-old Canadian actor later flashed a smile as he went for a walk with a group of friends and his mother Donna.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Ryan Gosling
The day before, Ryan and Eva were spotted trying to keep a low-profile while exiting the Bowery Hotel to head to a New Year's Eve bash together.
FYI: Eva is toting around a Ferragamo leather tote. Ryan is wearing Red Wing Heritage boots.


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£10.25 unch.
Questor says HOLD
Shares in engineering and project management group AMEC have been weak of late. However, they are still up 7pc in the year to date and some of last week's fall was down to the shares trading ex-dividend. But weakness in some of its markets is likely to crimp results.
AMEC provides consultancy, engineering and project management services to its customers in the world's oil and gas, minerals and metals, clean energy and infrastructure sectors. The shares have been volatile because of the group's exposure to a number of markets that are experiencing a slowdown.
Last year, 16pc of revenues were generated in the mining sector, 46pc from oil and gas, 24pc from clean energy with 14pc coming from infrastructure work.
North America is the company's largest geographical market, where it is the leader in services for mineable oil sands.
The Canadian oil sands boom has been slowing for a number of reasons.There has been opposition to the construction of a pipeline called Keystone XL that will transport oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico's oil refineries. A decision on the pipeline is expected to come later in the year.
However, with the US coming more energy independent following the shale boom, some questions remain on whether there will be enough future demand for oil extracted from tar sands, which is relatively expensive and energy intensive to produce.
In the analysts' call following its latest trading update in April, Ian McHoul, chief financial officer, told City scribes that they could expect a "double-digit decline" in this segment.
However, the rest of the oil and gas business, appears to be doing well.
Earlier this year, management noted good strength in conventional oil and gas, with double-digit growth.
Activity in the North Sea and Gulf of Mexico remains particularly strong,
with AMEC working on a number of projects.
Then there's the mining sector. It is no secret that all the major players have been slowing spending as costs rise and commodity prices remain subdued.
Mr McHoul has noted that mining was not as weak as the tar sands business, while accepting there had been a slowdown. This was particularly the case in Australia but he said that mining operations in the US were "stable".
For the full year, management expects low-to-mid single digit revenue growth on an underlying basis.
A strong conventional oil and gas performance across the board and more modest growth in the clean energy and environment and infrastructure markets in the Americas are expected to offset reduced oil sands revenue and softening demand in the mining market.
The full-year impact of acquisitions made in 2012 will further boost revenue growth. Cost synergies from its reorganisation are expected to come through during the year.
So far, the group has maintained its guidance for earnings per share of more than 100p in 2015. However, Mr McHoul yesterday confirmed recent statements to Questor that the company expects to hit this target earlier – probably next year.
For 2014, the current consensus is 97.6p, compared with 82p last year. In 2013, management continues to expect low-to-mid single digit revenue growth on an underlying basis, with a gradual improvement in margins.
The group's order book rose to £3.7bn in April from £3.6bn at the end of December and its balance sheet remains strong, with £25m of net cash.
The shares are trading on an earnings multiple of 11.5 falling to 10.3 next year, with the prospective yield is 3.9pc rising to 4.4pc.
Questor maintains a hold rating on the shares, which should continue to find support from its cash generation and yield.


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Psalm 27: 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. 4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. 6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
Fear responds to danger by burying us beneath thick layers of self-defense, where we can only cower in shadows. Faith responds to danger by trusting God & lives head high out in the open w/ 'shouts of joy' (vs. 6).
Prayer: I refuse, O god, to live fearfully or cautiously. I name my fears one by one & turn them over to you, & find them simply trivial when set alongside your majesty. With lifted head I will live in your light & salvation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
…this morning, with much on my mind – I named (& listed out) my fears, one by one in my journal. I felt like it was an exercise in faith as I committed today (or at least simply in this moment) – to not live fearfully, or cautiously in the areas of my life that I listed, but trusting my heavenly father.


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The University of Central Florida's Tim Barker overcame the anguish of three rain delays to set an NCAA record for hits in a season with a two-run homer against the Miami Hurricanes Saturday night at Miami.
Barker proceeded to lead the Knights to a 7-6 victory over the sixth- ranked Hurricanes without the use of his bat. He resorted to his fleet feet, which earned him national notoriety this season.


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IFW Day 2 Mixed show
Moda Cadisi
p.s: Biliyorum, uzak fotolar kıyafetleri göstermiyor:(
Now we're at home with Styleseekingzurich, tried to run away from hot weather outside, just to be fresh for the evening show. Today's first show was belong to Gül Ağış, Zeynep Tosun and Zeynep Erdoğan. Zeynep Tosun was the star of the show and I really like colour palette, floaty chiffons and peekaboo underwear. The yellow baroque cape was a must have item from the whole collection.
p.s: I know very distant photos don't do the justice to clothes. :(


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Deleting spam everyday is a sheer waste of time and it sure is frustrating to see them take over our mailbox. Have you ever imagined how nice it would be, if your mailbox could identify these problem makers, get rid of them and help you regain the control of your mailbox?
To help our mailbox battle spam, Parallels Plesk Panel has a perfect killer on job:-SpamAssassin. SpamAssasin keeps an eye on your mailbox and uses efficient scoring heuristics to identify and snatch spam. In fact, it is very powerful and a much sought after filter which explains why it is popularly being used in other web hosting control panels too, like cPanel. So, as a web host, you might want to opt enabling SpamAssassin in the control panel, to give your customers , the best of deals.
How does SpamAssassin work?
SpamAssassin is written in Perl, a language which excels at pattern matching. And we know that email filtering is all about pattern matching. So, let's face it. This job is something that SpamAssassin enjoys doing!!
SpamAssassin is a content based spam filter, which uses and makes the best out of a variety of intelligent spam-detection techniques to recognize unsolicited emails. SpamAssassin later trains itself to tag such mails as spam. The spam-detection techniques that Spamassassin uses include Bayesian filtering, blacklists and online databases.
Kickstart Your Spamassassin
- Login to your Plesk control panel (https://www.yourdomain.com:8443)
- From the mail accounts page, click the email account for which you would like to configure SpamAssassin.
- Click on the Spam Filter button to enter the configuration settings.
- Hit the "Switch on SpamAssassin spam filtering" checkbox.
Well, there you go!! You are done with the initial setup. Wasn't that easy?
Make Your Spam Filter, Extra Strong
After switching on Spamassassin, you will see an option "The score that a message must receive to qualify as spam*" being set to 7. You can set your own thresholds here. So, go ahead and change this value according to your preference.
By default, the score will be set as 7 in the Plesk control panel. But, if you want your SpamAssassin to stay Red Alert, you might want to decrease the score to something less.
Remember!! The lower the score, the more stronger your spam filter becomes.
What happens to messages that are tagged as spam?
This is one common question that many customers ask us. While configuring Spamassassin, you can specify where the spam mails should go. You can either append a tag on it like "Bulk Email" or "***SPAM***" and have it delivered to your inbox or discard them before they drown your mailbox.
Eg: ***SPAM*** Order your free trial today
I personally suggest that the latter one is the best option as there is a disk usage limit for mail accounts, especially in shared servers. It is better to delete spams, so you don't risk hitting that ceiling.
BLACKLISTING - A Deadlock For Those Spammers
The Blacklisting technique is definitely a blessing to junk science. When it comes to SpamAssassin, the blacklisting option is one good way of training it to discard certain messages, based on email addresses.
From the configuration settings page, click the Black list tab ->Add addresses. In the "Email addresses" field, enter all the email addresses from which you no longer wish to receive emails and click OK.
It sure is going to be a No Entry Sign for those email addresses again. If you accidentally blacklisted a legitimate email address, you need not panic and sweat it out. You can whitelist it right away by clicking the Whitelist tab from the configuration settings page.
That's pretty much it. SpamAssassin is all set to combat those spams - for good!!
To Conclude
A bitter truth is, spam is not likely to go away anytime soon from the cyber world. So, if your customer is having a hard time battling those spam mails jamming up his/her inbox, there is no point in sulking about it. Go for SpamAssassin right way. Oh come on, you have nothing to lose, but all thoseSPAM!!!!


