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Here's a thought experiment for you. Say you went out and rode every street in your suburb. What would the distance of that ride be? What if you did it again, but tried to keep the distance as short as possible? How would you go about finding the optimal route? And how do you think that optimal route would compare to your initial attempt?
Over the past month or so my friend and colleague Andy van Bergen and I have been trying to answer those very questions, with more than a little help from an old cycling buddy. Before we dive into the details though, let's take a step back and set the scene.
Back in April, with all of the CyclingTips Melbourne crew working from home thanks to the coronavirus lockdown, Andy and I set ourselves a challenge: to ride every street in our local suburb of Ivanhoe, without consulting a map once. It took several weeks of planning, reconnaissance rides, and breaking the suburb down into manageable chunks, but on May 8 we went out and did it. It took nearly four hours of riding and 85 km to cover every street. Well, almost every street, depending on how you feel about "roads" that masquerade as car parks.
In the weeks and months that followed, our 'Burbing' continued. It felt best to stay close to home while riding so tackling more nearby suburbs seemed like a good way to keep things interesting. On May 16 I rode all of East Ivanhoe without a map (on my second attempt). On May 30 I did the same in Alphington on my third attempt. And then, on June 8, Andy and I joined VeloClub member — and weekly Zwift group ride leader — Aaron Keeffe to tackle hilly Eaglemont, also without a map (at that time you could ride with more than one person).
I'll remember that day for a few reasons: the searingly cold air at the start, Aaron's forethought to bring a thermos of coffee to the start (and one of peppermint tea for Andy, who's still off caffeine), and Aaron's wife Belinda bringing us more hot drinks and croissants mid-ride. It was the perfect Burbing.
A few weeks later I went and snagged Fairfield on my second go which left me with five Burbings (again depending on how you feel about roads that are actually carparks).
A short time later, Jim Crumpler, a guy Andy and I have known for years through cycling (also a VC member), started working on a Burbing-inspired routing project. He'd watched Andy, myself and a bunch of others tackle local suburbs during 'iso', and figured he'd put his IT skills to use, concocting a software application that would devise the optimal Burbing route for a given area.
I got excited when I saw his project — as I wrote in my original article on CyclingTips, the idea of optimising a Burbing ride seems like a logical extension once you've tackled a suburb once. Being able to use a computer program to help check your work afterwards? Sweet. I reached out to Jim and asked if he'd be happy to help Andy and I with a little project.
The idea was simple: Andy and I would ride a given suburb a few times and see if we could optimise our route to make the ride as short as possible. Jim, meanwhile, would work his magic to devise the optimal route for that suburb, which he wouldn't share with us until we'd tried it ourselves a few times. When he did share the solution, we'd be able to see how close we got and how our strategy compared to that used by Jim's application.
Jim graciously agreed, and kept tinkering with his program. Andy and I put our heads together (1.5 metres apart, naturally) and started spending some time in our target suburb: Bellfield.
Bellfield is the perfect suburb for this sort of experiment. For starters, it's just a couple of kilometres from home for both Andy and I but crucially, it's tiny — less than 1 square kilometre in area. This means it's relatively quick to ride, and doing it multiple times over the space of several weeks wouldn't feel like a chore.
While Bellfield was the perfect suburb for the challenge, it did have one drawback: a short section along Bell Street to the Darebin Creek where Bellfield meets Preston. This stretch is an awful section of an already terrible road for cyclists — it's narrow, there's plenty of traffic, and the road is often covered in all manner of debris. Not only that but when you reach the creek, getting back to Bellfield proper means either heading up a footpath, or crossing four lanes and a median strip on Bell St then riding the same horrible stretch in the opposite direction. No thanks.
Andy and I decided we'd ride this 400 metre section of Bell St in our first Bellfield Burbing — so we could say we'd done the whole suburb — but that we'd skip it on subsequent rides. When liaising with Jim, the area we asked him to create a route for was Bellfield minus the Bell Street horrorshow.
On June 25 Andy and I had our first crack at Bellfield. As with all of our previous suburbs we didn't use a map during the ride. We weren't worried about efficiency at all on this attempt — it was simply about setting a baseline and getting another suburb ticked off.
With minimal reconnaissance or preparation we very nearly got it first go — only the pesky Willow Court evaded us. A couple weeks later, on July 7, we went back and had another go, again just trying to set a baseline distance. This time we managed to cover every street in a total of 19.3 km. Subtracting the awful Bell Street out-and-back we were left with a distance of 18.6 km for the area we were trying to optimise.
On July 16, we went back to Bellfield again, this time with a plan to reduce the distance as much as we could. We didn't plan a strategy out beforehand and again we didn't look at a map during the ride. This time we skipped the Bell St extension and got a total of 17.5 km — an improvement of 1.1 km (or 5.9%) compared to our previous ride. We came away from that ride thinking we could have been more efficient again — we'd doubled up on a section of Bell St that we really didn't need to. But with time against us — I was moving house a week later — it was time to wrap up the project.
We got back in touch with Jim and asked him to generate the optimal route for our version of Bellfield — the most efficient way of visiting every street.
Before we get to the route Jim's program produced, let's take a moment to discuss how his application actually works.
It turns out this route optimisation challenge has a name: the "route inspection problem", or the "Chinese Postman Problem", named in honour of Chinese mathematician Kwan Mei-Ko in 1960. In a Facebook post about his project, Jim described the problem as "a maths nightmare" and said that while the solution is "well known" that "doesn't mean easy".
"I work in 'IT', which doesn't imply being a programmer, but I always tinker with code," Jim told me. "I have a degree in electronic engineering ([which] includes computer science), but there's so many diverse areas that you would never look at. This stuff is pure maths (solving 'graph network' problems), and geospatial data and tools, and OpenStreetMap and shapefiles, etc. There's libraries to help do a lot of this stuff in simple ways, but I didn't know the background, so it took weeks to learn geospatial concepts, projections, data models, OpenStreetMap data, graph theory, various optimisation algorithms.
"I've worked on it most nights for a month or so. Most of that time was learning, which is the main objective here for me."
So how does it actually work? As Jim explains, the application starts with OpenStreetMap data then takes the following steps:
"Find all the roads within a suburb boundary. Find every intersection and count the number of roads going into that intersection. If there's an odd number of roads at the intersection, it means you're going to have to ride one of those roads twice (to get in and out). From one odd-node intersection, you're going to have to get to another odd-node, so build a combination of all pairs of odd intersections and find the list that has the shortest total distance. Throw these new paths in with even-intersections, and ride them all!"
Jim explains that the application isn't as concerned with the order the roads are ridden in, nor where the route starts; it's more concerned with "how to get between all these odd intersections without going too far."
For context, our version of Bellfield has 118 "odd intersections" which means the program generates a list containing thousands of combinations of odd intersections. Even still, it takes Jim's application about 15 seconds to produce an optimal route for Bellfield.
The route created by Jim's app isn't perfect. The program currently can't factor in one-way roads, and with the northern border of Bellfield being in the central median of Bell St, the optimal route ended up going the wrong way on Bell St for 150 metres. Still, one minor issue like this wasn't going to stop Andy and I from riding it — it just meant we'd need to make a quick visit to a footpath.
One of the niftiest parts about Jim's application is the fact it can produce a GPX file of the optimal route, ready to be uploaded to your routing website of choice, or to a GPS device. Andy and I were a little concerned that the intricate nature of the route would prove too much for our GPS devices, so instead of risking a unit meltdown, I went through and wrote out turn-by-turn instructions for the entire route which Andy and I could follow.
And so, late last week, armed with a double-sided sheet of hastily scribbled instructions, Andy and I set out to ride Jim's optimal route for Bellfield, to see how the program's Burbing strategy compared to our own.
We noticed a few differences with the computer-designed route. For starters it seemed almost random in how it moved through the suburb, even though it's clearly the opposite. Our own strategy was a methodical one: tackle one east-west street, doing all of its side streets, then tackle the next east-west street and repeat the process. The computer-generated route features almost none of this — instead it seems to meander around the suburb, leaving streets behind then picking them up later.
On several occasions while following Jim's route Andy and I rode past a street we hadn't done and one of us would say "what about that one?" — the idea of leaving streets behind was anathema to our own strategy. But the optimal route always came back to those streets at some point. Unlike us, Jim's algorithm doesn't have to worry about forgetting a street it's ridden past.
The impact of this strategy was far fewer U-turns than what we'd done in our attempts. As a result the ride felt like it flowed a lot better (the fact we were following a set route, rather than making it up on the fly, probably helped too).
We noticed something else about the algorithm's more-fluid, meandering route. Where our usual strategy was to ride the outline of Bellfield first then break the suburb into an east and a west section — separated by the north-south-running Oriel Road — Jim's program jumped back and forth between sections, and did the suburb outline in pieces rather than in one solid effort. Again, the program doesn't need to worry about forgetting sections like we do.
In the end, by following Jim's route we managed to complete our whole target area in 15.6 km — 3 km shorter than our first successful attempt (16.1% more efficient), and 1.9 km shorter than the second (10%). I'm pretty happy with how close we got to the optimal solution!
There's so much to love about cycling: the fitness, the challenge, the social aspect, the sense of adventure, and a whole lot more. That it makes projects like this possible is yet another thing to love about it. I had a blast working on this in recent months and I'm sure it won't be the last such ride I do.
A big thank you to Andy for his company and interest in tackling this project with me, and to Jim for his time and efforts on such a cool piece of software. Maybe if enough of us bombard Jim in the comments section below he'll give his program a little more polish and make it available for everyone to play with!
In closing, I thought I'd share another optimal routing solution that Jim's program was able to create, this time for something quite a bit larger. Here's the most efficient way to cover every road in the entire locality of Dargo in East Gippsland, roughly 300 km east of Melbourne. If that looks like a massive ride, well, you're right. In Jim's words: "Dargo is 2,392 km and 73,000 m of climbing, and I bet most of that would be extreme 4WD tracks."
Any takers?


