Tanks & Artie Obsolete
Mon, 20 Jan 2003 18:48:58 -0500
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Subject: Re: Free Koowait!
Date: Monday 20 January 2003 03:07
From: James Rogers <firstname.lastname@example.org>
To: Ian Grigg <email@example.com>
On 1/19/03 10:50 PM, "Ian Grigg" <firstname.lastname@example.org> wrote:
> James Rogers wrote:
>> ... That said, tanks are largely
>> obsolete. The US has extended the viable combat life quite a bit through
>> the US of very advanced technology (as usual), but older and less
>> sophisticated systems are pretty defenseless as such things go. The
>> Abrams is probably the last Main Battle Tank the US will ever deploy.
Let me explain and flesh out some background philosophy. In the big scheme
of things, heavy armor is a substitute for intelligence and mobility. If
you have adequate intelligence and mobility you can dodge most attacks,
particularly if you are hard to detect. Furthermore, superior intelligence
and mobility lets you optimize YOUR attack to maximize results and minimize
damage on your side. Good armor is a compensatory measure premised on a
historical reality of the battlefield (bad real-time intelligence and
The problem is that mobile armor as a concept has some serious material
limits, and we are pretty close to those limits. The US has been working on
the development of the next-generation anti-armor guns for a long time now
and they are getting close to their goal, their goal being a kinetic energy
weapon system that operates at such extreme parameters that no realistic
armor system could withstand it due to the fundamental physical limits of
materials. In other words, it is an anti-armor weapon so powerful that it
can breach the material limits of physics as we generally know it. Needless
to say, this weaponry does not use conventional gun technology. In a sense,
a tank against one of these weapons would be like an armored medieval knight
going up against a trained rifleman -- bad premise, bad outcome.
The US armor systems are excellent, but we know that the armor systems will
become obsolete eventually because we are designing the weapon systems that
will obsolete them. The platform for these new anti-armor systems are very
fast, very mobile vehicles with state-of-the-art fire control systems.
We'll give up armor on these vehicles for speed because armor won't stop
these weapons anyway. It is much better to be hard to see, hard to hit, and
to be on top of the opponent before they know you are there and hit them
before they can hit you.
>From a psychology standpoint, think of how futile it must have felt to one
of the Iraqi tank commanders who made short-range direct hits on the Abrams
tank, only to have the Abrams tank armor shrug it off. Being in armor
already offers little protection against the American military, which is
well-armed for anti-armor work, but when we move to scads of light and cheap
vehicles, all of which sport guns that can slice-n-dice the best armor
systems physically possible and have the fire control systems to best tanks
at their own game, it will change the face of mechanized ground warfare
forever. The US is no more than a decade from the deployment of these
>> Artillery is obsolete, which is among the primary reasons the US has
>> decided not to upgrade their systems while phasing the old ones out.
>> Classic artillery is premised on the idea of lines of battle, which as I
>> mentioned in a previous post, is an obsolete concept in US military
Artillery gives good protection to an area, but it is difficult to move and
quite vulnerable to counter-battery systems. What has happened is that
comprehensive and increasingly sophisticated airborne weaponry is taking the
place of artillery systems. Even with the development of extremely
sophisticated and relatively mobile ground artillery systems, they are still
fundamentally limited by the basic properties of the weapon system.
The ultimate weakness of artillery relates to what I was talking about in a
previous post, in that the US military takes a 2.5-dimensional view of the
battlefield and requires that it can deliver ordnance to any point in that
space in short order. Artillery cannot deliver this capability.
However, the question remains regarding what a large combat division is to
do about delivering explosive ordnance on the battlefield. One system that
we are not neglecting for the infantry is mortars. In fact, we are actively
designing new mortar systems and developing a myriad of smart munitions for
them. The reason mortars have been strongly favored over artillery is that
they are very mobile. Mortar systems have a range of a mile or two, which
is perfectly adequate for most battlefields. Artillery systems have a range
of a couple tens of miles, but gain that additional range at the expense of
vulnerability and lack of mobility, and perform a role that air power and
missile systems could theoretically perform quite adequately.
So the gist of it is that the military has wisely spent a lot of money
improving the capability and mobility of mortar technology for the purpose
of battlefield support, while giving the long range ordnance role of the
artillery to the air force.
Mobility, battlefield intelligence, and lethality. Those are the
cornerstones of the future US military. I personally would not want to be
on a future battlefield, and if I was, I would definitely want to be on
whatever side the US was on.


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The 65th Ernest Hemingway International Billfish Tournament May 25-30, 2015
Marina Hemingway, Havana, Cuba
Patrick and John Hemingway depart Key West for Havana in the early morning of Friday, May 22; USCG cutter in the distance. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Boutwell.
As part of LAWGEF’s U.S.-Cuba Hemingway Commemorative Project, Ms. Mavis Anderson (Senior Associate, Latin America Working Group Education Fund–LAWGEF) and Dr. Jeffrey Boutwell (LAWGEF Board Member and Secretary, US Pugwash) helped secure approval for U.S. sport fishing boats to travel legally to Cuba in May 2015.
Over three days, from May 21-23, history was made as the first U.S. sport fishing boats in 35 years legally sailed from Key West to Havana to participate in the 65th Ernest Hemingway International Billfish Tournament, hosted by the Hemingway International Yacht Club in Havana, Cuba.
Two Hemingway grandsons, John and Patrick, sailed with M/V Tormenta Ramera, a Viking 64 sport fisher owned and captained by Tim Gipe of North Miami, FL. Departing the Safe Harbour Marina on Stock Island in Key West at about 6:30 AM on Friday, May 22, Tormenta Ramera crossed the Florida Straits in about 7 hours, with John and Patrick catching several dolphin fish (dorado) along the way.
The boat arrived at Hemingway Marina at about 1:30 in the afternoon, greeted by Hemingway Yacht Club Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich, members of the international press, and a sizeable crowd of tournament enthusiasts.
Other U.S. sport fishing boats that, with the help of LAWGEF board member Jeffrey Boutwell, obtained the necessary U.S. Commerce and Treasury licenses and US Coast Guard permits to enter Cuban territorial seas, arrived Friday afternoon and through the weekend. He and LAWGEF Senior Associate Mavis Anderson had been working since the fall of 2014 with Anthony Zamora and Bruce Kessler of the Florida-Cuba Environmental Coalition to assemble a group of U.S. boats to apply for and receive the necessary U.S. government permissions to travel to Cuba. By the early spring of 2015, the application process was well underway, and in consultation with the U.S. State Department and key Members of Congress, LAWGEF was able to secure the necessary approvals to allow a total of eight U.S. owned sport fishing boats to sail from Key West, Florida to the Marina Hemingway in Havana to participate in the tournament.
One of these, Therapy 2, a Hatteras 50C owned by Kurt Winters and Bob Zimmerman and captained by Kurt Winters, was the boat from which John and Patrick fished on the first official day of the tournament, Tuesday, May 26, accompanied by CBS news correspondent Dean Reynolds and camera crew. The CBS story on the Hemingway tournament and how the presence of U.S. boats marks a new phase in US-Cuba relations aired on the CBS Evening News on Thursday, May 28.
U.S. participation in the tournament also helps advance the conservation of important shared ocean resources in the Florida Straits between the two countries. As is well known, highly migratory species such as marlin, swordfish and Atlantic tuna depend upon healthy eco-systems along the coasts of both Cuba and the United States for adequate spawning grounds and marine environments in which they can mature. Yet, because of strained political relations between the U.S. and Cuba for more than half a century, our knowledge of the populations of marlin and other billfish is woefully inadequate, to say nothing of their breeding and migration patterns and overall health.
Accordingly, as a well-established international sporting event, the Hemingway Tournament can have positive environmental implications for Florida and the entire Gulf coast of the United States in fostering closer collaboration between the sport fishing and ocean resource communities in both countries. This is especially true as the Hemingway International Billfish Tournament is a ‘catch and release’ competition (and as such is sanctioned by the International Game Fish Association, headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, FL), and U.S. participants will be advocating for the use of ‘circle hooks’ by all participants so as to improve the survival rate of sport fish that are caught and released.
As many as 25 international sport fishing teams competed in the Hemingway tournament through the remainder of the week, concluding on Saturday, May 30 with the final day of fishing and awards ceremony that evening at the Marina’s Hotel Acuario. Over four days of fishing, participants caught (and released) 40 blue marlin, 12 white marlin, and assorted sailfish and dolphin fish (dorado).
On their return trip to Key West on Sunday, May 31, John and Patrick Hemingway traveled on Therapy 2 and were joined by Washington Post reporter Nick Miroff. Other U.S. boats in the LAWGEF group traveling to Key West included Blue Heron, Imagine, Key Player, Ranger and The Good Life, and all were boisterously welcomed by Key West boaters and fishermen who have been waiting three and-a-half decades to once again sail legally across the 90+ nautical miles of the Florida Straits to Cuba, as Ernest Hemingway so often did from the 1930s through the 1950s.
LAWG Press Release:
News Coverage of the 65th Hemingway International Billfish Tournament
- CBS News, “Hemingway fishing contest reels in U.S.-Cuba relations”
- CubaDebate via Prensa Latina, “Grandchildren of Ernest Hemingway, Good Friends of Cuba”
- CubaCentral via El Nuevo Heraldo, “Grandchildren of Ernest Hemingway partake in Cuban fishing tournament”
- Fox News Latino via EFE, “U.S. boats arrive in Cuba for Hemingway International Billfish Tournament”
- Star Tribune via Associated Press, “Better US-Cuba relations a boon to ‘Hemingway’ sport fishing tournament”
- ABC News Radio, “Hemingway Fishing Competition in Cuba Produces American Winner”
- Florida Keys News, “Hemingway’s grandsonto partake in tournament”
- The Tampa Tribune, “Tampa man helping Cubans prepare for onslaught of fishing tourism”
- The Tampa Tribune, “Havana fishing event brings anglers, worlds together”
- The Tampa Bay Times, “With outrage still flowing in Miami, U.S. and Cuba restore diplomatic ties”
Cobertura periodística en español
- El Nuevo Heraldo, “Nietos de Hemingway participan en Torneo de Pesca en Cuba”
- La Opinion, “Nietos de Hemingway navegarán hasta La Habana para torneo de pesca”
- El Pais, “Los Hemingway vuelven por mar a Cuba”
Video Coverage of the 65th Hemingway International Billfish Tournament
- CBS News, “Hemingway fishing contest reels in U.S.-Cuba relations”
- Fox 23 News, “Americans Snatch Top Honors Cuban Hemingway Tournament”
Letter to the Editor at the Washington Post
To the LAWGEF community,
On Saturday, June 6 the Washington Post published a front-page story about the Hemingway International Billfish Tournament, but with no mention of LAWGEF itself and no context of the important role it secured in obtaining the Commerce and Treasury licenses, and USCG permits, that allowed the eight U.S. sport fishing boats to travel from Key West to Havana to participate in the tournament. Unfortunately, the article also only quoted one participant’s experience of the tournament, failing to convey the overall positive experience that the vast majority of American fishermen had while competing in the tournament. Below is a letter to the editor of the Washington Post that I wrote to give a more accurate picture of U.S. involvement in the tournament. The Letters to the Editor section of the Post responded that they were considering publishing the letter, but thus far it has not run.
Jeffrey Boutwell, Board Member, Latin America Working Group Education Fund
Below is the letter to the editor submitted by Jeffrey Boutwell:
I coordinated obtaining U.S. government licenses and permits for a group of eight U.S. sport fishing boats to participate in the 65th Hemingway International Billfish Tournament in Cuba from May 25-30. This was the first time in 35 years that U.S. boats legally sailed to Cuba for the Hemingway tournament, and yes, there were instances of misbehavior by some Cuban customs agents upon entering and leaving the Marina Hemingway in Havana, as reported in the June 6 front-page article “In Hemingway’s restless waters.” We are making our concern about this behavior known and expect it will be corrected in the future. More than 50 Americans were on these boats fishing in the tournament (most agreeing with one boat owner that it was “the greatest fishing trip my team has ever experienced”), and they very much look forward to fishing again in Cuban waters.
Jeffrey Boutwell, Washington
The writer is a member of the board of the Latin America Working Group Education Fund.
- The Washington Post, “For these Hemingways, a crossing of the Florida Straits conjures Old Cuba”