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Select a date to start reservation!
Ask a QuestionReserve Now!!!
Be a part of the only true off-road adventure with Kahoma Ranch ATV Tours! On the slopes of the West Maui Mountains and through cattle pastures, ride your own two-seater Polaris Ranger ATV on private roads and trails. Enjoy the magnificent views of Kaanapali Resort, Lahaina Town, and the islands of Molokai and Lanai on the horizon.
After checking in, a 4 wheel drive vehicle shuttles you to the ATV baseyard at foothills of the West Maui Mountains. You will receive a safety briefing and instruction, and then get suited up with your helmet and goggles for your adventure!
As the trail climbs higher up the slopes, you'll pass an ancient pu'u (volcanic cinder cone). The spectacular overlook across the Kahoma Valley is part way up the mountain and you can see deep into the heart of the mountains. There is a fresh water reservoir at the top of the trail. This is a historic network of diversion ditches that were built a century ago to supply water to sugar cane and pineapple fields.


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Welcome To The Internet's Fastest Growing Up To Date Directory. Find A Qualified DJ Entertainer.
Find A Qualified Disc Jockey or Mobile DJ
Disc Jockeys and DJs are hard to find. Don't take any chances when finding a DJ for your event. DJ Approved is devoted to finding you a professional that has met standards set forth by professional DJs from all over the world. If the DJ has an approved logo on their site, you know that their operations are up to date, we've checked their references, take comments and complaints about your potential DJ.
Disc Jockeys Must Be Licensed & Insured
Like any professional you hire, you want them to be licensed & insured. Before hiring any wedding vendor, be sure that they licensed & insured. Check into a few references as well.
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Matilda, Amelia, and Clementine, the first in a new line of historically inspired British dolls known as A Girl for All Time, are now available online for customers in the U.S. These 16-inch dolls are based on 500 years of the fictional Marchmont family. The dolls are dressed in authentic dress such as a velvet cloak or masked ball gown of Tudor England.
Matilda, Your Tudor Girl, comes dressed in a historically inspired costume of grey velvet with a plum kirtle, period underwear, petticoats, court shoes, a key necklace, and a headdress. The Matilda's Secret novel tells the adventure of 13-year-old Matilda as she is drawn into a world of intrigue, friendship, and even mortal danger in the court of Henry VIII. Also available are Matilda's night shift, masked ball gown, velvet cloak, and the Keepsakes and Secrets activity book.
Amelia, Your Victorian Girl, is made from durable vinyl with articulated elbows and knees. Dressed in a blue cotton Victorian school dress with striped collar and cuffs, Amelia also comes with ruffled pantalets, an undershirt, sturdy school boots, and a straw boater hat. The Amelia's Inheritance novel tells the story of how Amelia's life was changed in an instant in 1880 London. Also available are Amelia's party dress, opera cloak, and stage/ballet costume.
Clementine, Your 1940s Girl, is pre-order only to be shipped in early September. Clementine's Journey tells the story of Clementine's evacuation from London when war breaks out in 1939. Clementine's 1940s green poly-cotton dress comes with vintage daisy patterns, upturned sleeves, -a satin Peter-Pan collar, and a belt. She also comes with period underwear, ankle socks, sturdy shoes, and a hat with a satin ribbon. Also coming soon are Clementine's Land-Girl outfit; stout workboots and headscarf; party dress and underskirt; party shoes, velvet sash, and feather boa; and wool coat and beret.
Although based in the UK, the company offers a special checkout for North American customers, with U.S. prices and localized shipping from its Chicago warehouse, online at its U.S. shop.


text: We are not limited to residential Roofing but we are able to assist any business or business owner with any commercial roofing that they may have. Weather it be new construction or a re-roofing project, we can assist you. That includes any Shingle, metal, Cedar shake, coating or any low slope roof installments. We are Commercial Roofing Specialist.


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From the front cover:
In the Yatil Mountains south of Perrenland there is rumored to be a magical hoard of unsurpassed value, a treasure of such fame that scores of adventurers have perished in search of it. Find the perilous Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth and you may gain the hidden wealth of the long-dead arch-mage — if you live!
This module contains background information, referee's notes, maps of the wilderness and two cavern levels, and many new monsters, magic items, and spells. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth was originally designed for the Official ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Game Tournament at Wintercon V and contains the original tournament characters.
Originally designed as a convention scenario of almost the same title: The Lost Caverns of Tsojconth
S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth was anthologized in 1987 as part of S1-4: Realms of Horror (re-edited for campaign play), and again in 2013 as part of the S1-S4: Dungeons of Dread anthology.
The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth is a prequel to events in the module The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
Our expert panel ranks the best D&D adventures of the game's first 30 years.
See also The 30 Greatest D&D
Arms Law review by R. B. Chipman; includes review of Wyrms Claw fanzine issue 13 and Dragonlords fanzine issue
Very concise reviews of numerous "old AD&D modules" (cont'd p. 13)
Book reviews. Genre Genesis: The Literary Foundations of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons in the early AD&D
Reviews of the latest SF and Fantasy games and rule books, by independent authorities.
-The Shadows of


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About This Activity
Park Fee
Please note that there is a $2 park entrance fee to E.G. Simmons Park.
We will be having a raffle the day of the race with gift cards from several local businesses, such as You Say When, Brandon Bike Works,Tokyo Steak House, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc...All proceeds from this raffle will also go the Bloomingdale Library Attack Victim so make sure to bring money to participate!Our online registration is now closed but we will be accepting day of registrations the morning of the race from 7:00-7:30 am. It will be first come first serve for T-shirts at that time. Prices will increase to $25 for students, $30 for 5k runner/walker and $15 for 1 mile fun run.


text: Near the beginning of each year, we like to review who we, as Christian Life Church, are. This first message of the series takes a look at how we seek to be a church of balance in four key areas, as represented by the four ends of the Cross. The vertical bar represents a balance between the Holy Spirit at the top and the Truth of the Bible at the bottom. The horizontal bar represents a balance between the needs of the lost and dying world on one side, and the needs of our local church members on the other. Listen to learn how we, as a Christian, can live a balanced life.