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Facts Are Subversive: Political Writing From a Decade Without a Name
By Timothy Garton Ash
Yale University Press, 2010, 464 pp.
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Oxford's Garton Ash is no dusty don producing authoritative tomes grounded in archival sources, statistical charts, or revisionist reinterpretations of the past. His virtues are journalistic -- most notably, a brilliant eye for spotting a memorable detail in an exotic locale -- yet his vision is broader than most reporters or columnists. He knows his history and literature, and he combines reportage with passionate political commitment. To be sure, these 48 short essays published over the last decade indulge some journalistic vices. They were written in the moment, and some have thus been overtaken by events: there are ruminations over the proper response to weapons that Iraq did not have, criticisms of an "Enlightenment fundamentalism" that Garton Ash now admits is illusory, and confident predictions about the spread of Ukraine's Orange Revolution that never came true. Moreover, the essays are selective, focusing on flashy subjects that make for engaging interviews: heroic revolutionaries, sordid politicians, and exotic nationalists. Economic interests and electoral calculation, the bland bread and butter of modern politics, play little role. Still, one would like to think this is how history is lived, and the result is engaging. These vignettes are highly recommended for those who cannot wait for the proverbial owl of Minerva to spread its wings.

subset: commoncrawl


text: From sailing in a shikara and living in a houseboat to shopping some of the most exquisite shawls and carpets, there are plenty of things to do in Kashmir. From the terraced lawns and cascading fountains of the Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, to Gulmarg's snow-capped peaks, Kashmir is home to many locales that will leave you awestruck with their pristine beauty. Just when you've had your fill of exploring the main towns, head to stunning destinations such as Aru Valley, Betaab Valley and Amarnath (all are at a short distance from Pehelgam) and gaze at their picture-postcard scenery. We tell you where to go and what to see while you're in Kashmir.


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Russian warships dock at Turkish naval base
05/01/2009 14:53 MOSCOW, January 5 (RIA Novosti) - A naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet began on Monday an informal visit to Turkey, a Navy spokesman said.
"Today, on January 5, a group of Northern Fleet warships led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and the Admiral Levchenko destroyer arrived at the Akzas naval base for an informal visit," Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said.
The Levchenko will dock at the base while the Kuznetsov remains at sea. The visit will last until Thursday, after which the carrier group will carry out joint exercises with the Turkish Navy before returning to its duties in the Mediterranean Sea, Dygalo said.
The Russian Navy spokesman also said that the large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko was in the Atlantic on its way back to the Northern Fleet base after a Latin American tour that included visits to Cuba and Venezuela.
He added that the Northern Fleet's Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser was in the southeastern Atlantic and would dock in Cape Town on Friday for an historic visit by the Russian Navy to South Africa.
Russia announced last year that its Navy had resumed, and would continue to build up, a constant presence throughout the world.
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Black History Is American History Vinyl Sticker
Celebrate Black History in February and beyond with this "Black History is American History" vinyl sticker! **From now through the end of Black History Month, 100% of proceeds from the sale of this sticker will be donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund!**
• one sticker, dimensions 2.5" x 3"
• made of durable, fade-resistant, vinyl material printed with gorgeous color
• use this all-purpose sticker on anything and everything: electronics, water bottles, journals, phone cases, and anywhere else that needs some decoration!


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Things to do in Boston in the Spring
Ever feeling bored in a city with plenty of things to do? As the weather warms up, try some of these ideas for your next weekend adventure!
- Make a pizza!
Boy, do I love pizza. At home, my family makes pizza on the grill in the summer. While I don't have a grill at school, I try to get around to making homemade pizza at least once a month in the oven. It's cheap, easy, and I usually have leftovers for lunch. Buying fresh dough is the key to making it really shine. I usually buy mine from Trader Joe's but want to try the dough from Clear Flour Bakery and Eataly. Going out to find the ingredients makes up some of the fun in cooking. If cooking isn't your thing, I've found the best pizza places in Boston that for sure won't disappoint: Stoked in Brookline and Locale in the North End!
- Paint – Indoors, outdoors, or at a studio!
After a never ending winter, I can't wait to do things outside. Painting with friends is a great way to try something new and creative. You can bring paint and canvases to a park (like Amory or Boston Common) or stay inside if it's a rainy day. Plus, making your painting outing into a picnic is always a good idea. Another fun idea is to head to a studio and paint pottery! The Clay Room in Brookline is a good place to explore a new area and express your creativity.
- Museums!
Not enough people take advantage of the free museum admission BU students get! Over the last year I've been to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Museum of Fine Art, and Institute of Contemporary Art. Even if you aren't a huge art buff like me, it's a good (and FREE) way to spend a few hours! Some museums also offer special exhibits depending on the day or season. I definitely recommend the Isabella Stewart Gardner for its beautiful scenery, history, and art.
- Explore a new part of the city!
Boston has so many vibrant and different neighborhoods. Try going somewhere you've never been before and make a day out of it. Eat at the restaurants the locals go to and see where people hang out. You never know where your new favorite spot may be! I recently went to Beacon Hill and really enjoyed going into the little quaint shops. I ate at Cobblestones and it was delicious.