domain: geography


text:
LEGO fansite Classic Castle’s annual Colossal Castle Contest is upon us yet again. Now in its 16th year, this long-running contest draws out scores of world-class builders. We’ve got our eyes on all the contenders, but the one that caught my eye today is Isaac Snyder with a pair of simple yet elegant medieval builds. While modest in both scale and intent, Isaac has crafted a wonderful slice of middle-age urbanism, with neatly designed houses crowding over a packed street. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Isaac has opted for a refreshingly clean aesthetic, eschewing the now-common jumbled style of bricks at crazy angles and roofs mere moments from collapse.
Next, Isaac moves to the countryside while retaining the same tidy style, bringing us a happy cottage on a streambank. The wattle and daub architecture is expertly accomplished, and the little touches like the chicken coop give life to the scene.
The phrase chocolate box cottage is a peculiar British saying that dates back to a time when biscuits, toffees and other treats were sold in packaging depicting country idylls. Builder Emil Lidé has run with the idea, creating an archetypical black and white timber-framed cottage. From the bowed roof that meets at a pleasingly crooked LEGO chimney, to the authentic thatch made from an array of tan bars and clips, he’s captured the essence of the English countryside. I can just imagine taking tea in the garden with a slice of Victoria sponge cake, and in spirit, I’m in England.
A cottage in the woods is a very pastoral setting, but this cottage by Pavel Angelov Marinov looks a bit sad and neglected. Could be the perfect hiding spot for an evil sorcerer, or a fugitive framed for the murder of his wife by a mysterious one-armed man, or even a beautiful princess troubled by a curse. Between the overgrown landscape, the dilapidated stone walls, and the roof with a tree growing out of it, this cottage could use some love. Maybe some industrious little dwarves with funny names would be up to the task.
One of my favorite features of this model is the roof. Using ball joints first introduce by LEGO in 2014 in the Mixels theme provides the perfect organic curve to build the crooked thatched look. Also, Pavel’s choice of olive green stems mixed in with the traditional green ones provides a nice contrast with the green flowers.
Fall is changing to winter, at least in North America, and it always seems to inspire LEGO builders to depict these changing seasons in bricks. emillide has put together a lovely set of tiny cottages, experimenting with many interesting roof and tree techniques, some of which are truly baffling.
Take this summer scene, for example. I am at a total loss trying to figure out how that tree on the left is holding together, but I love it. Also, each cottage has a different base construction, making a nice finished model.
See more delightful cottages
Most of us grew up watching old Disney films. César Soares says he wanted to live in the cottage in the woods when he watched Snow White as a kid. This fabulous LEGO representation of the Seven Dwarves’ cosy abode is based on a Thomas Kinkade depiction of the famous film.
Cesar claims to have “rushed the build a bit” to make room for other projects, although I see no evidence the final result suffered for it. There is so much to love about this model — the cute little bridge, the shapely trees, and the lived-in feel of the cottage with its gently smoking chimney. Superb landscaping technique and a beautiful array of colourful flowers round this creation off perfectly.

domain: hobby


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Investing.com - U.S. stock markets were modestly lower after the open on Thursday, as investors digested contradicting U.S. employment data, while concerns over further budgetary battles facing the U.S. came into focus.
During early U.S. morning trade, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%, the S&P 500 declined 0.1%, while the Nasdaq 100 slumped 0.1%.
Payroll processing firm ADP said earlier that non-farm private employment rose by a seasonally adjusted 215,000 in December, above expectations for an increase of 133,000.
The previous month's figure was revised up to a gain of 148,000 from a previously reported increase of 118,000.
Separately, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending December 29 rose by 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 372,000, compared to expectations for a decline of 7,000 to 355,000.
Jobless claims for the preceding week were revised up to 362,000 from a previously reported 350,000,
Market players were now eyeing the release of the minutes of the Federal Reserve's most recent policy-setting meeting.
At that meeting, the Fed pledged to keep interest rates at near-zero levels so long as the unemployment rate is above 6.5% and provided inflation in the year or two ahead is below 2.5%.
Traders also looked ahead to Friday's highly-anticipated data on U.S. nonfarm payrolls, as investors attempt to gauge the strength of the country's economic recovery.
Any improvement in the U.S. economy could scale back expectations for further easing from the Fed.
Meanwhile, investors remained concerned over the longer term fiscal outlook in the U.S., with negotiations on raising the U.S. debt ceiling still to come in February.
Echoing the growing nervousness over the debt ceiling debate, a spokesman from the International Monetary Fund warned that "more remains to be done" to lower the U.S. debt load.
Rating agency Moody's said Wednesday that avoiding the fiscal cliff was only the first in a number of steps needed to ensure that the U.S. kept its coveted triple-A rating.
Standard & Poor's, which downgraded the U.S. to AA+ from AAA in August 2011, said the deal had done little to alter the country's negative credit outlook.
In earnings news, Family Dollar saw shares plunge 11.5% after the discount retailer lowered its earnings outlook for the second quarter, citing a "challenging" holiday season.
First quarter profit at the company totaled USD80.3 million, compared to USD80.4 million in the year-ago period.
Data-storage firm Mellanox Technologies saw shares plunge 17.5% after the company lowered its revenue forecast for the fourth quarter.
On the upside, clothing retailer Gap saw shares jump 4.5% after it agreed to acquire women's fashion boutique firm Intermix in a deal valued at USD130 million.
Across the Atlantic, European stock markets were mildly lower. The EURO STOXX 50 declined 0.5%, France's CAC 40 shed 0.5%, Germany's DAX slumped 0.3%, while Britain's FTSE 100 eased up 0.1%.
During the Asian trading session, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was little changed, while Japan's Nikkei 225 Index was closed for a national holiday.
Investing.com - Investing.com offers an extensive set of professional tools for the Forex, Commodities, Futures and the Stock Market including real-time data streaming, a comprehensive economic calendar, as well as financial news and technical & fundamental analysis by in-house experts.
Read more News on Investing.com or Follow us on Twitter at @ Newsinvesting
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

domain: economics


Clara Bagnasco, Amedeo Cappelli, Bernardo Magnini
The purpose of this paper is to show that by a combination of state of art technologies it is possible to realize effective and powerful dialogue systems for Information-Seeking applications. TAMIC-P, a prototype natural language based interface will be described. The system is designed to support Public Administration desk operators during an information session with a citizen. Three aspects work together to determine the system usability: (i) a strong multimodal approach, allowing full interchangeability between natural language and direct manipulation; (ii) a robust dialogue component, allowing complex sequences of turns; (iii) the adaptive integration of different information sources, such as personal data and related norms.
Keywords: Natural Language Access to databases, Dialogue systems, Multimodality
Citation: Clara Bagnasco, Amedeo Cappelli, Bernardo Magnini: A Dialogue Environment for Accessing Public Administration Data: the TAMIC-P System. In W.Horn (ed.): ECAI2000, Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2000, pp.686-690.