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|The Champion By NHMS Numbers
|The Championship Four Preview
|Phoenix: Three To Watch
|Martinsville: Three To Watch
|Kansas: Three To Watch
|Charlotte: Three To Watch
FANTASY: Triangulating a Win
It's pretty standard math: if you use three points of reference, you can triangulate your specific location. Sailors have been using this technique with the stars for hundreds of year. Long before GPS technology and even before maps, those on the high seas used triangulation.
When it comes to predicting a NASCAR winner, you can't triangulate anything with the stars. Sorry, celestial fans. But, when the Sprint Cup Series visits Pocono Raceway (the Tricky Triangle), it's time triangulate for success.
Let's break out our version of an astrolabe. (I'll wait while you Google search that. Don't worry, I needed to as well.) We'll do our best to locate a few good selections for Yahoo! Fantasy Auto Racing rosters this weekend.
The Track
As referenced throughout the introduction, this track is a triangle. It's unique in that it has three distinct corners and no turn four. It's 2.5 miles around and will race somewhat like Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week due to a relative flatness when compared to other tracks.
It's that time of year when we start doubling up on tracks. Throughout the first half of the season, I talked about how the Gen-6 would be a question mark. Aside from Daytona, which is a total wild card, Pocono is the first track where the Sprint Cup Series will race for a second time. The key now is how the teams apply what they learned from the first go in the Gen-6 and build a car that's ready to win in the return to the track.
Fantasy Strategy
This track is so big that cars spread out and it's very hard to make up a lot of spots. Track position will be key, and from that standpoint, fantasy managers should pick the drivers that they expect to roll off the haulers the fastest. Bad luck will have less impact on the outcome than most other tracks.
- #14 Tony Stewart - Smoke has been inconsistent lately. He has five top-fives in the last eight races, but finishes in the 20s in the other three. Keep in mind that one of those poor outcomes was here at NHMS, when he ran out of gas while running second. I still consider him to be on his summer hot streak and he has 21 top-10s in 29 Pocono starts.
- #24 Jeff Gordon - Like a little kid making too many s'mores, this guy seems to like to play with fire. For the second year in a row, Gordon's Chase hopes are on the line late in the season, and last year, he used a Pocono win to leverage a Chase berth. He has six wins at the track and needs number seven to put himself in a position for the 2013 postseason.
- #48 Jimmie Johnson - The No. 48 has been on rails all season and dominated Pocono in June, en route to a win. It's hard to go against Johnson in this one.
- #11 Denny Hamlin - I know I pick on the poor guy each week, but Pocono is historically a great track for him. It's also the site of his last top-10, and he's had six finishes of 18th or worse since.
- #39 Ryan Newman - Fresh off his milestone win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his home state, Newman is a good choice. He has a 12.0 average finish at Pocono and finished fifth there earlier this year.
- #55 Mark Martin - The rose is off the bud for Martin. After a strong season last year, he has just four top-10s in 14 races this season. However, it's hard to ignore the 20 top-fives in 53 Pocono starts, which gives him an 11.2 average finish at the track.
- #78 Kurt Busch - I'm not going to try to figure out if I think he'll make the Chase or not, as that outlook changes weekly. What I can say is that he's finished 14th or better in eight of the last 10 races and got taken out with a dominant car here at NHMS in a ninth event. Consider that he has two wins and nine top-fives in 24 Pocono starts and you can justify starting him.
- #99 Carl Edwards - It's always hard to justify starting such a consistent driver at a track where he has less than 50% of his finishes in the top-10 (eight of 17). But, his 13.5 average finish is seventh in the field and third among B-list drivers.
- #16 Greg Biffle - The Biff finished second at Pocono in June and looked great, but I'm hesitant to steer the bandwagon. He only has five top-10s in 21 races that the track; that's a pretty dubious number.
- #18 Kyle Busch - With just six top-10s in 17 Pocono starts, the younger Busch is not a good choice at the track.
- #13 Casey Mears - Why? The question is more like: why not? There's literally very few other options. (Sorry I can't be more helpful here, but I have a hard time recommending Tony Raines or Joe Nemechek.)
- #51 AJ Allmendinger - At the beginning of the season, I thought The Dinger would be a good choice when he started, so as to save allocations on others. As he continues to get the nod in the No. 51, it appears that he might actually be someone that you'll need more than nine times. That said, there's nothing worth starting on the C-list, so he's one of the best options yet again.
- #17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - He continues to be the class of the C-list despite not having earned a top-10 in 20 starts this season. However, it's unlikely he breaks through this week after finishing 26th at Pocono two months ago and not worth the risk.
Drivers are listed by car number and not necessarily in rank order.


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by Joe Tangari
Canadian pianist Dana reason releases albums as a leader only occasionally; it's been three years since her last one, but the silence has been productive. She has a lot to say on Angle of Vision, and in bassist Glen Moore and drummer Peter Valsamis, she's chosen collaborators who are able to answer with exactly the right phrases to bring out the best in her playing.
She's also brought some of the silence of the last three years with her to the studio. Reason's original compositions, which consitute most of the album, are largely delicate and contemplative. "Unmarked" and the title track are well-calibrated indoor listening for cold, snowy days, while "Moments With Clara," her rewrite of Clara Schumann's "Drie Romanzen Opus 21," is crystalline and seems to mourn the 19th-century composer-pianist's relative obscurity.
Reason has other gears, "Paris Tango" is a playfully rhythmic piece that delivers on its title by skillfully blending the beat of tango with the airy feel of musette quoting Astor Piazzolla in its fluttering melody. "Play Ball" bounces through its verses, flits lightly through dizzying double stops and rippling cadenzas, and generally show Reason to be fleet-fingered and naturally melodic. As piano trio records go, Angle of Vision, is comfortably traditional (it would sit well on a shelf between Bill Evans and Vince Guararldi), but Reason's voice as a composer and instrumentalist is firmly her own, and well worth listening to.
by Michael Boyce
The Dana Reason Trio's recent Angle of Vision Tour performance in Bellingham, Washington consisted mostly of new material, which they were preparing to record a couple of days later at Wild Rose Artists' Studio in Oregon.
Dana Reason has an accomplished background as both a classical and avant-garde composer and pianist, working and recording with such musicians as Cecil Taylor, Pauline Oliveros, George E. Lewis, Lilse Ellis and Joelle Leandre. Reason has played in the past in a variety of configurations, some of which have been in a more abstract, experimental vein, but she's also played in the context of a gypsy swing orchestra and comping for a jazz chanteuse. This new Trio, however, presented her work in a unique way. Her composition and performance have evolved to embrace the full spectrum of her diverse background, resulting in a hybrid of styles including East Coast/West Coast jazz, Cuban music, classical music from the Romantic period, world music, and contemporary classical avant-garde music. On paper, this might seem odd or difficult to manage, but it sounded quite alluring. This was not the sort of music that only a musician could understand, and was lush, rich, romantic and complex; evincing a delicate balance between musicality and artistic conception. READ MORE
by Steve Smith
Profiling the composer, improviser and teacher Pauline Oliveros for The New York Times was an incredible privilege; the only problem is that it feels like I barely scratched the surface of everything we covered in a long, generous conversation… When I originally conceived this article, I'd intended to include reflections from Oliveros's associates, protégés and students. That didn't work out in the end, but I'm very pleased to be able to offer, as a Night After Night exclusive bonus track, some insights from Dana Reason, a Canadian-born pianist, composer, improviser and educator based in Corvallis, Oregon. Reason is the director of Popular Music Studies at Oregon State University, and has released 11 albums. From 1998 to 2003, she and Oliveros collaborated in a wonderful trio, The Space Between, which also included the superb shakuhachi player Philip Gelb. Reason will be performing at the Stone on August 28 at 10pm as part of Oliveros's series.
Night After Night: When and how did you first come to work with Pauline Oliveros?
Dana Reason: I heard Oliveros play the first Bang on a Can festival in NYC when I was 18 years old. The live performance of Sonic Meditations had a profound effect on me. Several years later, I was performing at the Newfoundland Sound Symposium and Oliveros was the featured composer in residence. She conducted several workshops that I attended and I introduced myself to her. In 1995, I went out to Mills College to study composition. In 1996, Oliveros was the Darius Milhaud chair and I had the tremendous fortune of studying composition with her.
After Mills, Oliveros, Philip Gelb (shakuhachi player and improviser) and I formed The Space Between – a trio that literally dealt with the huge tuning gaps between 3 unlikely musical suspects: a just-tuned accordion, a bamboo flute, and a well-tempered piano.
We performed various concerts and lectures (Stanford, RPI, Roulette, U of Colorado, etc.) and would often demonstrate a scale played in "unison" by the trio. The sound was quite thick and cluster-like but intriguing (full of possibilities). The idea with the trio was to place timbre as the focal point for the ensemble. The works were textural, sonically rich and expressive. I would often refrain from playing the piano with conventional fare and would seek alternate sound sources from the body, and inside of the piano. Our work together culminated in 4 CD recordings. Each recording featuring a fourth guest performer such as French bassist Joëlle Léandre, bassist Barre Philips, saxophonist Jon Raskin (from Rova) and the late Matt Sperry on bass. All the albums were concert recordings headed up by David Wessel at CNMAT at UC Berkeley. READ MORE
CD REVIEW by Kirk Silsbee
4 stars
Add the name of Canadian Dana Reason to the front ranks of improvising pianists. Her attack has many gradations of firmness and degrees of shading. More importantly, though these pieces appear to be pulled out of the air, they often have a compositional contour, with beginnings, middles and conclusions. Like a good basketball player, Reason can see the entire playing field when she brings the ball down the court. She knows where to move and where to put the ball. Her interaction with bassist Dominic Duval and drummer John Heward shows a pianist who knows when to go with the rhythm, when to push back, and when to lay out.
The temptation would be to lump her in with Cecil Taylor and any number of his acolytes. Reason's piano figures are nowhere near as dense as Taylor's in the up-tempo maelstrom passages, like her "Transition" and "Let's Talk." She can play hard, to be sure, but she doesn't bang the keyboard or throw forearm clusters. Even on a fast piece, when she's hammering percussively, there's a certain amount of articulation going on. Reason's lyrical turns show a sense of programming and her crystalline, single note interlude in "Revealed" brings to mind Paul Bley's better treble searching.
Duvall does a yeoman's job—supplying strong pizzicato underpinning and connective tissue. His furious plucking on "Moment's Notice" (a Trio original, not the Coltrane chestnut) matches her high-pitched networks of notes. Perhaps because of Duvall's strength we don't hear a lot from Reason's left hand. She flirts with the song form and it would be nice to hear some sustained melody, if not an occasional standard, from Reason.
Hewerd is a listening drummer, responding to the others with an admirable grasp of the appropriate. His spare tones dot the soundscape on "Open Spaces" and the propulsion elsewhere mark him as a well-rounded player. Since this worthy collection was recorded in 2004, it's past time for an update from this trio.