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Miller avoids objection
If Wofford offensive lineman Dequan Miller had been pulled over for driving too fast on the way to Saturday's football game, he would've had a good excuse and, as a future lawyer, likely would've been able to artfully articulate a convincing defense.
Miller was in Greenville to take the Law School Admission Test, which overlapped with the start of the Terriers' game at Gibbs Stadium against East Tennessee State.
"I won't say exactly how quickly I made it to Spartanburg, but I was certainly doing every bit of the speed limit," he said, sounding like a lawyer already.
When he got to campus, pulling into a parking spot just behind the locker room, Miller ran inside and dressed for the game — pads, tape, braces, everything — in five or 10 minutes, he said. He usually takes about 45 minutes.
"I think he must have broken the world record," Wofford head coach Mike Ayers said.
Miller, a fifth-year senior and three-year starter at left guard, got down to the sideline early in the second quarter, Wofford holding a 14-0 lead in what would be a 31-0 final against ETSU. Wofford offensive line coach Eric Nash, two plays after Miller arrived, put him in the game.
"On the first play, I was still thinking about logical reasoning," Miller said. "On the second play, I was able to flip the switch to getting to the linebacker. There was nothing logical about that. It was all brute force."
Back on the bench after that drive, Miller said, he felt comforted about conversations with teammates.
"They weren't asking me, 'Why were you late? They were asking, 'How did you do on the test?' " Miller said. "That made me feel really good. They were looking out for me. They were wishing the best for me."
The same was true for the coaches, who knew since early in training camp that this was coming. Nash helped find a test location on game day closer than the University of South Carolina, where the Columbia native (A.C. Flora High grad) had intended to take the test. Ayers was perfectly fine with losing one of his best offensive linemen in the crucial Southern Conference opening game.
"Coach Ayers talks about this kind of thing all the time," Miller said. "He recruits us to play football. But when you get to campus, he lets you know that it's much more than just football. It's about making us better men and contributing to society. He said, 'Hey, do what you have to do. Win the test.' "
"I told him, 'Do great on the test and get here if you can,' " Ayers said. "I think it was a tough day for him. The average guy would've said, 'Coach, I've got this test and I'll see you after the game or I'll see you Sunday.' He managed to do both. He hustled, he thinks he did well on the test and he helped us win the game. … He's a great human being, a great teammate, he's a bright guy and he works hard. He does everything he can do to make sure he is successful and our team is successful."
What: Wofford (3-1, 1-0 Southern Conference) at Samford (2-1, 0-1)
When: 3 p.m. (Eastern)
Where: Seibert Stadium (Birmingham, Ala.)
Notes: Wofford just missed the FCS Coaches' Top 25 on Monday at No. 26. In the media poll, Samford got enough votes for No. 37 and Wofford is No. 39. ... With two straight shutout victories, Wofford now leads the FCS in fewest yards allowed (212.8), has second-fewest rushing yards allowed (56.5) and third-fewest fewest points allowed (11.3). That includes a game at Ole Miss, an SEC team that was ranked No. 18 in FBS. ... Samford beat Wofford last season, 37-27, and has won three of the past four matchups. The Terriers have won three of the past four in Birmingham, the only loss in double-overtime.


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Makara Sakranti is the winter solstice in the Hindu solar calendar. It is marked by the passing of the sun into the sign (Sakranti, Samkranti) of Makara (Capricorn). There are festivals on the day itself and on the eve to celebrate the coming of spring.
Unfortunately, there are several ways of calculating the Hindu solar calendar, so its date may vary by up to one day in various parts of India depending whether local custom dictates the use of the old or new Hindu calendar or astronomical tables. This is further confused by the fact that the date reported as a holiday is sometimes the 1st of Makara and sometimes the eve. It always occurs around the 14th or 15th of January. Lohri, in Punjab and Harayana, commonly occurs one day earlier on the 13th or 14th.
Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh: This is the biggest festival in Tamil Nadu and streches over four days. The first, Bogi or Bhogi is dedicated to the rain God Bhogi or Indran. and is also sacred to Krishna. The day begins with a sesame oil bath and in the evening there is a bonfire made of old cloths, files, mats and rugs, perhaps symbolizing the end of winter.
The second day, Surya Pongal, is dedicated to the Sun (Surya). On this day, pongal (rice cooked in milk and jaggery) is bolied by women who offer it to the Sun. Pongal lit. = boiled over. It is traditional to ask Is the rice boiled and receive the reply Yes, its boiling, symbolizing the fertile season to come.
The 3rd day, Mattu Pongal, is dedicated to the worship and veneration of cattle (mattu). The horns of the cattle are decorated with turmeric and kumkum, small bells and flowers are hung around their neck and they are paraded in the streets. The pongal that has been offered to the local deities is given to the cattle to eat.
On the 4th day, Kanya Pongal, coloured balls of the pongal are made and are offered to birds. A kind of bull-fight, called the Jallikattu is held in Madhurai, Tiruchirapalli and Tanjore in Tamil Nadu and several places in Andhra Pradesh. Bundles containing money are tied to the horns of ferocious bulls, and unarmed villagers try to wrest the bundles from them. Bullock cart races and cock-fights are also held. In Andhra Pradesh, every household displays its collection of dolls for three days. Community meals are held at night with freshly harvested ingredients.
Punjab, Harayana: Bonfires are lit, around which people gather to meet friends and relatives and sing folk songs. Children go from house to house singing, and collecting money and sweets known as Lohri Prasad which have sesame seeds in them, which they are supposed to throw into the bonfires. Women and children get special attention at this time and the first Lohri of a bride or a baby child is considered especially important.
Til = Sesame seed, much used at this time. It is used in Maharashtra to make laddoos (round balls) and for massage, bathing and in the sacred fire ceremony of Havan. It is also used in oblations with water (Tarpan) and given as charity. In the Punjab it features in special sweets called Lohri Prasad. In Maharashtra, when two persons greet each other on this festive day, they exchange a few grains of multi-coloured sugar and fried til mixed with molasses and say til gud ghya, god god bola (henceforth, let there be only friendship and good thoughts between us).
Kichadi = a dish of rice and lentils, ghee and spices, often eaten at this time.
Gangasagar = Bathing in the Ganges: People gather to bathe in sacred rivers all over India, especially the Ganges at its junction with the Jumna and where it flows into the sea. The river Hoogly near Calcutta is another favored spot. Girls who take the holy dip on this day are said to get fine husbands and boys are said to get beautiful brides.
Makar Sakranti
Contributed by Acharya Satyam Sharma Shastri
Montagne-Blanche Village, Mauritius
Sakranti means to go from one place to another place (to change direction). It also means one meets another. The time when the sun changes direction from one constellation (of the zodiac) to another is known as Sakranti.
Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere (Uttarayana) is known as Makar sakranti.
Solar Year Importance of the Sun
There are 12 signs of the zodiac. There are 12 Sakrantis as well. They are given names according to the position of the sun in relation to the signs of the zodiac. Each of the 12 Sakrantis has its relevant importance but two of these are most prominent.
These two are Mesh Sakranti and Makar Sakranti (Aries and Capricorn).The solar year commences when the sun is in Aries (the first sign of the zodiac). From the point of view of mathematical calculations, the solar year is more scientific than the lunar year. One lunar year has 354 days only and lunar days (or nights) increase or decrease according to the phases of the moon. Compare this to the solar year which has 365 ¼ days and remains the same. Many astrological books are based upon solar calculations. The sun is the most important and the most prominent of our stars and the undisputed lord of our planetary system. The sun always comes first. First day of the week commences with Sunday (Ravi).
Science attaches great importance to the sun. The sun is the inexhaustible storehouse and the source of light and energy. Without sunlight creatures and vegetation would cease to exist. People will lose their life sustaining vitality. Lack of nourishing substances would lead to the end of creation. This is why the suns existence, movements and positions in the cosmos are so important and that is why the sun earns our respect, admiration and reverence.
Mesh Sakranti
The solar year commences when the sun is in Aries (the first sign of the zodiac).
During this auspicious period, great deal of merits are acquired by performing Havan (Yajna or Sacred Fire ceremony), Japa (repetition of Mantra or Gods name), Shraddha, Charity etc. Householders top up their grain jars and families start wedding preparations for their sons and daughters of marriageable age.
Makar Sakranti
The second Sakranti of great importance is Makar. Transition of the Sun from Sagittarius to Capricorn during the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere (Uttarayana) is known as Makar sakranti. The sun and journeys northward. The days are gradually lengthening in the northern hemisphere.
Khichadi Sakranti
Makar Sakranti is also known as KHICHADI (Indian dish made from rice and lentils) Sakranti because on this day the injunction to eat Khichadi , is generally observed by people. Seasonal crops become available. Ghee, and spices are used for making tasty nourishing Khichadi. Winter loosens its grip on shiver producing cold, admitting springtime that brings with it the chance for all round health improvement.
In addition to Khichadi, great importance is attached to the use of TIL (Sesame seeds) during Makar Sakranti. Therefore, this Sakranti is also called TIL Sakranti. People make Laddoos (round balls) from Til. Til oil is used for massaging.
Six types of usage of Til are described. Til is used for Bathing, for Massaging, for Havan (sacred fire ceremony), Tarpan with Til (oblations of water with Til), Til used as food, and Til is donated in charity.
It is said that Til emanates from Vishnus body and that the above described usage wash away all kinds of sins. Sakranti period is held to be very auspicious and any good deeds during this time will produce merits. Gifts of clothing, blankets etc., on this day are productive of merits in both this life and in the next life.
Flying Day
Makar Sakranti is also celebrated with great enthusiasm as the Kite flying day.
Gangasagar and Surya Puja
At Sakranti time great importance is attached to Ganga snaan (bathing with waters of the river Ganges) and Surya Puja (worshipping the sun). Bathing, worshipping gods, Havan, Japa, Fasting and Charity; each of these are extremely holy deeds.
From Makar Sakranti onwards when the sun is travelling northwards, innumerable auspicious things start happening. Climate and atmosphere improve. Children born during this period are naturally progressive, well mannered, pleasant and of noble disposition.
The Bhagavad Gita mentions the importance of the northern path of the sun at the time of death. This was the reason why Grandsire Bhishma, who was wounded in battle and in semi conscious state, while lying on the bed of arrows, chose to wait it out, awaiting the northward path of the sun, before choosing to die.
The festival is known in Assam as Bihu or Bohali Bihu. A variation on the theme of fire, practiced in Assam, is the erection of pavillions, which are put up on the night before the festival and then burnt as a sign that the festival has begun.
It is also known as Pedda Panduga (= big festival) by the Telugus and as Maghi by the Sikhs.
As well as the above, the festival venerates Jagaddhatri, Goddess of spring, and Kama or Kandarp, Godess of love.Rati, the wife of Kama, and Lakshmi, the Godess of wealth, are also venerated. The time of Makara Sakranti and the period following are considered very auspicious.
In general, boiled rice or lentils and sesame seed and oil are a particular feature of the ceremonies. Food is colored saffron and yellow clothes are often worn. Cattle are decorated and their horns painted. Bonfires are often lit and ritual bathing takes place to wash away old sins. Old clothes and bedding are burnt on the bonfires and new utensils are often purchased and first used on this day. Kites are flown all over India but especially in Gujarat.
Dates : 14 January every year.
Practice : Makar Sankranti marks the commencement of the sun's journey to the Northern Hemisphere and is a day of celebration all over the country. Wherever there is a body of water, people take a dip in the waters on this day and worship the sun. Also known as Gangasagar Mela, on this day, people come from all over India for a ceremonial cleansing in the River Hooghly, near Calcutta. In Gujarat, brightly coloured kites dot the skies, in celebration of Makar Sankranti