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Hong Kong’s Netizens Protest Internet Bill
This article was posted on Monday, 18:22, UTC.
Hong Kong citizens protested along Hong Kong Streets on Wednesday night of this week, and plan to do so until the new year. Until then, they plan on informing the Hong Kong citizenry about a bill they say will infringe upon internet freedoms. A rally outside Hong Kong’s Legislative Council featured a banner reading, “Fight for the freedom of the next generation.” According to the LA Times, several hundred turned out in opposition to a copyright bill with implications for freedom expression. Opponents say the bill could send them to jail for merely sending a link. Proponents believe the bill…
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domain: news


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Haven chef Kim Alter finds her groove
When Daniel Patterson opened Haven more than a year ago, it felt like a strong endorsement for the reinvigoration of Jack London Square in Oakland.
The restaurant, three years in the making, is in a six-story building that was slated for a large food-related complex similar to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. That development seems to have stalled, so at night, while you can see people milling around in the distance at Lungomare and Bocanova, Haven, next to the railroad tracks, feels desolate.
Yet, the restaurant has survived - and thrived - under the helm of chef Kim Alter.
There's no denying that Alter is a talented chef. Her plates are among the most complex I've seen. A cadre of chefs - more than in many kitchens of similar restaurants - supports her vision. Five or six techniques are visible on just about every dish, along with an unusual juxtaposition of ingredients. They're often served on oversize pottery heavy enough to keep Arnold Schwarzenegger's biceps pumped.
The intricate techniques belie Alter's bold flavors. Handkerchief pasta ($14) is a complex blend that brings together sugar snap peas cut on the diagonal, chunks of uni, hon shimeji mushrooms, green garlic and delicate greens that she undoubtedly found at the farmers' market that morning.
In fact, just about every dish - hot or cold, robust or delicate - gets a garnish of young greens and blossoms.
Asparagus salad ($13) starts with a puddle of creamy sauce gribiche overlaid with spears of asparagus, shavings of the raw stalk that curl around frise, and cubes of miso-aged tofu blackened on the outside.
Duck ($29) featured oatmeal as a grain, along with beets, ramps, a spring onion sofrito and chocolate.
Turnip soup ($10) was surprisingly subtle, given its garnish of horseradish cream and beet "caviar" - little red beads of the root vegetable. So were the little neck clams ($14) in an overly mild vadouvan broth, with baby turnips, caramelized garlic, mustard flowers and chunks of toasted bread.
At times, the amalgamation of flavors can mute the individual components. For example, two chunks of bavette steak ($28), blackened outside and bright red on the interior, competed with smoked kale, roasted kohlrabi and cipollini onions. The same with medallions of stuffed chicken breast ($26), with potato-parsnip puree, mushrooms and fennel in several guises.
Each flavor was good in isolation, but I'm not sure they always came together.
That's also my problem with the restaurant's interior - a mix of brick walls, tile and a rough wood ceiling. The large windows overlooking Jack London Square are hung with white, gauzy drapes gathered and tied at the bottom, which looks makeshift.
There are three desserts, including a honey panna cotta ($8) with roasted and raw pears, Meyer lemon and the unnecessary addition of shiso; and a banana cake ($8) arranged around chocolate mousse, coconut and almond brittle.
As Alter seems to have found her groove, so has the service. On earlier visits, waiters didn't bring utensils for the family-style dishes; now they do. The staff is attentive, but not overbearing. They help promote a pleasant, lively atmosphere - until you walk out the door, hit by the chill off the bay and the empty building waiting for an infusion of life.
44 Webster St. (at the Embarcadero), Oakland; (510) 663-4440. www.havenoakland.com.
Dinner 5-10 p.m Sunday and Wednesday-Thursday, until 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday; brunch 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Full bar. Reservations and credit cards accepted. Paid lots.
|Overall||Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS||Atmosphere||Rating: TWO STARS|
|Food||Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS||Prices||$$$$|
|Service||Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS||Noise Rating||Noise Rating: THREE BELLS|

domain: food


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Co-Founder Tracy Flanagan Shares the Mission Behind the Veteran-Centric Franchisor
Tracy Flanagan says that veterans are the strongest people you’ll ever meet. And she should know. Not only is she married to Army veteran Jerry Flanagan (above), but together they created JDog Brands, a 300-unit home services franchisor that exclusively partners with veterans and military family members.
Although veteran unemployment is generally lower than civilian unemployment, many veterans still struggle to find work. The U.S. Department of Labor shows that the veteran unemployment rate dropped to 2.7% in October 2022, down from 4.1% the prior year. But the Flanagans aim to lower that percentage even further (to under 1%) by providing opportunities for veteran business ownership and employment.
While there are many resources for veteran entrepreneurs, the Flanagans have created something trully unique with JDog. Their extended family of veteran entrepreneurs makes a difference every day by helping fellow veterans transition smoothly to civilian life. Tracy describes the impact that JDog business owners make as nothing short of incredible.
Through JDog, the Flanagans have empowered hundreds of veterans to launch their own businesses. In turn, those JDog franchise owners have employed fellow veterans in their communities. They have created a franchise company based on respect, integrity, and trust that follows the principles of hard work, dedication, and community service. Here, Tracy shares the mission and vision behind this veteran-centric brand.
1. Please share the goal and vision of JDog.
For veterans returning from service, transitioning to civilian life can be difficult. For those with entrepreneurial passions, carving out a lane to first-time business ownership can be just as challenging. JDog Brands, the nearly 300-unit home services franchisor behind both JDog Junk Removal & Hauling and JDog Carpet Cleaning & Floor Care, was created in 2011 with a unique mission to solve this issue by providing veterans with a reliable path to successful, first-time business ownership. JDog Brands was built on military values, with respect, integrity, and trust at its core. These values are upheld through all JDog communications and jobs. Our goal is to lower veteran unemployment to under 1% with a JDog in every zip code.
The military encourages a lifestyle of honor, courage, and service, which can, unfortunately, be the opposite of many modern work environments.
2. Why do you franchise exclusively to vets?
The military encourages a lifestyle of honor, courage, and service, which can, unfortunately, be the opposite of many modern work environments. That is why many veterans find it extremely difficult when trying to transition into civilian positions post-service. We offer job and business opportunities to lower the veteran unemployment rate.
After declaring bankruptcy during the Great Recession, my husband Jerry, a veteran himself, saw this firsthand. He set out to create a recession-proof company that could provide lucrative work opportunities that aligned with the skills, needs, and values of veterans. We decided on the junk hauling industry, establishing JDog Junk Removal & Hauling as a welcoming space for veteran entrepreneurs and quickly building a trusted reputation in their local community.
3. How has JDog impacted veterans and their families?
It has been an incredible experience watching the JDog family grow. We’ve watched veterans who were either unemployed or extremely frustrated proudly launch their own businesses and also bring employment opportunities to their communities. We’ve given veterans the ability to own or work on something they are truly passionate about. They give back to other veterans and their communities in the most selfless way possible. The impact these business owners have made is nothing short of incredible.
4. What do you want veterans to know about JDog?
That we’re here! We offer franchise opportunities for veterans and military family members, who we find share these same values on which we created our brands.
If there is a veteran-owned business in your community, make sure you’re supporting it.
5. What are some common misconceptions about veterans?
I think a lot of times, veterans come out of the service and people assume their skillset doesn’t translate to anything other than what they were trained to do in their military positions. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Veterans come with those skills yes, but also an amazing foundation to be franchise owners. They bring passion, determination and loyalty to their jobs, and are proven to be successful at following a model. They are the reason JDog Brands has seen the success it has.
6. Anything else you would like to share about veterans in franchising?
Veterans are the strongest people you’ll ever meet. If there is a veteran-owned business in your community, make sure you’re supporting it. Jerry and I couldn’t be prouder of every single owner in the system and what they bring to the veteran and franchising industries.

domain: sociology


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MONTEZUMA BLUEGRASS BANDS
Blend some banjo picking with harmonica harmonies and you’ll have the makings of a classic Bluegrass Band. Our professional performers can bring more than the sounds of the South to your event – book one in the Montezuma, NC area and see for yourself!
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domain: artistic


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Are you smarter than a 7th grade civics student?
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• IT Field Engineer