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Tōya Fuji, a college student is dating a rising idol singer named Yuki Morikawa. There are numerous challenges to the couple's relationship from the other people at Fuji's college, Morikawa's work, and elsewhere.
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text: i'm trying to obtain the best settings for running autocad on vpc (not a great idea, but necessary in my case). i've read somewhere that to turn off virtual memory yielded the best results. however, when i go to "system props/advanced/performance options/virtual memory" i get options for a "paging file". not a simple on/off button for virtual memory. the minimum allowed is 2megs and the recommended is 766 megs. is there some other way to turn off? should i? in addition, how about screen resolution. if i lower it will the system perform better? autocad is the only pc app i'm using and i don't care about graphics here. presently have it set at 32 bit True Color. should i go to 16 bit or 256 colors?


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Date: 07/17/2013
Writer: Linda Fresques, 575-646-7416, firstname.lastname@example.com
You might expect that the 370 students who attended this year's State 4-H Conference benefited from sessions on horse and dairy judging, entomology and range management, among other agricultural-related topics. They did. And, some of them built robots.
The conference, hosted annually by the New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, was held July 8-11. For the first time, ACES has teamed up with the College of Engineering to help students experience something different that NMSU has to offer.
The workshop gave students the opportunity to work on a hands-on engineering project and learn about robotics, design and programming. Students built autonomous robots that competed in a task to pick up small balls. Engineering students employed by the Reduced Gravity and Biomechanics Laboratory assisted participants.
"There are three reasons we decided to offer this workshop," said 4-H Department Head Rick Richardson. "We wanted to get more STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) exposure in our 4-H curriculum. We want these students to see the other opportunities that NMSU has across campus. And, we want to build an alliance between ACES and the College of Engineering."
Richardson said he hopes to expand the program with similar offerings at the 4-H senior leadership and teen getaway camps in January.
The idea came about during discussions with College of Engineering Assistant Dean Patricia A. Sullivan following last year's conference.
"We are very excited to team up with 4-H to offer the robotics program," said Sullivan. "As a former 4-H member, I recognize the positive impact that 4-H has on the youth across our state. We hope to build on this partnership by expanding engineering program offerings beyond robotics to include renewable energy, structures and possible water resources."
Marisa Ronquillo from Chama wants to be a veterinarian, but previously had an interest in becoming a civil engineer. "I enjoyed working on the robot. It makes you think," she said.
Keleigh Hoffman is interested in engineering and participates in Math, Engineering, Science Achievement program at her high school in Ft. Morgan, Colo. "This session was fun?something new and different," she said.
© 2013 New Mexico State University Board of Regents
NMSU - All About Discovery!