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Lighting setup:
I am a big fan of dynamic lighting and even though I think lightmass is great it can be cumbersome especially if you have to implement changes down the road. Of course for certain projects its the only way to go - especially for memory budget reasons - but for others like small scenes as this, archviz projects etc I feel baking can slow you down. I do like the new RT features implemented in Unreal since a few iterations ago although it does take some getting used to them and how they can be combined in a way that works for your project. (I have a video on implementing some of those features should you want to learn more on this: https://ad67.artstation.com/projects/L2dAP0?album_id=2170009 . I love RT shadows - they are so accurate and controllable and they come at a relatively low cost so I think that of all the RT features this one makes the most impact relative to the cost incurred - except for the skylight shadows that has a more measurable cost associated with it. In addition to the shadows RT AO also carries a big punch. In this scene I used them both RT shadows and AO.
For the Remrandt scene I used a combination of methods to achieve the chiaroscuro effect that Rembrandt was so famous for. One thing that would have been handy but is not available in Unreal is negative lighting - which basically allows you to suck up light like a black hole. You could do it in BPs but only during run time so it isn't something applicable for this. The one thing that I didn't want in my scene is ambient lighting therefore I did not use any skylight in the scene. I also set up my reflection capture volumes - both a box reflector for the main reflections and a sphere to localize some detailed reflections early on. Its a good idea to place these early in the scene to minimize any surprises you may get if you add them after all the setup is done.
So the first thing I usually do is establish my base light - my key light. So after looking at the image I began to decipher the main source of light which in this case is coming mostly from the window. I used a rectangle light to get nice soft shadows and edge lighting and played around with the attenuation radius and colour parameters to more or less get the basic forms and colours in. Once this was established I added a fill light to get more volume in the scene. I could have boosted the key light to give me the extra volume but I believe that the more control you build at this stage the easier it will be to refine the lighting down the line when you start adding more light points - if there's anything to take form all this is that you should always build your scenes gradually - this stage is the most important. I then began to add more detailed lighting to add more intensity in the areas that I felt needed it using only rectangular lights again adjusting attenuation, colour intensity etc . Finally I I added some very fine point lights with various color temperatures and attenuation radi to try and fake the Gi bounce lighting that would be present in the scene. Depite the advances in technology and the use of RT and SSGI going back to old school basics is still one of the most efficient ways to create GI with little cost.
Finally for the icing on the cake I used distance field indirect shadows. This helps get the deep shadows and adds another level of AO that isn't possible in any other way - it makes everything more grounded in the scene. The great thing about this method is that you can turn it on, on a per mesh basis and this way you can be selective on which meshes to apply to it too and how much memory you use for each asset that uses it.
For the PPV I only changed a few parameters like the white balance and tint and I like to turn on the bloom to get some specular highlights depending on the camera angle but I did however add a post process material that I use in most of my scenes. The material sharpens the scene without the need to increase the percentage scene size and is adjustable to different amounts. The material can be downloaded for free on my artstaion store here: https://ad67.artstation.com/store/am8v/post-process-volume-sharpening-material
What I like the most of using a dynamic setup is the fact that not only do you have real time feedback as you create your scene but you have absolute freedom to make any changes you want to your scene in real time as you go along which means that not only you but say your clients can shift and move things around without breaking up the lighting! This is invaluable especially if working under pressure and not for a portfolio piece where perhaps time is not so much of a restriction. In addition not relying on built in solutions for say your GI forces you to pay more attention on the lighting and composition - so its a good way to learn the fundamentals.
The combination of techniques above I believe give you both the freedom you would need and the flexibility to light various types of scenarios. To me the use of both lights and shadows in tandem, as outlined above comes as close to painting with light as possible!
The scene with just the Key lights and fill light turned on.
Main lighting setup using rectangular lights:
GI & Fill accomplished via point lights:
Left : distance field indirect shadow on; Right: distance field indirect shadow off