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How are you today? And how was your weekend? I hope it was as good as mine 😊
I spent most of it at the JAFF Writer/Reader Get Together where I talked to wonderful people who love the same things that I do, listened to interesting panels, and even had a chance to participate in one myself!
This year I was invited by Victoria Kinkaid to speak at the blogger panel along with Meredith Esparza from Austenesque Reviews and Sophie Andrews from Laughing with Lizzie. Sophie was going to approach social media in JAFF, and I thought that it would be nice to take same data concerning blogging with me because I always felt that people didn’t know much about blogging and bloggers in this community. I spoke about it with Meredith, and she kindly accepted to join me in this project, so we worked together to build 3 surveys to all those involved in the book blogging industry: Bloggers, Readers and Writers. After we retrieved the results, we analyzed them and presented them at the conference, but I know some of you didn’t have a chance to be there, and I’m sure many of you participated in our surveys, so I thought that it would be nice to share the results with you here today.
Before we move along, I just want to share with you how much I loved working with Meredith on this project! She was an amazing partner, and it was really nice to have someone like her to discuss ideas with and improve the project 😊
I also want to thank everyone who dedicated some of their time filling the surveys, they were really informative and important for our presentation, and even for our blogs as we are now aware of a few things we need to improve 😊 So let’s take a look at what you told us, shall we?
What do Book Bloggers Actually Do?
- Read Books
- Post Book Reviews on multiple platforms: Blogs; Amazon; Goodreads; Facebook, etc
- Revisit the book in other Blog Posts weeks or months later
- Favorites Lists; Recommendations; etc
- Giveaway management (selecting and announcing winners; receive winners contact’s; share them with authors, etc)
- Interview Authors
- Work on guest posts/excerpts/cover reveals, etc.
- Answer to authors and readers emails
- Answer to blog posts comments
How much time do they spend doing it?
We had 11 bloggers answering to our survey. The majority of them has been blogging for over 10 years (46%) and they read many books per year to be able to keep up with their blogs. 36,4% of them read between 51 and 100 books a year, and 36,4% read between 31 to 50. 91% of these bloggers admitted that the books they are reading are review requests from authors or publishers and this is further proof of the connection that exists between bloggers and authors in this community.
But let’s go back to our initial question. We already know bloggers spend many hours reading books to review (especially if they are slow readers like myself), but if we do not count with the hours spent reading, exactly how much time do they dedicated each week to their blogs? And how many posts do they publish on average each month? (should have used the same scale, right? Live and learn…).
45,5% of bloggers spend between 1 and 5 hours each week creating content, answering to emails, organizing their agenda, etc, but the majority of them (54,5%) spends more then 5 hours per week working on their blogs. This means that most bloggers dedicate at least one working day each week to their blogs, and all out of love for this genre because let’s face it, this is not our just, it’s just our hobbie.
The time they dedicate to their bloggs is materialized in more then 6 posts per month for the majority of bloggers. Of course that the more posts a blogger publishes, the more time he needs to dedicate to his/her blog, and I can tell you from my personal experience that it is not easy to keep up with 2 posts per week. In fact, when we asked bloggers what their main struggle was, the common word we saw in the comments was time. Bloggers wish they had more time to do more, improve their blogs, innovate their content, reduce their stress levels, but alas, each day only has 24 hours, so we do the best we can with the time we have 🙂
How do bloggers impact readers and authors?
This is the material question isn’t it? I mean, why spend so much of our time to blogging if it doesn’t have any impact?
We started by asking authors if they visit blogs to promote their books and if they ask bloggers to review their books.
It came as no surprise to us that the majority of authors does visit blogs to talk about their books, and even more request bloggers to review their books.
So, do they notice any impact on their sales after visiting a blog? Let’s face it, writing is a job just like any other, so authors need to sell books to continue writing, and to sell them, they need to reach out to readers, which means they expect their blog visits to have some impact in their sales. We didn’t ask authors how they can tell a post or a review in a blog has an impact in their sales, but we are assuming they notice the number of sold books in the days following a blog visit.
While 30,6% of authors doesn’t see an impact on their sales after a blog visit, and for 22,2% this is not applicable (probably those who do not visit blogs), 47,2% do admit to see an increase in their sales after visiting a blog. This number increases when we are talking about reviews, and that is something I find particularly interesting.
If we look at the percentage of authors who believes their sales increase after a review is published in a blog, it is slightly higher with 55,6% of authors seeing an impact. So this tells us that even though all types of posts have an impact on sales, the reviews are the ones that most help authors sell their books. That is also interesting because reviews are also the type of post readers value the most, so readers and authors are in agreement here 😊
Of course this is the authors perspective, and probably their findings immediately after a blog visit or blog review, but what are readers saying? Could they have a different perspective?
What do readers say?
Well, readers say they do buy books based on bloggers reviews or suggestions, and they may not buy the book immediately after the post was published in the blog, they may do it a few days later, or maybe even a few months later, but when asked on a scale from 1 to 5 how likely they are to be influenced to read or not read a book based on a bloggers review, 52,3% answered 4 and 26% answered 5, so around 78% of readers are likely to read a book based on a bloggers suggestion.
And if we look at the graphic below, we can see that 96,5% of readers buy books based on bloggers suggestions. That is not a small number is it?
When does a review impact readers?
How can we explain that 96,5% of readers claim to buy books based on bloggers suggestions, but only 56% of authors claim to notice that? Well, the answer is simple, readers don’t read reviews only on the day they are published, they also check the bloggers archives or databases. I’ve remodelled my blog this year to have menus that would allow readers to navigate the blog and find older reviews (searching by author or genre) and excerpts, and I know some of my fellow bloggers do the same, so we do try to have the content available months and years after it was initially published.
As you can see, 59,3% of readers admits to check a blog’s archives to see older reviews, and these readers are in fact visiting blogs quite frequently, and some of them faithfully over time. 52,3% of readers state they visit between 4 and 6 blogs, and they do it if not daily, at least several times a week as the following graphic demonstrates:
What else have we learned?
Our surveys had several open questions and those allowed us to better understand our readers and authors alike. They even allowed us to understand we are not alone and that most bloggers struggle with the same issues we do, but also find rewards in the same matters.
We discovered as mentioned earlier that the bloggers biggest challenge is the time they require to keep a blog active, but we also confirmed that authors who visit blogs mostly have good interactions and enjoyed the experience. It was really important for us to read so many encouraging comments, so thank you dear authors!
We’ve also learned that some authors are apprehensive about reaching out to bloggers, or do not know how to do it. This was particularly important to discover, because we had no idea (at least I didn’t) that this was happening, so if you are an author and you would like a bloggers assistance in spreading out the word about your book, all you need to do is send us an email and telling us you have a new book coming out, I’m sure we’re all happy to help, and I also believe readers will appreciate getting to know new authors through our blogs. On a personal note, I’ll make sure to update my blog and make my email contact more visible, and also add links to my Facebook and Instagram accounts, that may help 🙂
We have also discovered that both authors and readers want more reviews in our blogs, and that combined with the bloggers biggest challenge may be a hard goal to accomplish. I’ve just checked, and this year I’ve published 42 reviews, unfortunately I really do not think I can do more 😦 I will try, I promise, but I don’t think I’ll be able to publish more than 50 each year. I can, however, improve the layout and navigation of my blog as that was another issue readers mentioned they would have like to see improved in blogs. How’s that for a compromise?
The last interesting finding we had with the survey was that readers would like more critical reviews, and that is something that I can also do my best to accomplish. It is not always easy to find the right balance in a review, and I always try to be fair, but I can also work on more objective yet spoiler free reviews 😊 Let me know if I am improving, will you?
What do you think?
So, what did you think of our findings? Was this interesting? I didn’t publish every single graphic, nor did I add everything we discovered, as that would have been too extensive, but I hope that what I’ve shared was of any use to all of you.
And if it was, let me know. Who knows we’ll make this a tradition and repeat this survey on an yearly basis 😉 If you’re up to it, of course as this survey will never be possible without your contribution. So let me finish by saying a big THANK YOU to all who participated in our survey, and also another huge THANK YOU to Meredith for working with me on this, and of course to Victoria and Summer for all the hard work they put out each year to make the JAFF Writer/Reader Get Together a reality.
THANK YOU EVERYONE!

domain: literature


text:
This enormous increase in providing care for mental health illustrates the shift in our approach as well as the diverse and complex psychological needs people face in myriad contexts, from war-wounded and traumatised children in the Middle East, to families fleeing conflict and making perilous journeys across Africa, Central America, and the Mediterranean Sea.
A lack of services
“As there are almost no providers in the contexts where we work, we often have to create our own mental health programmes,” says Marcos Moyano, MSF mental health advisor. “I recently visited our projects in Greece, where we provide specialised mental health support for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers.
“The suffering these people have been exposed to and the level of their mental health needs are amongst the highest we have ever seen. But there are very few organisations who provide specialised care to these people,” says Moyano.
In addition to the lack of services, come taboos, stigmas and suspicion surrounding mental health in many parts of the world. We have to work with communities to spread awareness and educate people on the importance of mental health. Despite the varying challenges, whether providing support in emergencies or treating people affected by war and conflict, treating mental health needs across the world remain a priority for our teams.

domain: health


Can you use ball end strings on a classical guitar?
Nylon classical strings are available in two formats: tie-on and ball end . Oh, and never fit steel strings to a classical guitar . Most nylon-strung guitars don’t have trussrods to protect their necks from the increased tension of steel strings , which means the neck on your guitar will warp.
Can you string a classical guitar with acoustic strings?
But unless you ‘re an advanced player, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference between them. The most important thing is that you use classical guitar strings (most commonly made with nylon strings ), not steel strings (or regular acoustic strings ).
Can you put regular strings on a classical guitar?
We suggest quality set of “normal tension” classical strings from a company like D’Addario. NEVER PUT STEEL STRINGS ON A CLASSICAL GUITAR . Most nylon-strung guitars do not have truss-rods to protect their necks from the increased tension of steel strings , which means the neck on your guitar could warp.
What happens if you put nylon strings on a steel string guitar?
When you put nylon strings on a steel string acoustic guitar you may experience some weirdness including: The high G, B, and E strings may be too thick for the nut slots. The strings may buzz excessively. The action may feel too low (usually goes hand-in-hand with buzzing).
How long do classical guitar strings last?
If you play often, say for 2 hours a day every day, then you should look at changing them every month. If you play less often then look at changing them every 2 to 3 months. Under no circumstances put acoustic steel strings on a classical guitar !
Can you string a steel string guitar with nylon strings?
Yes, you can . Not so much the other way round, as steel strings on a guitar built for nylon strings may snap the neck entirely due to the increased tension, but popping nylon strings on a guitar built for steel strings will work.
Can you use a pick with nylon strings?
Downside to using a pick , is that string skipping (jumping over one or more strings ) can be more difficult than when playing with fingers, e.g. when playing arpeggio patterns. If you play a nylon string guitar with a pick , be careful not to scratch the surface, as they rarely have pick guards to protect the body.
Why do classical guitars have nylon strings?
The soft, soothing sound of nylons strings Acoustic guitars and electric guitars use steel strings , whereas classical guitars use nylon strings . Nylon strings have large vibrational amplitude when plucked, and require sufficient space between strings to ensure they do not hit the adjacent string .
What are the best classical guitar strings?
The Best Nylon / Classical Guitar Strings La Bella 820. D’Addario EJ49. Savarez 540R. D’Addario EJ43. Hannabach 815 LT. D’Addario EJ46. Savarez 500CJ. Ernie Ball 2069.
Can you put silk and steel strings on a classical guitar?
It’s what you would use on a steel string acoustic guitar to make it sound like a classical /nylon/Spanish (all the same thing) guitar . So the silk and steel let you have a nylon string guitar sound on your steel string . Course, they don’t sound exactly like a nylon string , but they do pretty good.
Should I buy acoustic or classical guitar?
If you want to know why most guitarists start on an acoustic or classical guitar , it’s usually because an acoustic is a little less harsh on the fingers and a very simple pick-up-and-play option. You don’t need an amplifier to hear the sound properly and they are often available at a lower price than electric guitars .
What is the difference between hard tension and normal tension classical guitar strings?
It follows that high tension strings are generally heavy strings , while normal and low tension are lighter strings . The three treble strings are commonly made of nylon, but can also be made of more dense fluorocarbon.