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Good morning, and thank you, Mike, for your kind introduction. I appreciate the opportunity to be here this morning to discuss some of the important issues facing the variable annuity industry. With all of the corporate frauds and significant market structure issues we have been addressing, you may feel like the Commission has been neglecting you. Well, I'm here to assure you that we have not. Many of the recent issues concerning mutual funds directly affect your world, and there are other issues specific to variable products that the Commission has been - and will continue to be - addressing.
Today, I would like to use this time to talk about two separate, but related topics. The first deals with some of the significant compliance challenges facing the variable annuity industry as it continues its development and innovation. Second, because many of the regulatory initiatives that the Commission has undertaken to address recent mutual fund abuses also affect variable products, I would like to discuss some of the more significant and controversial proposals. First, I must make the standard disclaimer that the views I express today are my own and not necessarily the views of the Commission or the staff.
The variable annuity industry is characterized by significant competition, which undoubtedly is a good thing. Competition has had a positive impact on the annuity industry in terms of fostering innovation in product development. Variable annuity products have changed rapidly over recent years in response to competitive pressures and client demands. As a result, the products can now include a wide array of features that were not available only a few years ago. These innovations are driven by the market, and if sold appropriately, can help meet investors' financial planning needs.
However, competitive pressures can also have at least two potentially unfavorable effects for investors. First, the wide array of products and features may make an already complex product even more difficult for the average investor to understand. Most people can appreciate that when they invest in a mutual fund, their money is pooled and invested according to the objectives set out in the fund prospectus. When you layer on concepts like tax deferral, ordinary versus capital gains treatment, mortality expense, death benefits, guaranteed and non-guaranteed values, surrender periods, early withdrawal penalties and various payout options, the product is (to say the least) not as easily grasped by the average investor. There is, therefore, a greater burden on variable product sponsors to provide investors with clear and understandable information in the prospectus, as well as on broker-dealers and their registered representatives who recommend variable annuities to make sure that they ask for and receive the information necessary in order to make sure their recommendations are suitable to particular individual investors.
The second potential problem is that competitive forces may pressure broker-dealers and their representatives to use inappropriate sales tactics or make unsuitable sales or exchanges from one product to another in order to maintain growth rates. Variable products are typically long-term investment vehicles and are generally inappropriate for investors who may need their money in the short term. With respect to product exchanges, it is not clear that investors can adequately evaluate the trade-offs which may be associated with exchanging old variable products for new ones.
As we have seen in several recent contexts, the pressure to meet ever-increasing goals regardless of market conditions can be a recipe for disaster. If left unchecked, isolated issues can become systemic, harm investors and further erode their confidence in the fairness of our markets. Consistent with our new risk-management approach of "looking around corners" to find problems before they evolve into full-blown scandals, the Commission and the NASD have been focused on sales practices in the annuity market for some time. That is a trend that is likely to continue in the near future.
Our examiners in the Commission's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations, together with the examination staff of the NASD, last week issued a joint report on "Examination Findings Regarding Broker-Dealer Sales of Variable Insurance Products" ("Joint Report"). The Joint Report was conducted in response to a large number of investor complaints and the desire to better understand compliance and supervision practices of firms that sell variable products. In addition, the NASD has indicated it will be soliciting comment from its members on a rule imposing new sales practice requirements tailored specifically to transactions in deferred variable annuities.
Whether you are involved in management, sales, compliance, disclosure or any other part of the variable products business, you should read the Joint Report carefully-it is available on the Commission's web site. While it is not a comprehensive roadmap for supervising variable product sales, but it certainly draws attention to some issues we must all frankly admit exist in the industry. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in time." The Joint Report provides an opportunity for companies to engage in a thorough self-examination of how they are conducting their business, and to be "wise in time" - that is, to determine now whether they have adequately addressed the issues raised in the Joint Report, and, if not, to take action before it is too late. Our intent in issuing the Joint Report was to help firms improve their controls involving the sales of variable products.
Some of the findings in the Report unfortunately will not surprise you, and are quite troubling and worth mentioning to you here in this forum. Among other things, the examinations revealed:
Lack of suitability determinations is particularly troublesome. In customer complaints received by the Commission and NASD, investors have indicated that they did not understand the variable product when it was sold to them, and have expressed concerns that the product was not appropriate, or suitable, for them, given their investment objectives. A clear example of the failure to determine suitability can be seen in a recent complaint received by our Office of Investor Education. A 77-year old woman, recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, entrusted $175,000 (the proceeds from a home sale) to a salesperson with the instructions that she needed money for a nursing home for her husband, who was ill and disabled, and also to purchase a car. The money was invested in a long-term annuity which, after payment of withdrawal penalties and market value decline, was worth $70,000.
Similar stories abound in the area of variable product exchanges, where old variable products are exchanged for new products with updated features. By many estimations, product exchanges currently represent approximately half of the sales of variable annuity products. While exchanges generate commissions for firms, they often may not be in the best interests of customers.
A recent complaint received by the Commission alleges that an 82-year old woman was persuaded to exchange a $20,000 variable annuity which, due to market volatility and deferred sales charges, had a value of $14,136 upon surrender. This decrease in death benefits was not disclosed to the customer at the time of exchange, an omission the representative later admitted was "a huge mistake." In addition, the old variable product had only two years left under its surrender period, while the new product imposes a new eight-year surrender period. For an 82-year old, two years can be a long time, let alone an additional six years.
In addition to suitability determinations, broker-dealers need to focus particular attention on whether their representatives are adequately disclosing conflicts of interest in compensation and payments in connection with the sale of variable products. As the Joint Report notes, "High commissions, typically above 5% for variable annuities, help drive sales of these products." Sales charges of that magnitude provide a powerful incentive to salespeople to recommend variable products to investors. In evaluating the product, investors have a right to a complete and balanced presentation - in addition to hearing about the benefits of the products, they have a right to know that their representatives may stand to make more money through the sale of a variable product than they do by selling mutual funds.
As we have seen recently in the mutual fund context, moral lapses and shady practices at a few firms can rock investor confidence in an entire industry, and can put pressure on regulators to respond with additional regulatory requirements. The long-term aggregate cost of complying with such new regulations - not to mention the monetary and reputation costs of an enforcement action - can far outweigh the "quick buck" made through questionable or illegal practices. The Commission is determined to prevent violations of the securities laws, and our approach to civil penalties demonstrates that we are equally committed to making sure that violations that do occur are not profitable for the firms involved. But what, you may ask, are some concrete things firms can do to prevent these issues from arising?
For starters, in a recent speech, Steve Cutler, the Commission's Director of Enforcement, called upon financial services companies to conduct a "top to bottom" review of their business for potential conflicts of interest, and to make sure there are appropriate policies in place to address those conflicts.1 With firms offering more products and services under one roof, there is no way to eliminate all potential conflicts. However, a top-down review of the various business lines, and a risk-management assessment of whether the firm is dedicating appropriate resources to prevent harm to customers, are essential to manage issues that can result from overzealous cross-selling or inappropriate sales tactics. So - please ask yourself: is your firm engaged in a review of conflicts of interest? Is your firm taking steps to mitigate or eliminate conflicts of interest?
In this light, it cannot be stressed enough that tone at the top matters. A CEO and other firm leaders who focus only on numbers create a culture in which questionable practices are tolerated - or, worse, encouraged - to make sure that sales goals are met, regardless of the means necessary to achieve them. One of the frequent deficiencies noted in inspections and enforcement actions has been inadequate written supervisory procedures, which was also a finding in the Joint Report. It is not acceptable for a senior executive to say, "I didn't know that was going on." It is their job to know what is going on, and to make sure the internal rules are clear, understood and followed.
To improve compliance and to ensure a robust compliance infrastructure, late last year the Commission adopted the "Compliance Rule." It will require, as of October 5th of this year, that investment companies, including unit investment trusts, have written compliance policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of the securities laws, and also have a Chief Compliance Officer.
As important as having adequate written procedures is dedicating adequate resources to making sure they are implemented. One of the best vehicles for instilling ethical procedures and preventing fraud is a strong compliance function. That requires more than lip service. It requires money, staff, training programs and - most important -the backing of senior management to instill the right culture. Our "up-the-ladder" reporting rules for attorneys practicing before the Commission, and the requirement that mutual funds have a compliance officer reporting directly to the board, are designed to get important compliance information to officials who can do something about it. In the absence of meaningful action, especially when top executives permit systemic practices that allow them to unfairly profit at the expense of customers, I, personally, would not hesitate to hold senior officials responsible for the actions of subordinates. Indeed, in many of the recent mutual fund cases we have done exactly that.
As the markets have turned up recently, variable annuity sales have also increased. I would like to believe that in each and every one of these sales, the customer understood exactly what was being purchased, that the product was suitable and conflicts were fairly disclosed. Unfortunately, the cynic in me - and my experience in the investor education arena - tells me that is very unlikely. Firms that sell variable products need to ask themselves some tough questions, such as:
I think I can say with some confidence that these are going to be areas of increased attention by regulators.
Turning to the arena of mutual funds, the Commission (as I am sure you know) has proposed or adopted several significant rules to deal with the recent abuses. I would like to discuss some of our initiatives with respect to late trading, market timing and fund governance.
To address the issue of late trading, the Commission put out its "Hard 4:00" proposal. The proposal would require that, for an order to be filled at that day's price, the fund company or a registered clearing company would have to receive the order prior to the time the fund prices its shares (usually 4:00 p.m. eastern time). Along with some of the other Commissioners, I noted when we voted on this proposal that it was very prescriptive, and that I was open to alternatives if they accomplished the objective. Not surprisingly, many commenters - including NAVA - have raised important issues concerning the cost of the rule and how it would operate in practice.
With respect to the "Hard 4:00" proposal, my current inclination is to consider setting out the general requirements we are looking for, and let the markets sort out the best way to accomplish them. This view is based not only the representations that significant costs would be associated with the proposal, but also its potentially negative effect on investors. While I have not reached a final decision on the issue, some general characteristics that have been suggested are worth consideration. These include: (1) development of an electronic audit trail; (2) tamper-proof time stamping; (3) enhanced compliance surveillance and timely exception reports - i.e., "warning bells" that go off in real time; (4) executive certification; (5) enhanced independent audits; and (6) enhanced transparency and SEC oversight.
The key is to assure that there is integrity in the system. As long as it is effective, this more flexible approach could have the benefit of protecting investors without imposing undue burdens on intermediaries and funds. As always, the devil is in the details, so we will continue to consider the comments and work on a viable rule.
The Commission has also taken a number of steps to address improper market timing. Although market timing is not illegal per se, it can be harmful to long-term shareholders, and may be inconsistent with the fund's stated policies. Fund boards must, therefore, play a central role in protecting fund shareholders from the potential adverse impact of market timing.
One proposal the Commission has put out to deal with market timing is the mandatory redemption fee proposal. The general gist of this proposal is that round-trip trades that occur within five-days would be charged a 2% redemption fee. My basic concern, which I noted at the meeting where the rule was proposed, is that this is a stop-gap measure and one that can be easily gamed. The real problem is stale pricing, which can only be solved by fair value pricing.
Further, it is not clear that this rule is necessary at this time. The Commission recently adopted rules requiring better disclosure of the risks to a fund from market timing, and the fund's policies relating thereto. Fund boards also already have the power to impose up to a 2% redemption fee if they deem it to be in the shareholders' best interests. Funds can also impose limits on the number of trades an investor can make within a specified period of time, and they have other tools at their disposal to significantly reduce opportunities to profit from market timing.
In addition, if adopted, the Commission's proposal to give mutual funds more investor information from Omnibus accounts should improve funds' ability to police timers. We have been clear that we expect fund boards to be diligent in exercising their fiduciary duties for the benefit of shareholders. A significant issue with the mandatory fee proposal is that it removes from fund boards the responsibility, inherent in carrying out those fiduciary duties, of determining whether a redemption fee is truly in the fund shareholders' best interests.
As I said when we proposed the 2% redemption fee, I supported putting the proposal out for comment only because the Commission committed to a further examination of ways to improve fair value pricing. If timers can exploit stale prices by assigning a more accurate value to the fund, then portfolio managers should be able to undertake a similar exercise to value their own fund. The Commission needs to examine whether there are ways to provide more guidance regarding the requirement that funds fair value price in certain circumstances, and to better enforce our requirement if funds fail to do so. Disclosure, coupled with better guidance and oversight of fair value pricing, may provide a better course to address market-timing issues. Insofar as stale pricing is a major part of the problem, in my view fair value pricing could be a major part of the solution.
Finally, I should mention what has become one of our more controversial initiatives - the proposal to require that fund boards have an independent chairman and be comprised of at least 75% disinterested directors.
From my perspective, it would be helpful to see some solid, compelling evidence that the purported benefits of this proposal outweigh its costs before adopting such a rule. I would note that fund boards already have a supermajority of disinterested directors, and those directors already have the ability to elect an independent chair if they deem it in the best interest of shareholders. It was in the context of these already stringent independence requirements that I asked for evidence that further increasing the level of independence, as we currently define it, or requiring an independent chairman, would improve the metrics fund shareholders care about - high performance and low cost. I will have more to say on this issue when we are asked to vote on the proposal soon.
In conclusion, as an industry, you would do well to implement not just the letter, but also the spirit of the new rules we have proposed and adopted. You would also do well to review the Joint Report, your own business models and compliance controls and, where necessary, "heal thyself." The title of this conference alludes to a new day dawning for the industry. What the future looks like is up to you. You can treat your customers right, be faithful to their interests and your fiduciary responsibilities, and make them happy. Or you can treat your customers badly, line your pockets unfairly at their expense - and make them and us unhappy. It seems to me like that's a no-brainer. Thank you.
1 Remarks Before the District of Columbia Bar Association (Feb. 11, 2004), available at http://www.sec.gov/news/speech/spch021104smc.htm.