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Free Instagram Followers and Your Business
Is it true that you are thinking about how to utilize pictures and short video to upgrade your clients' involvement?
Have you considered making a brand profile on Instagram to make your image unmistakable to another market?
Beginning on Instagram is genuinely clear.
Just agree to accept a record (e.g., utilize an indistinguishable name from your Twitter handle), include a profile photograph (e.g., mark logo) and a connection to your site, interface your record to Facebook and let your supporters know they can tail you there.
It's what to do next that introduces a trouble for some brands.
What takes after are 26 hints and brand cases, an A-Z manage, for gaining by a business nearness on Instagram.
#1: Acquaint Yourself With How to Use Instagram for Business
Organizations have been rushing to Instagram in huge numbers. Accordingly, Instagram began the Instagram for Business blog, which offers tips, mark spotlights, API illustrations and news from Instagram HQ.
instagram blog
Instagram's blog will help keep you up to date.
Look at it and add it to your peruser to stay up with the latest on a portion of the coolest approaches to utilize the Instagram stage for business.
#2: Balance Fun Images With Pictures From Your Business
Rachel Sprung expresses, "Exploit the expanded land you have with the Instagram page to recount a story with the pictures. Have a solid adjust of fun pictures and business pictures."
Anthropologie has hit a decent adjust with their pictures. Their supporters like fun pictures and additionally business ones. A puppy picture got 7,640 preferences and a photo of their own customers posturing at an organization lunch get-together occasion got 3,457.
drawing in post with puppy
One of the ten most captivating posts specifying #Anthropologie. Track the engagement on your pictures to discover what your supporters for free Instagram followers !
#3: Cultivate a Following
Tim Sae Koo offers 3 supportive tips for getting more adherents on Instagram:
Interface your Facebook account
Utilize important, prominent hashtags
Connect with by tailing others and enjoying their photographs
Cross-present chose pictures on your Facebook page with a hashtag that lines up with your battle or brand picture to help individuals who don't know you're on Instagram to discover you there.
#4: Debut Videos
Instagram's current Video on Instagram has given Twitter's Vine a genuine contender to fight with. Most quite 15-second, channel empowered, editable video usefulness contrasted with Vine's 6.5 seconds.
Jordan Crook diagrams the contrasts amongst Instagram and Vine in the picture underneath:
instagram versus vine diagram
Jordan Crook diagrams Instagram versus Vine.
Honda appeared an Instagram video by influencing a joke to out of the decision. Fun thought!
#5: Embed Instagram Video in Your Blog or Website
A month ago, Instagram discharged another install include for its work area web program rendition. Mike Gingerich gives supportive guidelines, notwithstanding cases for when and how to utilize Instagram recordings.
Since you never know who will see your offers on a long range interpersonal communication stage, insert your Instagram video in your blog or site to expand the compass of your substance.
#6: Follow Your Followers Back
The general population you take after on long range informal communication stages have a significant effect. Inquisitively, numerous brands on Instagram (some with extensive followings) don't take after back.
To make key connections on Instagram, discover the brands and individuals you appreciate and can gain from in your adherents and tail them back. We'll speak more about this in #23.
#7: Generate a Flexible Posting Plan
Carley Keenan offers the accompanying counsel on the recurrence of sharing on Instagram:
"You don't have to post on Instagram consistently. The 'bolster speed' on Instagram is still for the most part laid back. In the event that you begin posting a great deal, you may soak your adherents' nourishes, and you would prefer not to drive yourself into the commotion time after time. Choose what you have prepared to post and make a calendar to enable you to recollect what to present when and on track what is working once you go ahead."
#8: Harness the Power of Apps
Kay Tan set up together a rundown of 20 applications that will upgrade your photograph sharing encounters. There are applications that let clients print pictures, look labels and catchphrases, buy in to Instagram profiles by means of email, download all Instagram photographs in a solitary file envelope, in addition to some more.
Utilize these applications to make Instagram a huge piece of your online networking advertising system.


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Filed under: Press | Tags: Album Reviews, Music, Press, Q Magazine, Trashcan Sinatras
David Roberts wasn't happy with The Trashcans' third album, 'A Happy Pocket' in this two-star review from Q Magazine. According to David, the band had moved away from their coy, jangly sound to cardboard, cartoon pop.
Well, really!
Q Magazine, September 1996Follow @fivehungryjoes
Filed under: Press | Tags: Magazine, Music, Press, Q Magazine, Trashcan Sinatras
…until you've heard 'I've Seen Everything'
This promotional advert appeared in most UK music magazines including Q. If you have a wee search around eBay, you can get yourself a framed copy of this for not a lot of money – if you like that sort of thing.
June 1993 Q Magazine Issue 81
Filed under: Press | Tags: Press, Q Magazine, Trashcan Sinatras
To promote second album 'I've Seen Everything', Go! Discs thought it would be a good idea to run a series of anagrams.
These appeared in various music press, t-shirts, CD promos and most famously on a fence at the 1993 Phoenix Festival.
It is widely believed the band weren't too keen on this idea and distanced themselves from what was described as "…an obscene insult masquerading as a marketing ploy…"
Here's such an ad from Q Magazine…
June 1993 Q Magazine
Filed under: Press | Tags: Album Reviews, Music, Q Magazine, Trashcan Sinatras
4-star review from Q Magazine's Phil Sutcliffe for second album 'I've Seen Everything'.
Surf sound? I don't think Phil's ever been to Kilmarnock.
June 1993 Q Magazine


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Diamond Rabin
Diamond Rabin is the result of an ideal combination of excellent rubber features of Daiwa Rabin and a diamond abrasive grain, which offers much greater performance and improves the processing as a new diamond tool that was not seen until now.
While "high-speed grinding" and "high-speed milling" have evolved remarkably as processing methods for improving the product quality and increasing the mass production performance, it is necessary to simultaneously increase the rigidity and precision (…. increase in cost) of tools and usage equipment, select tools and manage their status, and seek refinement in truing and dressing processes, as well as the drive programs. There are also inevitable problems such as heat generation, and other problems of processing damage, and occurrence of burrs due to difficulty in processing as a result of a minute size.
The grinding and polishing processes that make use of rubber elasticity have opened the path to an approach that is different from the high-speed technique, and have greatly reduced the problems and the cost factor accompanying high speed, which has made the superiority of Diamond Rabin stand out.
Rubber Elasticity is a feature of this tool
- There is no need to take measures against the large amount of heat generated during high-speed grinding and cutting.
- The residual stress and heat damage are reduced to a great extent, and as a result, micro-cracks can be prevented.
- Because Diamond Rabin exhibits excellent cutting quality even at medium and low speeds, there isn't too much need for high rigidity and high precision of devices and tools used for high-speed rotation, which reduces the special additional cost for metal cutting machine tools.
- The excellent durability that Daiwa Rabin possesses is further improved thus increasing the life as compared to other tools.
- Large quantities of grinding fluid are not needed, and in some cases, semi-dry or dry processing is also possible.
- The grinding and cutting mechanism of a rubber stone is different from that of a grinding wheel and cutting tools, and ductile breaking may be expected to be a failure mode. An improvement in the surface finish is naturally expected, but at the same time, the concern over scratches from the polishing powder are also reduced. The cost involved can be reduced through the stability of quality and improvement in the yield.
- A dedicated dresser is not needed for truing or dressing. The dressing interval is also long, which reduces the cost of tool management.
- Diamond Rabin is also opening the path to automatic mirror polishing of aspherical areas as well as automation of mirror polishing of plastic molds, which has long been sought after, only by mounting a holder having a low-pressure and an eccentric mechanism on to the present unit.