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Payroll Departments Should Get Ready for Wage Base Increase
The annual Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Fund report was issued earlier this year (2016). In that report are wage base projections through 2025, projections that suggest the wage base will increase to as much as $190,200 over the next nine years. While no one knows for sure how high the wage base will go, payroll departments should get ready for the increase we already know is coming for next year.
Are you a small business owner still handling payroll in-house? If so, changes in the wage base may be the motivation you need to consider online payroll services for small business. A third-party payroll provider streamlines the payroll process and takes all the headaches out of compliance.
An Explanation of Wage Base
Formally known as the Social Security Wage Base (SSWB), the wage base is the maximum gross income to which social security taxes may be applied. Social Security taxes are collected in order to pay the benefits of retirees.
When calculating payroll, the employer must consider a worker’s total gross income as it relates to the wage base. For purposes of illustration, consider the 2010 wage base of $106,800. Social Security taxes at that time were assessed at 6.20%. Both employer and employee paid the same rate.
An employee with a total gross income of $10,000 would pay $620 in social security tax; his/her employer would pay the same amount. Likewise, a worker with a total gross income of $110,000 would also pay social security taxes. But he/she would pay an effective rate of 6% because only $106,800 of his/her income would be subject to social security taxes. The remaining $3,200 would be exempt.
If this all seems confusing to you, you are not alone. Wage base calculations are just one reason companies choose to contract with payroll services for small business. They are content to let payroll professionals deal with social security taxes rather than having to figure it out themselves.
Future Wage Base Increases
Getting back to the main topic at hand – the government’s annual report and the wage base increase – it is interesting to note why the wage base tends to go up from year to year. In simple terms, it has to do with the current state of the Social Security program and whether estimates indicate there will be enough money in the system to pay future obligations.
The government projects the wage base using three sets of assumptions. What the actual wage base will be is not known until a final decision is made near the end of the current year. Wage base numbers for 2017 are expected to be announced in October. Having said that, the three sets of assumptions are high-cost estimate, intermediate estimate, and low-cost estimate.
Estimates are based on what the government thinks it will need to maintain social security payments in that year. If the social security program is as expensive as they believe that it might be by 2025, the wage base could be set at $190,200. If their expectations come in at the low end, the 2025 wage base might be closer to $160,000.
Knowing the annual wage base is necessary in order to withhold and pay the right amount of social security taxes. As complicated and confusing as it might be, social security taxes are an essential part of payroll processing. Small business owners either learn to do it, or they hire someone to do it for them. Contracting payroll services for small business is just one way of addressing the issue.

domain: finance


text:
Exceptional leadership and Board governance expected to expand applications of InmedixÂ® CloudHRVâ„¢ .
NORMANDY PARK, WA, USA, December 12, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Seattle-based medtech/biotech Inmedix, Inc., developers of immuno-autonomics and cloud-based clinical diagnostics to quantify stress biology with precision, announced today the addition of Leroy Hood MD, PhD to its Board of Directors.
A world-renowned scientist and recipient of the National Medal of Science in 2011, Dr. Leroy Hood co-founded the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in 2000, served as its first President from 2000-2017 and is a Professor and Chief Strategy Officer. In 2016, ISB affiliated with Providence where Dr. Hood now serves as Emeritus Science Advisor.
He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. Of the more than 6,000 scientists worldwide who belong to one or more of these academies, Dr. Hood is one of only 20 people elected to all three.
He received his MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and his PhD in biochemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Dr. Hood was a faculty member at Caltech from 1967-1992, serving for 10 years as the Chair of Biology. During this period, he and his colleagues developed four sequencer and synthesizer instruments that paved the way for the Human Genome Projectâ€™s successful mapping and understanding of the human genome. He and his students also deciphered many of the complex mechanisms of antibody diversification. In 1992, Dr. Hood founded and chaired the Department of Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Washington, the first academic department devoted to cross-disciplinary biology.
Dr. Hood has played a role in founding 15 biotechnology companies including Amgen, Applied Biosystems, Arivale, and Nanostring. He has co-authored textbooks in biochemistry, immunology, molecular biology, genetics, and systems biology.
Dr. Hood is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Lasker Award for Studies of Immune Diversity (1987), the Kyoto Prize in advanced technology (2002), the Heinz Award for pioneering work in Systems Biology (2006), the National Academy of Engineering Fritz J. and Delores H. Russ Prize for developing automated DNA sequencing (2011), and the National Academy of Science Award for Chemistry in Service to Society (2017).
â€œI have a deep interest in human wellness,â€� said Dr. Hood. â€œI have long been intrigued with heart rate variability (HRV) as a metric for assessing one very important element of human wellness â€“ namely stress. I believe Inmedix is going to provide invaluable insights into this aspect of human wellness.â€�
Inmedix is defining the emerging medical field of immuno-autonomics: the interface between immune function and stress biology, controlled within the brain by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The natural stress response can beneficially impact immune function in the near term (1). However, chronic activation of the immune system by stress, mediated by the ANS, has been implicated in adversely affecting the onset and severity of autoimmune disease (2). With its CloudHRVâ„¢ in development, Inmedix intends to provide the leading, precision tool to quantify ANS stress state to support research and clinical care.
â€œFor many years, Dr. Hood has been leading our recognition of Systems Biology, the interconnected physiology of human life science,â€� said Dr. Holman. â€œThere is nearly universal agreement that stress significantly impacts health, and arguably, ANS stress state may be the most overlooked and potentially actionable element of personalized, precision healthcare. I could not be more pleased and honored to be working with Dr. Hood to bring Inmedix to fruition, and to discern the fundamental genomics, epigenomics, and clinical physiology of this most important neuroregulatory system.â€�
1. Elenkov IJ, Wilder RL, Chrousos GP, Vizi ES. The sympathetic nerve â€“ an integrative interface
between two supersystems: the brain and the immune system. Pharmacol Rev 2000;52:595-
2. Taylor PC, Holman A J. Rheumatoid arthritis and the emergence of immuno-autonomics.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019 Dec 1;58(12):2079-2080. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kez216. PMID:
About Inmedix, Inc. and its subsidiary, Inmedix UK, Ltd.
Seattle-based biotech/medtech Inmedix, Inc. and its subsidiary Inmedix UK, Ltd., are committed to engaging in world class research to discover innovative solutions for pressing healthcare needs related to the impact of stress, modulated within the brain by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The InmedixÂ® CloudHRVâ„¢ system is leading the development of heart rate variability (HRV) as a potentially informative diagnostic, therapeutic, digital health, and health economic tool. ANS profile may be the most overlooked element of personalized, precision medicine. Beginning with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adults, the company hopes to understand and validate the role of stress biology in immunology.
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding Inmedixâ€™s plans for preclinical studies and product capabilities. You are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties inherent in Inmedixâ€™s business which could significantly affect expected results, including without limitation, progress of development, clinical testing and regulatory approval, developments in raw material and personnel costs, and legislative, fiscal, and other regulatory measures. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Inmedix undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release. This is not an offer to sell or an offer to purchase securities.
For more information, visit http://www.inmedix.com
Andrew Holman MD
email us here

domain: medical


On August 12, Honor will hold a new product launch conference. At that time, Honor’s strongest flagship Magic 3 series and Honor tablet V7 Pro and other new products will officially debut.
As the release date approaches, the official has rushed to warm up the new products.
This afternoon, the official flagship store of Honor stated via Weibo, “Trinity, Honor Tablet V7 Pro hardware ecology will be upgraded again, allowing creative freedom to advance.”
In addition, from the official warm-up picture, this time the Honor Tablet V7 Pro will be equipped with a pressure-sensitive stylus and a magnetic keyboard set.
In terms of performance, the Honor Tablet V7 Pro will be the world’s first MediaTek Xunkun 1300T processor.
According to the official, the 6nm process 5G chip designed for high-end flagship tablets has been tuned jointly by Honor, breaking the upper limit of performance in terms of chip power consumption, communication, and imaging, and realizing a further leap in the combination of software and hardware.
According to reports, the Xunkun 1300T is built using TSMC’s 6nm process. The CPU part integrates four A78 and four A55 cores, a total of eight cores, and the GPU part integrates nine cores of Mali-G77 MC9. It also supports HyperEngine 3.0 game engine and four-channel 16GB LPDDR4X. -2133 memory, dual-channel UFS 3.1 flash memory.
It is reported that the new Xunkun series of mobile computing platforms are mainly for tablet products.
In terms of ID design, the Honor Tablet V7 Pro will use a blue plain leather back panel + right-angle frame design, equipped with an oval lens module, and dual speakers (or four speakers) at the bottom.


text:
It was a colorful Saturday in Idyllwild as a little bluegrass music added to the yellow flowers that are dominating the third annual Lemon Lily Festival this weekend. While the Idyllwild Nature Center focuses on the scientific and educational reasons for the event, the center of town was all about music, dancing and food.
Bryan Tallent is one of about 15 members of the festival committee that brought bluegrass music to the mix.
“We wanted to do something in town this year, pulling in the businesses from our community,” he said. “Idyllwild has roots in bluegrass. It was one of the original destinations for bluegrass festivals.”
Having spent half his life in Virginia, Tallent was happy to get back to his roots through this music.
“One thing about bluegrass is if you’re listening to it and something doesn’t move, something is wrong,” he told the crowd before introducing the Reedy Creek Rogues. “So stomp your feet, clap your hands, dance or whatever you want to do — just have fun.”
The band was made up of veteran musicians who joined together for this event. They were Gordon Acri, John King, Dennis Reed, Don Reed and Hojo Reynolds.
“It’s like a great recipe where you don’t have all the ingredients written down but it works,” said bass player Reynolds. “I like (bluegrass) because it’s pure and simple — what American music used to be.”
Don Reed, who played guitar and mandolin, planned to stay around and listen to some of the other groups. He has played bluegrass music since he was 7 and thinks it is a great addition to the Lemon Lily Festival.
“I think for a first time outing, we had a really good crowd,” he said. “Hopefully this is setting us up for good things to come.”
The festival continues Sunday, July 22, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Shuttles will be taking guests from Park Lane, between The Fort and Jo’An’s, to the Nature Center throughout the day so people only have to park once.
Sunday’s concert will feature Bucket List at noon, followed by the Bodie Mountain Express at 1:45 p.m. and a bluegrass jam at 3 p.m. Tours, walks, exhibits and other activities are available throughout the day.