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Kolumbastraße 4
This diocesan museum was founded in 1853 but has only been called Kolumba since 2004. The new edifice is a symbiosis between the flamboyant Saint Columba's, a Gothic-style chapel of "Madonna in the Ruins", and an exhibition space with a modern architectural touch from Peter Zumthor.
To my mind, the result is worth a visit: a small chapel from 980 AD surrounded by a modern museum (2007). This combination makes for a welcoming space and is the reason I like to visit Kolumba and why I never tire of the place. Its design was the priority, and I always find new architectural details that impress me.
The architecture alone makes this site worth a detour, but Kolumba also attracts visitors for its changing exhibitions and its collection of artefacts stretching from Late Antiquity to contemporary times. I loved it.
Kolumba was intended as a commemorative museum and should be seen as an art museum that is under the Church's responsibility. My favourite section is the heart of the modest house, the opulent excavation hall, which generates a wonderful sense of calm. For those who intend to visit Kolumba, I recommend the guided group tours, which will give you a greater insight into the project.
I've always loved Cologne. The city is industrial and romantic at the same time. I love my city for its galleries, classical concerts and elegant restaurants and its traditional and very trendy bars! My little extra: I love words, the arts and literature!


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Cocktail Lounge
The drinks selection at The Kenilworth are second to none, complimented by the ambience, and our bartenders certainly know how to excite the tastebuds with their creations.
The Lounge
We are proud to present nationally recognised bartenders serving classic cocktails with wit and style in our award-winning cocktail lounge.
On our menu you'll find some Kenilworth originals, with some new tantalising and delicious additions following the launch of our new Cocktail Menu last summer. All of our cocktails are made using super premium liquors and the freshest ingredients. We make our own syrups, tinctures, bitters and freshly squeezed juices and we only use the finest spirits in the world. As well as cocktails we offer a superb collection of wines and twelve different champagnes most of which are available by the glass. We have an incredible selection of rare Whiskies, Bourbons and Cognacs and Gin's from all around the world. We were proud during 2016 to be a finalist for Imbibe Rum List of The Year.
If you appreciate the craft of the cocktail served to the mellow sounds of jazz and swing, then drop by and sit awhile.
The Bar is open daily from 5pm until late Sunday to Friday, 1pm until late on Saturday's.
We would recommend online bookings need to be made at least 24 hours before the booking time, or please just call 01926 779473 to make your reservation and we will try our best to accommodate you.
A maximum of 8 people can be booked on-line.
Please try and make sure you let us know if your running late for your reservation as we can only hold tables for 15 minutes due to high demand. Weekends can be extremely busy so we would recommend booking as far in advance as possible.
The Bartenders
The Kenilworth has produced some of the finest bartenders in the world. Each one of our bartenders has won many national and international awards. We take great pride in who we employ at the Kenilworth and always look for an inspirational natural talent and passion for cocktails, which is a prerequisite! We take great pride in the fact that Kenilworth past bartenders are regularly head hunted by some of the most famous names in the world. Our bartenders have gone on to be bar managers for Gordon Ramsay and head bartender at 'The Savoy', London.


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Hugo Obi
The online games company has already published several African themed titles including Okada Ride, Kidnapped, Class Fight, Football Goal, Aboki and Mosquito Smasher. The firm is set to release additional titles throughout 2012 making African games available not only to Nigerians and Africans, but to Africans in the diaspora and people the world over.
Maliyo Games titles are currently available as web browser based games and the company is on track to release their first mobile title in Q3 2012.
Hugo has a B.A. (Hons.) degree in International Business, Finance and Economics from the University of Manchester. He also studied Strategy at Singapore's Nanyang Business School before joining General Electric in London as a Financial Analyst.
Hugo is one to watch.
Source: Mobile Entertainment Africa, TechLoy