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Specialized lighting, spacious pantries among 2015 trends
Kitchens have become the most popular room in the house for a modern day family, which means great things for Appleton businesses like Studio Kitchens and Kustom Kitchens and Bath Shoppe.
Homeowners are reaching out with frequency to take their kitchens from basic utility to sophisticated, multifunctional spaces.
Studio Kitchens' Nancy Nygaard says she has noticed homeowners have become more open to different ideas for their kitchens.
"I was a kitchen designer in Chicago, and that was trendy, fun stuff that we did there; we're now doing some of that here," Nygaard said. "It used to be that I'd introduce some ideas for kitchens here that weren't something the homeowners were used to. They'd run it by their friends and family and I'd get a lot of resistance.
"Lately, they've been a lot more open. I think it's all of the awareness from television programs, and because families are traveling more extensively than before. They're much more open to newer ideas than they have been in the past. It's very exciting for us on this end."
Cabinetry and lighting
Robert Van Egeren, of Kustom Kitchens and Bath Shoppe, says the open concept kitchen still reigns supreme. When it comes to the cabinetry in those kitchens, one color has been trending more than others.
"Gray tones have been quite popular when it comes to painting cabinetry," he said. "We're still doing a fair amount of white cabinetry as well. Either a bright white or a soft white with some glazings have been popular."
Though cabinetry is vulnerable to wear and tear, Van Egeren says the quality of paint they use ensures durability.
"With stained cabinets, scratches are less noticeable for the most part," Van Egeren admits, "and from time to time if a cabinet is dinged or something like that, it would have to be touched up. Stained cabinets can be touched up a little bit easier than wood painted cabinets can, but the quality of the paint is key. The quality of the paints that we use is more durable than some other brands that we've seen."
Lighting has also become an area of innovation in the kitchen, Nygaard said. The most manageable end of this trend is lighting the interiors of cabinets and drawers with tiny LED lights that turn on when the drawer or cabinet is opened. The high end of this trend includes LED-lit glass shelves within cabinetry. A trend in Europe for years, the shelves are now used in upper-end cabinet companies in the United States.
"If you have cabinets that go up to the ceiling," Nygaard said, "you can have remote control-operated doors now as well. Instead of climbing to get items, you can use the remote control to open the doors and see what you have inside."
Decorative hardware — or rather, the lack of it — is popular as well.
"You don't need knobs — all you do is push on the drawer, and because it's electronic, it opens up on its own, and then you give it a little push and it closes itself," Nygaard said.
Islands, pantries and more storage
Center islands continue to be mainstays in the kitchen, Van Egeren said.
"One of our top remodels is taking out those long peninsula cabinets and putting in a center island to create better flow around the kitchen."
Van Egeren says he also makes an effort to include deeper drawers for more storage when he designs a kitchen.
"I'm just more of a fan of drawers than I am of roll-outs," he said. "With roll-out shelves you tend to lose a little bit more space with them … though it seems like our older customers tend to use more roll-outs than some of our younger customers do."
The pantry has also evolved with kitchen design, says Nygaard, and it's now an integral part to the room, rather than a small closet off to the side like it used to be.
"In a modern kitchen, a homeowner doesn't want any clutter showing," she said. "If a pantry has doors on it, they should be pocket doors so they can stay open and remain a functioning part of the kitchen. Your oven, microwave, toaster and Kitchen Aid mixer can be in the pantry.
"It helps with entertaining," she said. "You can go in and prepare the food, put it in the oven, pull it out, come out and serve it, close the doors, and you can deal with the mess later. Having a small prep sink in there is great, too."
Design priorities and affordability
Not all kitchen design trends will work for every homeowner.
"We really try to educate our customers here because we've been doing this a long time," Van Egeren said. "We've seen just about everything."
Not everyone can afford their dream kitchen all at once either, said Nygaard. A designer can help navigate priorities and advise on what's needed and what can wait.
"A lot of times people just don't have the budget up front, but then I'll say, 'You know what, don't skimp on the cabinets, we can do laminate countertops for now.' I can do Plan A and I can do a revised Plan B later on down the road. You can add a backsplash later. You can add that island hood later. There are so many things that you can do after you get 'the bones' right to begin with, because that's really what matters."


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21 Aug All Aboard Leviathan
Posted at 21:23h in News 0 Comments
A wonderful Amazon review of The Isle by Marissa Smith!
"From the children to the corpses, I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in Foster's dark world again with little regard for modern time. I often get distracted and don't finish books but that was definitely not the case with The Isle. While I also loved Dead Men and Mister White, The Isle is John Foster's best work yet. The captivating pages manage to balance perfectly on the narrow line of entrapping imagery without over-writing. Prepare to find yourself on the cold, dark, terrifying Isle yourself."


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Revolutionizing the kitchen
Just when you think you've seen it all, something new comes along and is a game changer. I always love finding new accessories, appliances, finishings and anything else for the home. Especially when it is something you NEVER thought you needed but now can't understand how you've lived without it. This is exactly how I feel about these walk-in refrigeration systems from RootCellar Concepts.
Over the years refrigerators have gotten bigger and bigger, taking up so much wall space. I see it in many homes that I tour, a refrigerator, a freezer, and often more than one small beverage or wine fridge. With all this space you would think who could possibly need more?! But time and time again so many of us find ourselves looking for additional space when hosting family gatherings and holiday meals. Where am I going to fit an 18 pound turkey? How will I keep all these drinks cold?
Well, I recently discovered one company that is here to fix these problems and totally change the way we look at refrigeration. RootCellar Concepts specializes in the design and installation of walk-in refrigeration systems. We have all become accustomed to walk-in closets and pantries and now it is time for the walk-in refrigerator.
This system is so sleek and customizable most people won't even know you have one until you open it up. With an automatic sliding door, there is no additional hardware required and this 'root cellar' can seamlessly blend into any kitchen design.
For anyone building a new home or renovating their kitchen, I highly suggest considering this as an option. This could be something we start to see integrated into a lot of new homes and I am already wondering where I can put one in my own home!


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The Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America announced the Initial Exchange Offerings on cryptocurrencies are not necessarily completely legal.
Sure they have not put their finger on the specific issues with the regulation or called the act completely illegal, but the notion is already pretty obvious that some additional licensing will be required from now on.
The SEC has not drafted any new regulations or legislation meaning that there is still a full year of relatively free IEO markets, giving crypto exchanges the opportunity to stock up on as many as possible until the SEC figures out how they want to regulate the whole process.
Remembering the ICO days
Initial coin offerings in the United States were a complete disaster in terms of regulations. The SEC was labeling almost all of them as untrustworthy securities speculations that deliberately avoided government regulation.
The commission was up in arms against the crypto industry by the views of most crypto enthusiasts in the states but came around to the idea when STOs and IEOs started to appear on the market.
This was pretty much the same reaction that the CFTC had towards other speculative assets such as Forex and stocks. Once stocks became something of a speculative asset on a massive scale in the United States, both the CFTC and SEC became more and more skeptical about Forex as a direct investment, but according to this eToro Full review were open to the idea of options trading for Forex.
But now it seems that even the options trading similarity on cryptocurrencies is starting to lose popularity with the commission.
Why IEOs are safer
An Initial Exchange Offering is pretty much what it sounds like. A crypto company will contact a local cryptocurrency exchange and pitch their coin to them. It is then the responsibility of the crypto exchange to rate the trustworthiness of the coin as honestly as possible.
If the coin made it on the exchange, it meant that it had the seal of approval, giving it a lot more customers than any ICO would ever have.
The IEO was basically a barrier between fraudulent crypto companies and the consumers, something that the SEC is now working on to regulate.
You see, the crypto companies that make these coins, are already obliged to register them as securities if need be. The IEO simply rates the trustworthiness of the coin and only then lists it on the exchange.
If the SEC is not capable of seeing the security issues during the licensing of the coin as a security, then the IEOs are not what is having the problem here.
All in all, regulating IEOs too much will defeat the purpose and make it even harder for new crypto startups to finally get some exposure through popular platforms.


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Yes. TOKN is a native app that has the ability to run other web apps. You'll find versions for Android, IOS and Windows 10 (UWP) in the relevant app stores. Being a native app allows TOKN to utilise GPS, camera, SMS and other native device functions.
TOKN Connect supports Restful API integration, once the API is registered with TOKN it will use the API to make update and extract calls to connected systems.
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TOKN is managed both by the experienced TOKN team and by our extensive partner network. The TOKN Enterprise Mobility Platform is built on the latest cloud capabilities to ensure the ultimate user experience, safe and secure data management, guaranteed uptime, and fast and effective DR. TOKN runs on high-availability and elastic Hyper Scale technology to ensure there is no impact to operations.
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Our TOKN team is full of talented, design-minded people who have been trained specifically in app UI/UX design. Before our apps are presented to the client, they are independently testing to comply with industry design standards. TOKN also completes a low fidelity and high fidelity prototype of applications.
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As a big fan of Oliver Jeffers I stumbled upon his latest month's tutorial which was published on the Guardian website, called- How to draw a penguin!
His ingenious step-by-step guide is done with much humor and fun and I must admitt I had super fun creating my penguin too! It was a great break from the 'serious' stuff and letting go and making my penguin do whatever I desired....so the 1st thing that crossed my mind was a skiing penguin, enjoying his time in a nice cold blizzard-as all penguins do, I'm sure :D lol
You can check out all penguin entries here http://www.facebook.com/howtodrawapenguin


text: Inexpensive Laser Modules with New Wavelengths Small Laser Modules with a Length of 7 mm Tweet April 04, 2012 Laser modules designed for the consumer market are often – for lack of space and financial means – self assembled. Laser diodes, collimators, and drive electronics are commonly assembled. With its LC-LMD series LASER COMPONENTS offers an appropriate and inexpensive alternative: Complete laser modules with one of the smallest design available worldwide. The large resonance on the market coupled with a high demand for these laser modules has led to the production of further types. From laser modules that have a diameter of 3.3 mm and a length of 7 mm to focusable modules to coaxially aligned lasers, many additional applications can be implemented. In addition to the 650 nm laser modules that have already been introduced, versions are also available in the following wavelengths: 635 nm, 780 nm, and 850 nm. Individual pieces are available as well as large production volumes. Further product information: Low-Cost OEM-Laser Diode Modules


text:
Back at the Feast of the Ascension Party, Alex is on the lookout for a temporary fix for his broken heart.
Him and Jordan hit it off, and take their conversation to another room. All is well until a couple of guys from school walk in on them. Alex just can't catch a break.