domain: entertainment


text:
Haluk Yapicioglu, a Post Doctoral Research Fellow in the College of Engineering, was struck while walking across the crosswalk in between Cox Street and North Donahue Drive at 8:23 p.m. by 21-year-old Lois Jackson, junior in human development and family sciences, driving a gold Honda Accord.
Last night, Yapicioglu was transported to East Alabama Medical Center for treatment. He is now in the Intensive Care Unit at the Atlanta Medical Center, according to a hospital representative.
The accident is under investigation, said Captain Tom Stofer of the Auburn Police Department
"I haven't been told (his condition) is life threatening," Stofer said. "It was my understanding that alcohol was not a factor in the accident."
Katrina Morozzi of New Jersey was on the balcony of her boyfriend's Brown Crest condominium when the accident occurred.
"I was just looking that way, and I thought the car was going to stop," Morozzi said, "but it didn't. Nobody was saying anything to him, and he didn't look like he was moving."
Morozzi's boyfriend, Robert Green, junior in communications, called 911 immediately after the accident occurred.
"I was inside when it happened, but I heard it from inside," Green said. "It sounded like a gun shot."
Megan Moore, junior in marketing, had just finished taking a Principles of Finance test when she and her boyfriend, Joel Wood, senior in business administration, arrived at the scene of the accident.
"We came out of the front door of Lowder," Moore said, "and we turned the corner, and we saw someone lying in the street, and we walked up to make sure he was conscious and breathing. His shoe was in the crosswalk, and he was about 20 yards away toward Momma G's."
Moore and Wood stayed at the scene for about 10 minutes until the police arrived.
"He was conscious, but not really with it, obviously," Moore said. "We were just trying to tell him to stay down and not move, and he kept asking people to hold his hand."


text:
The administration is working diligently to welcome students for the 2020-2021 academic year. The opening of school will be moved to August 12, 2020, pending approval at the board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 15, 2020. As soon as information has been announced, it will be posted on the Grace King website.
As important announcements may also be sent via text or by mail, it is imperative that we have the most current contact information for all of our enrolled students. Please log into your student or family portal and confirm the information.
Please continue to check the King website or social media or information.


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Traveling to play a school from a non-Big Six conference could be a dangerous proposition
This season, there are just 23 instances in which a Big Six conference school goes on the road to take on a non-Big Six opponent.
On the one hand, you have to give the "big" schools some credit for playing a road game against a non-Big Six opponent. On the other hand, you have to scratch your head and wonder why in the world they're risking an embarrassing loss when they don't have to.
Simply, it's a case of nothing to gain and everything to lose.
Here are this season's 10 most intriguing such games, listed in reverse order of the "embarrassment quotient" should the Big Six school fall.
Opponent/date: at UCF/Sept. 29 Buzz: Missouri already will have played two SEC games before the Tigers embark on this trip to Orlando, Fla. The Tigers will be the first SEC team to play at UCF, which is 2-12 all-time against SEC opponents (the Knights won at Alabama in 2000 and beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl after the 2010 season). UCF, which is leaving for the Big East after this season, should be one of the best teams in Conference USA this fall; a victory over Mizzou certainly would garner the Knights even more attention.
Opponent/date: Louisiana Tech in Shreveport, La./Aug. 30 Buzz: This technically is not a Louisiana Tech home game, but the school's Ruston campus is only about 65 miles from Shreveport. And this is a dangerous game for the Aggies, who will be playing their first game as a member of the SEC. A&M will have a new starting quarterback, a rebuilt receiving corps and a rebuilt defense – along with a new coaching staff. Louisiana Tech is coming off a WAC title and will be looking for its second consecutive win over an SEC school; the Bulldogs whipped Ole Miss by 20 last season.
Opponent/date: at Ball State/Sept. 22 Buzz: This is one of two nonconference road games against non-Big Six opponents for USF; the Bulls also have a dangerous game at Nevada on Sept. 8. This is USF's first trip to a MAC campus. MAC teams are hosting seven games against Big Six foes, and this is one of four against a Big East team. USF, which is used to fast starts, looks to be one of the favorites in a wide-open Big East race. But it will be hard to take the Bulls seriously as Big East contenders should they lose this.
Opponent/date: at Buffalo/Oct. 20 Buzz: Here's another one of those MAC-Big East matchups, with this one coming in the second half of the season. Buffalo is 1-27 all-time against Big Six opponents, with the win coming in 2002 at Rutgers (which was 1-11 that season); the Bulls have lost 23 in a row to Big Six foes since that victory.
Opponent/date: at Rice/Sept. 1 Buzz: The Bruins played at Houston to open last season and return to the city to play the Owls in this season's opener. But while there was no shame in losing to Houston, there will be if they fall to Rice. This will be the first game for new Bruins coach Jim Mora, and to say it would be an ignominious start if UCLA should lose would be an understatement. UCLA played host to rice in 2005 and '06, winning both by a combined 52 points.
Opponent/date: at Massachusetts/Sept. 8 Buzz: This will be UMass' second game as an FBS member; the Minutemen, who were a mediocre FCS program, open at Connecticut. Indiana won just once last season, and you can be sure second-year coach Kevin Wilson will be heavily criticized if his Hoosiers somehow find a way to lose to UMass. The Minutemen, by the way, will be playing their home games at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots; the stadium is about 70 miles from UMass' campus in Amherst.
Opponent/date: at Troy/Sept. 15 Buzz: Mississippi State is the first SEC team to play at Troy, and the Bulldogs had better watch out. Only two Big Six teams have played at Troy – and both lost (Missouri in 2004, Oklahoma State in 2007). More history? Troy's first game against a SEC opponent came in 2001 – and the Trojans won at Mississippi State. Troy is 0-12 vs. SEC teams since. This is one of three games this season in which a Sun Belt teams plays host to a Big Six conference opponent. And this is the third season in a row Mississippi State is playing no Big Six opponents in nonconference action.
Opponent/date: at Louisiana-Monroe/Sept. 22 Buzz: The last time Baylor played a non-Big Six team in an out-of-state nonconference game was 2007, when the Bears won at Buffalo. (That was then-coach Guy Morriss' last season, by the way). This also is one of three games this season in which a Sun Belt team plays host to a Big Six conference opponent (the one not mentioned in this story is Louisville at FIU). Baylor isn't going to be as good as it was last season; still, a loss to ULM would be a big dent to the Bears' reputation. This is the third season in a row Baylor is playing no Big Six opponents in nonconference action.
Opponent/date: at Texas State/Sept. 8 Buzz: Texas Tech is known for its easy nonconference schedules; this will be the seventh season in a row in which the Red Raiders don't play another Big Six school in nonconference play. This is the first season in the FBS ranks for Texas State, which is coached by Dennis Franchione, and this will be the Bobcats' first home game as a FBS school. (Texas Tech's other nonconference games: FCS member Northwestern State and New Mexico, which has won a total of three games in the past three seasons.)
Opponent/date: at UTEP/Sept. 1 Buzz: This one should make you do a double-take: Oklahoma is playing at UTEP? This will be the first out-of-state nonconference game against a non-Big Six opponent for Oklahoma since it trounced Air Force 44-3 in 2001. This will be the third meeting between the schools; the others came in 2000 and 2002, and OU won both in Norman by a combined 123-14.
The Steelers quarterback is headed to the Hall of Fame. But he was unloved outside Pittsburgh for understandable reasons Ben Roethlisberger almost certainly played his final game in the NFL on Sunday. Photograph: Ed Zurga/AP Ben Roethlisberger is lucky that football legacies are not decided by finales. If Sunday night was indeed Big Ben’s last ever NFL game, as he has strongly hinted, it wasn’t exactly a mic drop. In the 42-21 beatdown by the Chiefs, Roethlisberger struggled with rollouts, and l
The primary goal for Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray on Monday night was, obviously, to win his first ever NFL playoff game. An important secondary objective lingered just below the surface. With Murray eligible for a second contract, he needed a strong performance to position himself for a major deal in the 2022 offseason. Last night’s [more]
Jimmy Garoppolo expects to start Saturday against the Packers despite right shoulder and right thumb injuries. He officially was limited in Tuesday’s walk-through practice. Defensive lineman Nick Bosa remains in concussion protocol, so he was listed as a non-participant. Defensive lineman Jordan Willis (ankle) also didn’t practice. Linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (groin), [more]
Officially, neither the NFL nor the NFL Players Association had comment regarding Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians slapping the helmet of safety Andrew Adams, with an elbow on the follow-through. Unofficially, the incident has landed on the radar screen of the league office. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the incident is “being handled.” [more]
Shams Charania: Nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons has retired from basketball and his lawsuit from career-ending injuries via car accident in January 2020 has been settled for a substantial amount. Source: Twitter @ShamsCharania What's the buzz ...
Adrian Wojnarowski: Denver, Boston and San Antonio are making a three-way trade that includes Juancho Hernangomez to Spurs, Bryn Forbes to Denver, Bol Bol and PJ Dozier to Celtics, sources tell ESPN. Source: Twitter @wojespn What's the buzz on ...

domain: sports


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Cr Damian Ferrari elected Mayor of Pyrenees
Published on 11 November 2020
Pyrenees Shire Council has elected Cr Damian Ferrari as Mayor for the next 12 months.
All Councillors took the Oath of Office on Tuesday at the Lexton Community Centre following the 2020 elections.
Cr Ferrari said recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest challenge for Council in the coming year.
“This has hurt us economically, socially and psychologically so it's important that moving forward we are aware of and address these things in recovery,” he said.
“It’s important that we try and get back to some sort of normality as soon as possible and work hard to stimulate employment, the economy and get back to that social participation that we enjoy and are renowned for in the Pyrenees area.”
Cr Ferrari joined Council in 2018 in a by-election, and was re-elected unopposed to the Beaufort Ward in 2020. Cr Ferrari was born and raised in the Beaufort area.
Cr Ferrari is a keen gardener and photographer and lives at Mount Cole and is supported by partner Sarah Jess.
Council CEO Jim Nolan welcomed the election of Cr Ferrari as Mayor.
“I look forward to working with Cr Ferrari as he leads the Council through the next 12 months,” Mr Nolan said.
“Cr Ferrari’s experience in law enforcement and his passion for the Beaufort community stand him in good stead to take on the role of Mayor for the first time,” he said.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the community for participating in elections in the Ercildoune and Avoca wards.
“Voter turnout was just over 83% in both wards, a great engagement level in local democracy,” Mr Nolan said.