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You are hereMagazines 1990-1999 / John Cleese
John Cleese
For some of us, it's impossible to envision John Cleese, the Minister of Silly Walks, taking anything seriously. But before he made his mark with Monty Python's Flying Circus, he went through the very regimented English public-school system and then on to Cambridge to study highly unsilly subjects like math, physics and chemistry. The intense pressure of his upbringing spawned Cleese's sense of humor, he believes, but boarding-school life also took a toll on his psyche: "You form a rather brittle personality, because you're trying to be independent and tough, but of course you don't have the nurturing to be able to get away with it."
In his view, his best-known characters-pompous bureaucrats, longwinded attorneys and acerbic psychiatrists-each have a dark side. They are bitter men, simultaneously fighting off a maddening world and their own repressed feelings.
Following two failed marriages, Cleese decided to examine his own inner workings. In 1983, he collaborated with his therapist of 3'1z years, Robin Skynner, on Families and How to Survive Them, a self-help book in a question-and-answer format. "The reception was exceptionally good," says Cleese, "especially in England, where trying to sell self-help books used to be a pretty unrewarding enterprise. In fact, of all the things that I've done, this one gives me a special kind of pride that I haven't gotten from my other projects."
Now he's at work on a sequel, due later this year. Tentatively titled Life and How to Survive It, it asks the question "What is healthy behavior?" and applies some answers to areas ranging from love to work to politics and religion. One of the book's main themes is the continuing need for both independence and interdependence, which Cleese claims is present in every significant relationship.
Q. We usually think of women as the steadfast ones in relationships and men as the ones who stray. Yet many of us want our relationships to endure and can't seem to figure out how to do it. Where do men go wrong?
A. Men often try to be independent, but aren't really up toit, so it's all a bit of an act. They use their machismo to keep women at a distance, because they're terrified of intimacy.
I was brought up in an atmosphere where it was simply felt that a chap had to grow up by the age of 16. When you lack good nurturing, you form a protective shell around your personality. You become more and more intellectual, but also more and more bitter and negative.
In my own therapy, what helped me more than anything was the idea that there can be a balance between intimacy and independence in a relationship-that you can be, for some of the time, very close, and for some of the time, very separate. That appeals to me on a gut level without my quite understanding why it feels so right, but I love the idea that you can switch from intimacy to independence and back again.
Q. What happens to men who don't know how to make this switch? What are they afraid will happen?
A. They're very frightened that if they ever once let their defenses down there would be such a bottomless well of need they'd never get out.
Q. What advice will you offer them in your next book?
A. Men have simply got to understand that they almost certainly need nurturing some of the time. It depends, of course, on how much stress they've been under. If they've been under a lot, they'll need a lot of nurturing. If they're having a pretty good time, they probably won't need much, or any.
But, whereas macho people have got to take on board their need for nurturing, men who are permanently in a dependent state need to work themselves a little bit more toward independence. They should not be in a continual state of need. There have to be times, even if they find it a little difficult at the beginning, to say, "Okay, now I'll get on with things independently. This is my life, and I want to make the best of it I possibly can. "
Q. How should dependent types do this?
A. Perhaps they can be a little bit tougher with themselves, pushing themselves into the discomfort zone.
Q. You're talking about making some rather big changes. Where does a man start and how does he do it?
A. At the beginning, it's very difficult. If we can't seem to get nurturing that we need, it's often because we've fixed ourselves up with a partner who isn't very good at giving it. That way, we can kind of stay where we are, not perhaps very happy, but at least extremely familiar with what's going on.
Q. Why would it be more comfortable to be in a less nurturing relationship?
A. If a fellow hasn't had a great deal of good mothering, he'll get with women who are not awfully good at nurturing so that he can stay in the same pattern and not have to change. That's the terrifying thing, you know, doing something different.
Q. So what can you doto break out of that rut?
A. You just try and talk about it with your partner, and become more and more aware of it and try and catch it.
Q. You suggest that your own problem is a difficulty accepting nurturing fr-om your partner. What do you do about it?
A. My girlfriend can always tell when I'm in a bit of trouble emotionally, because I tend to start making all my own food. "Oh, you're in that mood, are you?" And I answer, "What?" innocently. She says, "You don't want any nurturing." And there I stand, holding a frying pan.
Q. So when you're talking about communicating, it's not just verbal.
A. That's right. You just begin to spot each other's signs. When my girlfriend and I are working at our best, it's as though the healthier parts of ourselves are in alliance trying to· work against the less healthy parts. So, if she says, "You don't want any nurturing" to me, the healthy part of me can say, "Hey, she's right, I'm up to my old tricks again." Of course, if I'm not in the right mood, I may take it as criticism.
Q. And get ticked off at her?
A. Yeah, I'll feel that she's getting at me in some way. The reverse happens as well. A couple of days ago, I suggested she watch a bit of a tape I was watching, and she thought I was criticizing her for not watching it, whereas all I was saying was, "Hey, I think you'd find this interesting." But sometimes you can talk about the problems you have in a non-critical way. I think change is all to do with awareness. It's about saying, "Oh, here I go again."
Q. How does a couple prevent these self-criticism sessions from degenerating into fights? A. It all depends on how healthy the relationship is, but sometimes a little gentle teasing can point something out. If the relationship is already good, these kinds of criticisms become very easy; in f
act, it's a lot of fun because it's a sort of mutual exploration.
Q. What if the relationship isn't so healthy?
A. If things have got a bit scruffy between the two of you, a bit nasty, it's awfully difficult. That's when I think it's good to have some sort of counselor who can sit there in the middle. If there's a misunderstanding, the therapist can say, "No, actually what she said. Just now was very fair, but you took it in a very critical way. You weren't really quite hearing what she said."
Q. It sounds as if you're saying that achieving a healthy relationship is more an ongoing process than a finite goal.
A. All of us hate feeling bad. So, if somebody says something to us that makes us feel bad, we can almost never take it on board. But sometimes we can hear the criticism and still feel good about ourselves.' It's incredibly delicate. It's a matter of mood-and just working hard - to achieve that difficult balance.
Q. How does being a comedian help or hurt the way you deal with a long-term relationship?
A. I don't think the comedian aspect of it has a great deal to do with it, quite honestly. But I think being well-known causes all sorts of problems.
Q. In what way?
A. The whole business of being a celeb- . rity tends to move you into the more external and trivial parts of your personality, into the parts that are most interested about your "image," you 'know? This kind of thinking is fundamentally destructive to mental health.
I'll give you a perfect example. During the selling of A Fish Called Wanda-a few years ago, I did 64 days of interviews. And when you're being interviewed six or seven hours a day, people are asking you a lot of personal quest ions. And you are giving them a favorable version of yourself, just as we do' when we meet anyone for the first time. We want them to think we're nice and civilized rather than awful and disgusting. If you do this over a period of days or v weeks, you can just feel yourself becoming all trivial. You can feel yourself being pushed further and further into the outside of your personality, further and further away from Who you really are at the center, And after the publicity finishes, it takes some time to get back there.
People who take their "career" and their ''public'' seriously, I think, go mad quite rapidly. I don't wish to name names,· but you can think of anyone who's constantly the focus of public interest, you know, Who uses their publicity machine relentlessly to publicize themselves. I can't think of anybody who's been doing that for more than five years who isn't batty. They start to believe their own press, or their own surface image. That way, I think, lies madness.
MEN'S HEALTH, August 1991


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Time to get started.
This week's theme is 'People who inspire me'. When this was suggested, I thought about it and realised there are a hell of a lot of people who inspire me. Friends, family, celebrities..
The first people who spring to mind in the celebrities category are the members of my favourite bands. Music as a whole inspires me, takes me to places I've never been, understood the emotions I go through, anger, sadness, elation, you name it. Someone whose lyrics really speak to me is Jesse Lacey, the lead singer of Brand New. He seems incredibly quiet and introverted, and yet he can come out with these amazing things that can just transport you. The fact that he can do what he loves and still keep his personal life private is an amazing thing. Brian Molko, of Placebo, is just so fucking crazy and writes lyrics that challenge people, and says what he thinks, all of which has encouraged me to speak my mind and not give a shit about what people think about me.
Another celebrity, although not a singer, is actress Ellen Page. I absolutely adore her movies and her attitude, she's not like all the other young actresses of the moment. As acting is what I want to do as a career, she really inspires me and shows that you don't have to play stupid, hackneyed, blonde roles to get into the acting business. "There are a lot of really intelligent teenage girls and boys who are unique and don't just listen to and dress like Britney Spears, and who don't just want to fuck the hot guy." – as she said in an interview. A-fucking-men.
Finally, how could I not mention my awesome friends and family?! My mama and papa, who encourage me to be invidual and weird, to not follow the crowd. Brother Will, who looks after me, takes me places, makes me laugh. Jas – who is always there for me, who I can giggle with, the one who took me to drama club and brought out the drama queen in me. Elli – so many years of taking the piss out of each other, killing ourselves laughing at the littlest things, who I can always rely on. And so many others who just make me laugh and look after me when I'm upset and send me sweet texts and give me hugs when I need it most.. 🙂


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Logos Electromechanical donated 2 Zigduino and 2 4×4 Driver Shields to the Open 7400 Competition. Get your entry in and this and other cool hardware can be yours.
The Zigduino is an Arduino-compatible microcontroller platform that integrates an 802.15.4 radio on the board. The radio can be configured to support any 802.15.4-based protocol, including ZigBee, Route Under MAC/6LoWPAN, and RF4CE.
The 4×4 Driver Shield is designed to enable users to switch DC loads up to 5A at up to 30V with no heat-sinking. It is ideal for such applications as driving solenoids, relays, and small DC motors.
Thank you to Logos Electromechanical for sponsoring the 2012 Open 7400 Logic Competition!