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The event will have a shortened runtime from April 20th to the 28th, 2021
Meccanotecnica reaffirms its commitment towards drupa, the leading trade fair for printing technologies.
"We are a long-standing exhibitor of drupa and this event has always been a significant moment for Meccanotecnica marking the most important milestones and product developments", says Francesco Mussita, CEO of Meccanotecnica S.p.A. "We are aware of the challenges we must face in times of COVID-19, and that nothing will ever be the same again, with new digital channels of promotion and remote sales that have seen a strong acceleration in recent months. However, we hope that mass events, where there are face-to-face meetings, can continue to have importance to start conversations and new relationships with prospects and customers".
Given the critical market situation, Meccanotecnica is forced to significantly reduce its exhibition area. Despite this, it will continue to showcase and present its machines, as per tradition, at drupa.


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For many years, Microsoft has published a security baseline configuration: a set of system policies that are a reasonable default for a typical organization. This configuration may be sufficient for some companies, and it represents a good starting point for those corporations that need something stricter. While most of the settings have been unproblematic, one particular decision has long drawn the ire of end-users and helpdesks alike: a 60-day password expiration policy that forces a password change every two months. That reality is no longer: the latest draft for the baseline configuration for Windows 10 version 1903 and Windows Server version 1903 drops this tedious requirement.
The rationale for the previous policy is that it limits the impact a stolen password can have—a stolen password will automatically become invalid after, at most, 60 days. In reality, however, password expiration tends to make systems less safe, not more, because computer users don't like picking or remembering new passwords. Instead, they'll do something like pick a simple password and then increment a number on the end of the password, making it easy to "generate" a new password whenever they're forced to.
In the early days of computing, this might have been a sensible trade-off, because cracking passwords was relatively slow. But these days, with rainbow tables, GPU acceleration, and the massive computational power of the cloud, that's no longer the case—short passwords are a liability, so any policy that makes people favor short passwords is a bad policy. It's better instead to choose a long password and, ideally, multifactor authentication, supplementing the password with a time-based code or something similar.
The baseline configs are often used by auditors, with companies dinged for each baseline policy they don't follow. Accordingly, Microsoft is making a few other changes to the baseline in an effort to ensure that audits only pick up security configurations that are truly important. Previously, the baseline would require that the strongest possible disk encryption is used (256-bit); it no longer does so. Some devices have a meaningful performance difference between 128- and 256-bit encryption, making 256-bit encryption undesirable. Others, like the Surface, ship with 128-bit encryption rather than 256-bit. Abiding by the policy means decrypting the disk and then re-encrypting it. Microsoft believes that 128-bit full-disk encryption is sufficient for most situations, and hence demanding 256-bit does little to improve security but hurts performance and requires tedious re-encryption.
In the new baseline, Microsoft is also considering dropping the long-standing requirement to disable the Guest account and the default Administrator account. Windows 10 disables the Guest account by default already, meaning that if it's enabled, it's probably for a good reason and shouldn't be picked up in an audit.
The built-in Administrator account is also disabled by default in Windows 10, with the operating system creating a separate Administrator-privileged account during installation. However, the built-in account has certain properties that make it better—it isn't subject to account lockout policies, and it can't be removed from the Administrators group. As such, the decision to use the built-in Administrator account or a different one is more a matter of taste than security.


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Chablis by Vincent Thomas, Domaine de la Chappe. He himself owns only 2.5 hectares of vineyard, taken over from his father in 2003 and converted directly to organic. As a negoce he therefore also buys grapes (organic) from the area in order to be able to produce more. This proves to be difficult, in Chablis, where few winemakers work organically, let alone natural. He is 1 of the 2 natural winemakers in the area. Not your typical Chablis, but a rich, fuller Chablis, with still that nice minerality.
Tonnerre, Burgundy France
Funky level: ***


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The Jolly Roger
5.6 YDS 4c French 14 Ewbanks V UIAA 12 ZA S 4b British
Avg: 3 from 1 vote
|Sport, 65 ft (20 m)
|C. Chaney, Tom DeFilippo, H. Hall, 2001
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|Chris Chaney on Oct 5, 2006
|Shirtless Mike, saxfiend, DrRockso RRG, Billy Simek
You & This Route
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Access Issue: This area is located on private land overlooking Slade. Details
Permission and access can be gained at Red River Outdoors. This is typically a guiding area and not open to the public at this time.
The holds on this are enormous. Surprisingly, a lot of people feel insecure on this route. While the holds are large, they tend to be downsloping ledges. If you have good slab technique then this will feel 5.5. If you don't it will feel significantly harder.
The view from the anchors is one of the best I've seen in the RRG.
The view from the anchors is one of the best I've seen in the RRG.
Where the approach trail meets the wall, walk left along the cliff to a wooden platform. Follow the bolts to the sky.


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'The LEGO Build-It Book, Vol. 1: Amazing Vehicles' is the latest how-to LEGO book by Nathanäel Kuipers from No Starch Press. Available next month (July 2013), this 136 page book offers step-by-step instructions with full-color renderings for 10 vehicles ranging from a simple go-kart to a rescue truck. The idea is to use your existing collection of bricks to build these models instead of buying pre-defined kits. According to former LEGO Group designer Nathanäel Kuipers, it's not how many bricks you have but how you use them. The book will be priced at $19.95 and will be available from No Starch Press.


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Marc Latham has proudly provided the foreword for the third in Wendy Webb's epic Mermaid's Tales series of narrative poetry books. The book also contains several poems from other poets featured on this site, including Caroline Gill, Claire Knight and a palindrome by Norman Bissett.
Parts of the series are also being serialised in the Tips for Writers and etips magazines, which have been very supportive of this site and provided a home for many Folding Mirror poems. Etips is sent once a month to those who sign up for it.
Details of all the above are available from the Norfolk Poets website.
Here is Marc Latham's foreword:
The Mermaid's Mother and Sycorax is the third instalment in Wendy Webb's epic mermaid series. It was inspired by Shakespeare's Tempest, but those who know Wendy's style will not be surprised to find themselves quickly transported into myth and the modern world from line to line.
Examples of this include Miss Muffet finding herself brought out from nursery rhyme and into the stark reality of the modern world within a broken home family on social care. And the Lost Boys of Hollywood fiction fame is later connected to Shakespeare's Sycorax through memory.
Apart from the clever connections and switches between time and space, and myth and reality there are also many lines that please just through their deliciousness. An early example of this appears in the third quatrain:
'…Walk through
a valley's tears to reap a sickle moon
of cannibals and moon-calves fate has spooned.'
For the reader, Mermaid's Mother and Sycorax therefore combines the pleasures of a wondrous narrative with a tough mental workout, inspiring the reader to re-read the text and research all the ingredients scattered throughout the fifty-nine quatrains. I soon found myself looking up the story of The Tempest, and the Mermaid played a part in the birth of two poems. With uncanny timing, the new Pendulum album, Immersion, has a cover with a scene that could have been on the front of one of the Mermaid poems.
This poem is another example of quality thought provoking work by a poet who has shown her phenomenal productivity coupled with a wealth of knowledge to bring together so many poems and publications over the years. Several poems by other skilful poets after Wendy's work are the icing on the cake.