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Two cast members of the US reality TV show Vanderpump Rules have been sacked over a prank on a black co-star.
US network Bravo has cut ties with Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, who have appeared in all eight seasons.
It comes after a black former cast member, Faith Stowers, revealed that the pair called the police on her for a crime she didn't commit.
The pair have both apologised, adding they did not appreciate the impact their actions could have caused.
Two other cast members have also been relieved of their duties, after past racist tweets emerged.
"Bravo and Evolution Media confirmed today that Stassi Schroeder, Kristen Doute, Max Boyens and Brett Caprioni will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules," the network said in statement issued to BBC News.
Vanderpump Rules, which has been running since 2013, is a spin-off from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills series, and features Lisa Vanderpump and the staff at her restaurant in Hollywood.
'My privilege blinded me'
During an Instagram Live chat last week, Stowers said that Schroeder and Doute misled police in an attempt to get her into legal trouble in 2018.
She said the pair had reported her for a spate of thefts allegedly committed by another black woman they had seen pictured in a newspaper report.
"There was this article on Daily Mail where there was an African-American lady," Stowers explained.
"It was a weird photo, so she looked very light-skinned and had these different, weird tattoos. They showcased her, and I guess this woman was robbing people.
"And they called the cops and said it was me. This is like, a true story. I heard this actually from Stassi during an interview."
Schroeder discussed the incident during a podcast recording in 2018 and acknowledged calling the police.
At the time, Doute appeared to refer to Stowers in a tweet about the newspaper article, commenting that the woman looked "familiar", before later deleting it.
Further examples of Schroeder appearing to make racially insensitive comments on another podcast, which has since been deleted, have also re-emerged.
In one she declares that she's "sick of everybody making everything about race" and that she is "kind of over it".
Discussing the OscarsSoWhite campaign, which highlighted the lack of diversity among Academy Award nominees, Schroeder said: "Maybe you weren't nominated because you didn't do that great of a job in your movie. Like, it's not about race. It's literally like not about what you look like at all. It's like your acting ability."
'Ashamed and embarrassed'
The comments have returned to the public arena now, after mass Black Lives Matters protests took place across the US and beyond, following the death of a black American George Floyd, while in police custody.
After Stowers' comments went viral on social media, both Schroeder and Doute apologised.
"It is important that I continue to take accountability for what I have said and done, while pushing myself to do better," wrote Schroeder.
She added she "did not recognise then the serious ramifications that could have transpired because of my actions".
Doute posted that she has been "taking some time to really process what I've been seeing, feeling and learning".
"I feel ashamed, embarrassed and incredibly sorry. I will do better, I have to do better," she said.
"Although my actions were not racially driven, I am now completely aware of how my privilege blinded me from the reality of law enforcement's treatment of the black community, and how dangerous my actions could have been to her."
After the pair were fired, Stowers said: "I feel so vindicated studios and production are able to see blatant racism and make these positive changes and help with the fight forward.
"Bravo is releasing women that have given them crazy ratings because they want to be on the right side of history, and I'm seeing [that] people are finally hearing us."


UK Touring Theatre with Redbridge Drama Centre presents A Doll’s House at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing on Wednesday September 24th and Thursday September 25th.
“A woman doesn’t have the right to protect her old dying father, or to save her husband’s life! I can’t believe that’s true…”
Torvald and Nora Helmer have it all: a loving marriage, three beautiful children, and a secure financial future as a result of Torvald’s new appointment at the bank. But Nora has a secret, and the arrival of an unexpected visitor on Christmas Eve threatens to tear their lives apart forever…
Following the success of their highly-acclaimed production of Strindberg’s Miss Julie in 2013, UK Touring Theatre returns to the Connaught Theatre with a brand new English version of A Doll’s House; Henrik Ibsen’s groundbreaking play about marriage, money, and the freedom of women in the late 19th century.
This production is the World Premiere of an exciting and accessible new English translation of A Doll’s House; touring to theatres across the UK this Autumn.
Directed by Michael Woodwood.
Tickets are priced at £16.00 with concessions at £2.00 discount.
Show times: Wednesday September 24th at 7.30 pm and Thursday September 25th at 2.00 pm and 7.30 pm.
The Connaught Theatre is at 3 Union Place, Worthing.


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ISC 12>CONTENT>STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF PLANTS>6. SEEDS AND FRUITS
- Seed and fruits (broadly classified). : Fruits to be classified into simple (dry and fleshy), aggregate and multiple.
- Apomixes, Polyembryony, Parthenocarpy.
- Significance of seed and fruit formation.
FORMATION OF SEED AND FRUIT
- The fertilized ovule increases in size and develop into a seed.
- The ovary develops into fruit after fertilization and thus morphologically the fruit is ripened ovary.
- The fate of various parts of the ovary in the formation of fruit is summarized below.
- The fruit is a mature or ripened ovary .
- A fruit consists of pericarp, that develops from the ovary wall, and seed derived from ovule.
- The pericarp may be thin or thick and is usually differentiated into an outer epicarp, a middle mesocarp, and an inner endocarp. But in dry fruits, the pericarp is undifferentiated and is usually papery or woody.
CLASSIFICATION OF FRUITS
A) TRUE FRUITS AND FALSE FRUITS
TRUE FRUITS :
FALSE FRUITS :
B) ON THE BASIS OF NATURE OF PERICARP, NUMBER OF CARPELS, FUSION BETWEEN CARPELS
I: SIMPLE FRUITS
- Those fruits which are derived from a single carpel or more than one fused carpels of a flower with or without participation of accessory parts are known as simple fruits.
- A simple fruit can be classified as follows:
- Fleshy fruits
- Dry Fruits
SIMPLE FRUITS: FLESHY FRUITS:
- These fruits may be divided into the following categories.
1. DRUPE: [Seed enclosed within a stony endocarp (pit)]
- These fruit develops from mono or multicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary. In these fruits, endocarp is hard and stony so these fruits are also called stony fruits.
- Examples : cherry (Prunus spp.), olive,
coconut (Cocos nucifera), peach (Prunus persica), Mango (Mangifera indica) and plum (Prunus domestica).
- These fruits develop from mono or multicarpellary syncarpous ovary.
- Ovary may be superior or inferior, Placentation is axile or parietal. In these epicarp is thin and seeds are embedded in fleshy part.
- Examples: Banana (Musa sp.), Tomato (Lycopersicon)
- This fruit develops from bi or multicarpellary syncarpous inferior ovary. The rind and fleshy pulp are made up of thalamus. The main part of ovary is hard and dry and remain inside the fruit. Seeds are present in it.
- Example: Apple and Pear.
- These fruit develops from tricarpellary, syncarpous and inferior ovary. This fruit is unilocular and have parietal placentation. These fruits are fleshy and spongy
- Berry with a hard, thick rind; typical fruit of the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae )
- Examples : Watermelon (Citrullus), Cucumber (Cucumis)
- This fruit develops from multicarpellary, syncarpous, superior ovary.
- Epicarp of these is made up of thick rind which is leathery and many oil glands are found in it.
- Mesocarp is white fibrous structure which is attached with epicarp.
- Membranous endocarp projects inward and form many chambers. Many glandular hairs are present on the inner side of endocarp. These glandular hairs are only edible parts.
- Examples: This fruit is specially found in plants of Rutaceae family. eg. Orange, Lemon, Citrus fruit.
SIMPLE FRUITS: DRY FRUITS
A) DRY DEHISCENT FRUITS (Split Open At Maturity)
1. LEGUME (One carpel that splits along two seams)
2. FOLLICLE (One carpel that splits along one seam.)
3. SILIQUA (Two carpels separated by a seed-bearing septum)
B) DRY INDEHISCENT FRUITS [Do Not Split Open At Maturity]
- It is a small fruit containing a single seed. The seed is attached by a funiculus, but the seed coat is free from the inner wall of the pericarp.
- The seed is essentially free within the pericarp wall, except where it is attached at the placenta.
- The achene is the typical fruit of the sunflower family (Asteraceae).
2. CARYOPSIS (GRAINS)
- These are small, single seeded dry fruits. It develop from monocarpellary, superior ovary. Pericarp of these fruits is fused with the seed coat and form a joint surface. OR
- (A fruit that resembles an achene except that the seed wall fuses with the carpel wall during embryo development. )
- Example : These fruits are present in family gramineae (cereals and grasses). Wheat grain or rice grain is a caryopsis fruit.
C: DRY SCHIZOCARPIC FRUITS (bi-or multilocular-fruit, splits into one-seed indehiscent parts)
- It develops like legume.
- Fruits are constricted or divided in one seeded mericarp, after maturity these are separated with each other.
- Eg Tamarind, Cassia fistula, Mimosa pudica, Archis hypogea, Desmodium.
- Split longitudinally into two indehiscent mericarps attached to each other with the carpophore
- It is typical of the Umbelliferae. (Coriander, Cuminum, Foeniculum)
II AGGREGATE FRUITS
- Aggregate fruits develop from several ovaries of free carpels in the same flower.
- An individual ovary develops into a drupe, achene, follicle or berry.
- An aggregate of these fruits borne by a single flower is known as an etaerio.
- The aggregrate fruits are of the following types.
- Etaerio of drupes
- Etaerio of achenes
- Etaerio of follicles
- Etaerio of berries
III. MULTIPLE OR COMPOSITE FRUITS
- A multiple of composite fruit develops from an inflorescence where flowers are crowded together and often fused with one another.
- They are of the following types:
- It develops from hypanthodium inflorescence.
- It has a hollow or cup-shaped fleshy receptacle.
- Eg. Ficus (Fig)
- A fleshy multiple fruit which develop from a spike or spadix inflorescence.
- The flowers fuse togather by their succulent sepals and the axis bearing them becomes fleshy and swolen.
- Eg. Pineapple (Ananas), Jack fruit (Atriocarpus), Mulberry (Morus).
NOT IN SYLLABUS
DISPERSAL OF SEEDS AND FRUITS
IMPORTANCE OF DISPERSAL OF SEEDS & FRUITS
- It prevents overcrowding & competition for limited resources.
- It allows the plants to have their seeds to land on suitable places for germination, thus increases the chance for the plants to colonize new areas.
MEANS OF DISPERSAL
- By wind (Anemochory)
- By water (Hydrochory)
- By animals (Zoochory)
- By mechanical force (Autochory)
- By wind (Anemochory)
1. ANEMOCHORY (DISPERSAL BY WIND)
- Wind dispersed seeds and fruits have a variety of adaptations which help them to be carried away by wind.
- Light seeds: Seeds of some plants are sufficiently light and minute in size to easily carry away to great distance by air currents. (E.g. Orchids seeds)
- Wings: Some seeds (Cinchona or Moringa) or fruits (Acer, Terminalia) develop one or more thin membranous wings to ensure their dispersal by wind.
- Censer mechanism: In plants like opium seeds are released in instalment through the pores present near the top of the capsule when the fruit is shaken by strong winds. This process is known as censer mechanism.
- Parachute mechanism: In several plants, fruits or seeds possess different types of appendages which act like a parachute and help them to be carried by air current to long distances. These appendages are
- Pappus :E.g. Helianthus
- Coma : E.g. Calotropis.
- Hairy outgrowth on seeds ; On the cotton seeds
- Persistent hairy style : On clematis seeds
- Baloon like appendages : Swollen calyx of Physalis
2. ZOOCHORY (DISPERSAL BY ANIMALS)
- Hooked fruits
- Sticky fruits and seeds
- Fleshy fruits
- Edible fruits
3. HYDROCHORY (DISPERSAL BY WATER)
- Dispersal of seeds and fruits by water usually occurs in those plants which grow in or near water.
- Such seeds and fruits usually develop floating devices in the form of spongy or fibrous outer coats.
- They are protected from rotting due to the presence of a waxy coating.
- Lotus (Nelumbo) : Lotus has sponvy thalamus with fruitlets embedded in it.The thalamus floats in water stream.
- Fruits of coconut and double coconut (Lodoicea) have large fibrous mesocarp which helps them to float long distances in the sea without any injury.
4. AUTOCHORY (DISPERSAL BY EXPLOSIVE METHOD)
- Some fruits when ripe burst open with a jerk so that their seeds are thrown apart.
- Common examples:
- Balsam (Impatiens) :
- In balsam, mere touch causes the ripe fruit to explode suddenly and seeds are thrown out with a great force.
2. Ruellia :
- Dry fruits of Ruellia, when come in contact with water, particularly after a shower of rain, burst suddenly with a noise and scatter the seeds.
3. Squirting cucumber (Ecballium)
- Mechanical dispersal of seeds due to build- up of internal pressure occurs in squirting cucumber.
- As the fruit mature, tissues around seed is converted into a mucilaginous fluid, due to which a high pressure develops inside the fruit.
- The tissue around the tip of the stalk breaks and the fruit is detached from the stalk.
- Due to this viscous substance comes out with seeds as a fountain.