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108 N Market St
Waterloo, IL 62298
I just love this store. If I didn't have three little kids running around like bulls in a china shop, I could spend all day in there. I'm a music nut, and this shop is just right up my alley. Easy to find, friendly people.5


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Attend a suborbital rocket meeting, and you might win a seat to space!
This is not a joke: if you attend the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference 2012, you could win a seat on an XCOR suborbital rocket flight to space!
I'll note this conference is a technical meeting for suborbital researchers, so it's not like Comic Con. Still, I know a lot of scientist-types read this blog, so it's worth promoting. I attended the meeting here in Boulder in 2010, and it was a fascinating look into a new field of research: science done on crewed suborbital rocket flights, where microgravity (free fall) conditions last for as long as four minutes. That's long enough to do a lot of interesting work, including astronomy, physics, engineering, and biology.
The meeting is being sponsored by the Southwest Research Institute and many other groups, including XCOR Aerospace, which is developing a reusable suborbital spaceplane that can carry people above the 100 km (62 mile) demarcation line of space. And they're putting their money where their mouth is: one paid registrant to NSRC 2012 will win a seat on XCOR's Lynx suborbital vehicle, where they can perform their research. This is a $95,000 value!
How cool is that?
If you want to attend the conference and present a paper, the deadline for submitting abstracts is December 2.
And no, I'm not submitting. I get sick on a kid's swing set. I'll let astronauts and people with more solid stomachs take to space. I'm happy to wave at them from the ground.
Comments (20)
If I could I would try.
From the official rules….
If a winning entrant is from Canada, the entrant will be required to first correctly answer a mathematical skill testing question without assistance of any kind (whether mechanical or otherwise) in order to be eligible to win the Prize. The Prize will be awarded only if the potential prize Winner fully complies with these Official Rules.
What the hell is that about?! I presume an American winner won't need to answer any skill-testing math question(?). Is that because the education system is so dumbed down now that most American winners would be unable to complete that skill testing question?
Maybe they think they can stack the deck in favour of US citizens by making it 'harder' for non-US citizens, but if that's the plan, that will backfire–we can actually do math in our heads because it is so cold up here calculators don't work and our abacuses (abacusi?) freeze solid.
Maybe this is a test of Canadian citizenship. "Prove you're Canadian, not American. Do this math test—IN YOUR HEAD mUAHAHAhhaaaHHAAAAAAAAAA…….oh, he did it, he can't be an American then. Well, jolly good then but we have another task for you–now you need to cut down the mightiest tree in the forest wittthhhh……… A HERRING!" (cue dramatic music)
If that last paragraph leaves you scratching your head…see
and jump to the four minute mark (thou shalt jump to four, no more, no less. Four shalt be the number that thou shalt jump, and the number of the jumping shalt be four. Three shalt thou not jump, nor either two, excepting that thou then proceed to three and to four. Five is right out. Once the number four, being the fourth number, be reached, then watchest thou the clip).
Or watch the whole thing. Heck, rent the movie and learn about majestic møøse too….
@2 Daniel
ROFLMAO. Although if you read further
"This Prize is void in Quebec and where prohibited."
So smart Canadians living in Quebec are out of luck.
Although I am curious what the mathematical question is.
The "skill testing question" is due to Canadian law regarding contest and prizes. I'm no lawyer, but basically the law says that Canadians are not allowed to win prizes by just random luck, there has to be some "skill" involved. So, on pretty much every ballot/entry form in Canada where they draw a winner, there is a skill testing question directly on the form which you have to answer. The question is quite simple, usually something like:
6 + (3×2) = ?
Add together 5 and 6. Multiply by 2. Divide by 10. What is the answer?
Only in a very rare case have I seen a question like:
2 + 3 x 3 = ?
where the order of operations can be tricky.
So, that clause exists not because of the contest organizers, but because of Canadian laws! I have never heard of anyone losing their prize because of an incorrect answer though (I'd imagine it would be a news story if someone did!).
Canada has strict laws concerning games of chance, which includes draws such as this. The law allows for mixed games of chance and skill, which is why you'll see "skill testing questions" in nearly every contest like this up here. Quebec has even stricter provincial laws, which are nearly impossible to comply with.
This isn't a matter of the contest organizers trying to make things hard for us Canadians. They're actually going to great lengths to make sure that Canadians (outside of Quebec) are legally allowed to take part.
Oh I can see the question now: "Prove Fermat's Last Theorem"
And no, I'm not submitting. I get sick on a kid's swing set. I'll let astronauts and people with more solid stomachs take to space.
Hey! Your Close Personal Friend(tm), Adam Savage took one for the team. Why not you?
How about this? If you win, I'll go in your place.
I'll be at the GWEF doing testing on one of my projects during that time… I didn't see it say that I had to be in attendance, just that I had to pay for my registration in order to win. Hmm, is it worth that much for a "raffle ticket" like this?
So, since it doesn't look like you have to attend (only be registered), you can buy a lottery ticket for $300 (Early Bird Professional) to go to space. I won't lie, I'm tempted.
Ohhhhh…Chris and Takeru and matt killed my beautiful hypothesis with ugly facts.
From what I have read, there is not a 100% correlation between seasickness and spacesickness.
In any event, You can take Trans Derm scopalamine. I get really sea sick, but I like to go ocean fishing- I have used those TD patches and fished for Marlin off Kona with no problems (other than not getting a fish).
I'd prolly barf myself to death…
But I'd do it anyway!
@jearly: Woot! TD Scopolamine for the win!
@ #11 jearley: Whenever I hear scopolamine I immediately flashback to "The Guns of Navarone." Anthony Quayles' gangrenous leg requires medical treatment that the Allied commandos cannot provide, so they decide to leave him behind to be captured by the Germans who can. But Gregory Peck knows that those dirty, cheating Nazis are also going to jack him up on truth serum to foil the commandos' mission, so he feeds Quayle a bunch o' disinformation about the mission being scrubbed. The truth serum those stinkin' Krauts will be using is… SCOPOLAMINE! I won't spoil the exciting climax, but since we're not commenting in German you can probably hazard a guess as to the mission's outcome.
Win the prize, donate it to charity!
What is the cost of a suborbital flight compared to a cube sat or nano sat? People have been doing low cost space experiments for years.
Right, Meskine, Scopolamine is right out. Dramamine, however, is the ticket!
Space Ship 1 collected the X prize in 2004 and Space Ship 2 may fly its first passenger in 2012, an 8 year gap between proof of concept and first commercial flight, at least. The Lynx hasn't flown yet AFAIK, so how long do I have to wait to catch my flight? I'm getting on you know! Another 10 years would make me … cough cough…
Present @NSRC-2012, **the** mtg for suborbital researchers & educators! B SURE 2 BEAT NEXT FRIDAY's ABSTRACT DEADLINE: http://nsrc.swri.org/
Income tax on a $95,000 prize means that most people cannot afford to accept.
@ Daniel J. Andrews: Maybe they should make you Canadians answer a Latin question (I mean a question about Latin, not a question in Latin, such as "Quo Vadis?"). The plural of "abacus" is "abaci".