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My position on this motion is based in part on a technical concern, and in part on a procedural concern. The technical concern was summarized in the comment I sent along with my vote on the motion. I believe that a demonstration of technical feasibility, in the form of a working implementation, is vital. I have stated this position consistently and unambiguously for about a year now. The procedural concern is that we (802.3 and the SEC) allowed the 802.3ab PAR to be approved with a "waiver" of sorts on the 5 criteria, specifically the 4th criterion, Technical Feasibility. According to the 802.3 operating rules, the points which must be addressed for the Technical Feasibility criterion are: 4) Technical Feasibility Demonstrated feasibility; reports - working models. Proven technology, reasonable testing. Confidence in reliability. When the 5 criteria for 802.3ab were approved, these points were modified to read: 4) Technical Feasibility Demonstrated feasibility Proven technology Confidence in reliability Note the ommissions of the words "reports - working models" and "reasonable testing". The argument in favor of this modification was that it was impractical to expect anyone to committ the required resources to develop a prototype implementation so far in advance of the standard. Thus, we relied on simulations and analysis to assess the technical feasibility. While I believe that this was a reasonable approach at the PAR approval stage, I had every expectation that implementations would be designed and built by private interests in parallel with the standards development process, and that information learned from the implementation experience would be presented and considered by the 802.3ab Task Force. As recently as last November, 802.3 affirmed this expectation by adopting the following motion, in response to my negative Working Group ballot: TECHNICAL MOTION: That the response to Howard Frazier's disapprove comment be modified to: "While we appreciate your concern, we expect the existence proofs to be available by Sponsor Ballot. Given the simulation results and the design experience, it is appropriate to go forward to Sponsor Ballot with the existing draft." M: Ms. P. Thaler S: Mr. K. Daines Y: 42 N: 0 A: 2 Approved. My procedural concern, simply stated, is that the 802.3ab project has failed to meet expectations. Howard Frazier


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Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun
Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun
Get Dicey: Play Craps and Have Fun is a no-nonsense straightforward guide to the game of casino craps. It's written in a friendly and entertaining style, and you won't be subjected to some tedious and stupid system that claims to beat the casino. You'll get the facts straight from a one-time Las Vegas craps dealer with thousands of hours of live game experience. You won't have to spend a bunch of money bungling around at a dice game trying to figure out how to play. Read Get Dicey instead, approach the dice table with confidence, and have fun from the very first roll of the dice. After reading Get Dicey, you'll know the good bets from the bad bets. You'll know how to ask your dealer for help. You'll know cool betting techniques that make the game interesting and help you get the most action out of your money. Impress your friends with your new knowledge of craps. Read Get Dicey. It's your own private consultation with a game expert who has seen it all.
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About the Author
I have been hooked on fantasy and science fiction since preschool when I watched Star Trek the Original Series with my family on TV. Then came Star Wars at the theater when I was 5, and a few years later, I discovered the joys of reading fantasy with the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I quickly moved up to stronger stuff like Conan, and I currently like The Song of Ice and Fire. The elements I like most about the genres are the high stakes (save the world, overthrow the empire, etc.), the diversity of characters, and how magic or extraordinary technology allows plots to expand in interesting ways. The ability of fantasy and sci fi to include analysis and criticisms of social conditions like religion and politics is especially fascinating as well. When this is done in conventional humdrum fiction, people and readers descend into arguments about whether an opinion is valid or the historical information is accurate instead of assessing the concepts themselves. These interfering issues are not present in the purely metaphorical works that occur sometimes in fantasy and science fiction. Of course, fantasy and sci fi can just be fun as well. I love a good hero or heroine and villains can be the best of all. And there is something therapeutic about picking up a sword or blaster and solving the problems of the world. My taste in genre has inevitably married itself to my love of writing. For some reason I am a person capable of writing novels. The act of creating thousands of pages of fiction does not overwhelm me. Making it a good work of fiction is the hard part that requires countless hours of editing and rewriting and lots of daydreaming too. I have written a four-novel epic fantasy series entitled The Rys Chronicles. The individual novels of the series are: Union of Renegades, The Goddess Queen, Judgment Rising, and The Borderlands of Power. I produce my novels in paperback and ebooks, and readers all over the world have been kind enough to allow me to entertain them. Currently I am in the midst of writing another fantasy series. I expect this one to be 4 novels as well, and, as of February 2009, I am closing in on completing Book II. This series is still untitled and I won't be publishing it until it is complete. This process allows me to fine tune everything throughout the novels. When I'm not writing, my other passions include cooking, growing food, reducing my consumption of fossil fuels, and reading.


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Happy Friday the 13th, everyone. If you're living in Los Angeles, congratulations, because in doing so you're already celebrating this notoriously creepy holiday appropriately. Aside from its macabre history (Manson, the Black Dahlia), it's become a destination for dark twisted fantasies as of late. For a minute the city was almost at capacity in terms of comedy-leaning television: Transparent, You're the Worst, and not one but two Netflix series, Love and Flaked. But judging by this year's slate of movies, the constant sunshine, looming hills, and shadowy palm trees have a totally sinister appeal as well.
Take Under the Silver Lake: Last week it was announced that Andrew Garfield would be starring in director David Robert Mitchell's follow-up to the eerie, era-bending 2015 chiller It Follows, which is being described as "a modern-day-noir crime thriller" by Variety. Yesterday Dakota Johnson joined the project, and it begins filming—possibly in or around the hipster neighborhood—at the end of the summer. While little else is known about the plot, we're confident it will be just as visually and emotionally tense as It Follows. (But will it feature a haunting synth score is the question.)
Next week, Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon premieres at Cannes, and is set for release the following month. Elle Fanning stars as a top model who arrives in Los Angeles and is soon terrorized by her competitors. In the NSFW trailer below, she gets sized up by Christina Hendricks in an office against a backdrop of what looks like Beverly Hills and later prances at dusk along a railing in the canyon. The rest of the scenes give off major Black Swan vibes, except blue-lit and Malibu-adjacent. Refn's last affair with the seedy corners of California, 2011's Drive, scored big with critics, but the Danish director has expressed fatigue with stories about violent men and has turned his attention to an industry where the women are (arguably) more vicious.
Last month, The Invitation premiered in theaters and on-demand so that anyone who saw it definitely wanted to avoid those aforementioned hills for a while (and good luck if you live there). Director Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body, Girlfight) and writers Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi (Crazy/Beautiful, Clash of the Titans) had been contemplating the script for years, and Kusama's attention to uneasy ambience made it one of the best, and certainly more original, movies of 2016. To give too much away would be to spoil it, but the subgenre is a personal favorite: old friends at a dinner party, which never fails to go abysmally wrong. The trailer doesn't give too much away, but it does unfold in a palatial house replete with mid-century furnishings, and that isn't the only nod to distinctly L.A. signifiers (Scientology, mindfulness, Manson).
Also worth mentioning was last year's under-appreciated The Gift. Maybe mid-century isn't worth the price tag, everyone. This film likewise created a lot of tension with its glassed-in hillside setting, and one off-putting run-in at the Urban Home in Sherman Oaks. Directed by and starring Joel Edgerton, The Gift was something of a throwback to '90s-era vengeance thrillers that is hardly softened by all the blooming bougainvillea and expansive vistas. So, yeah, maybe this city is officially ominous.


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Must Try Dish of the Week: Chianti Risotto at Velo, Nyack
Megan McCaffrey
Risotto is a dish that demands a lot of TLC. Constant stirring, gentle liquid additions, whispering sweet nothings so that it doesn't dry out on you. In short, it's the perfect restaurant order.
The chianti risotto at Velo in Nyack is an absolute dame. A beautiful ruby red bowl-full of rich risotto, and sprinkled with earthy black truffles and shaved pecorino. Part bistro, part wine bar, Velo is small and intimate, but not cramped. We like it best for date night or a long overdue ladies night out.
Velo, 12 N. Broadway, Nyack, 845-353-7667, www.velonyack.com. Hours: Open for dinner only, starting at 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Reservations suggested.