domain: biology


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Like so many of us, I've been in love with Martin Galway's unique sound and style since the days of yore.
My favourite song, however, was always Ocean Loader 3 by Peter Clarke ever since I reloaded the Rastan tape over and over just for the music.
I later discovered that Ocean Loader 3 was indeed programmed in Galway's player.
So I reverse engineered this exact song to figure out how it works.
Turns out that the tech is not that special. In fact, the coding is questionable, even for a 0.1 coder like me. But it does it's job, and by carefully programming it (yes, all the songs were programmed in assembler), you can get quite nice results, as evidenced by Galway and Clarke's portfolios.
The real magic however, comes from the minds of the composers and not the tech.
The player implements a virtual machine. Each voice has it's own stack with looping, subroutines, and they can even execute 6502 code directly. It definitely leans itself towards repetitions, which is handy for producing music for tapes with long loading times.
I felt an urge to make a song in this player, but was unsure what to do. Original, a cover?
Then I remembered the great Soundmonitor tune Ode to Galway by Marco Swagerman (MC), which I listened to a lot in my younger days! Iirc, it was used on the Trilogic freeze cartridge.
It seemed perfect for this player, and could also form a suitable tribute to both composers.
So I set about making a simple "compiler" (in lua) for the virtual machine, and keyed in the whole arrangement.
Some creative liberties with the arrangement were taken, and I also added a (semi) new lead melody.
Factoid: The "sync" part in the middle was done exactly as in Rambo, by increasing the note transpose register via code called from the song data.
I didn't change the player, apart from moving the arpeggio handling to voice 1 instead of voice 2 — required to make the sync effect sound nicer.
It must have been quite tedious to make music like this back in the days, with only an assembler to work with. Even with my "compiler" easing the burden, it was a chore at times.
The sound is tuned to my 6581 AR4, so results may vary across chips. It seems to sound fine on 8580, though.
All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the result, and I hope you'll enjoy it, too.


New Best iPad 2 Apps from over 200.000 applications, providing and reviewing iPad 2 apps, New apps for iPad 2: iMovie, FaceTime, GarageBand, Photo Booth iPad 2. Here is a compiled list of the Best apps for iPad 2. These apps are iPad 2 Apps. Get the lowdown on the best applications for the new iPad 2 following list exhibits best eight iPad music apps and iPad ebook iPad 2 and the iPad Smart Cover are made for each other. Technology is at its best when it feels completely natural, almost like there's no technology at all. And it's just the beginning of better-than-ever iPad 2 apps.
We already know about the applications that will be pre-installed on the iPad 2 (pictured above). Joining the staple bunch of iOS tools (Photos, Contacts, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, etc.) will be the face-to-face chat app, FaceTime and the wacky image effect generator, Photo Booth.
But what other apps are going to look great on the iPad 2, and what HD versions of existing iOS can we expect to see for the new Apple tablet?
Available as a purchase from the App Store, the iPad version of Apple’s famed audio editor for dummies will let you produce and record music wherever you go. The application includes virtual instruments, an eight-track recording studio, and the ability to share your finished creations with the World.
Another app announced at the launch of the iPad 2, iMovie will allow you to make slick movies from the footage shot on the on-board video camera. The program includes pre-installed themes to suit the style of your video. You can add photos taken on the device to your movies, as well as importing or recording audio. All the editing tools are housed within an easy-to-use, tactile interface.
Probably the first thing you’ll want to do when you get your iPad 2 is shout the news from the rooftops to make everyone jealous. Install Twitter for iPad and you’ll be able to make the announcement in style. The official app looks gorgeous and is perfectly suited for uploading all the gorgeous photos and videos you’ll be shooting on your tablet.
One of the sensations of the year so far, Instagram will surely be set for a HD release now that the iPad has a camera built in. Until then, you can use the awesome iPhone version to apply a bit of artistic fun to your photos. The application lets you run your photos through a dozen different filters, sharing your creations with the thriving Instagram community.
I’d bet my horse on seeing a version of Skype for iPad by the end of the year. Video chat will be a delightful experience on the second generation iPad and the limitations of FaceTime (i.e. not everyone can use it) will make Skype the go-to app for this. Hopefully, we’ll see the introduction of multi-video chat for iOS, too, which will look great on the iPad 2 screen.
iOS 4.3 allows users to stream content from third-party apps from their iOS to their Apple TV, through the new AirPlay functionality. Unlike Netflix, which doesn’t plan to support the feature, VEVO HD will allow users to watch its video content on a bigger screen. The app boasts a collection of more than 25,000 music videos available to enjoy on your iPad 2 or television.
Adobe has already suggested that it might bring a fully fledged version Photoshop to the iPad 2, as a standalone app and/or a companion tool to attach to your computer. The inclusion of the camera, and the beefed up A5 dual core processor make the iPad 2 a capable platform for a fully formed Photoshop product. Until this release, however, you’ll be able to tweak and tinker with your iPad 2 images using the Express version of Photoshop for iOS.
iPad gaming is set to get even better thanks to the iPad 2’s new processor and faster graphics engine. What better way to demo its awesomeness than by playing Chair’s Unreal engine-powered, Infinity Blade? The graphics are among the best you’ll see on the iOS platform and the cut and thrust gameplay is great fun, to boot.
Another game that’s going to play a treat on the iPad 2 is Dead Space HD. The atmospheric shooter is the scariest I’ve played in a long time, and the terrifying aliens and creepy music are so impressive in high definition. Unlike Infinity Blade, Dead Space HD is quite thought-provoking, and you need your problem-solving skills if you want to get off the planet alive.
Our resident game lord, Jon, this week described Helsing’s Fire HD as 'one of the best iOS games you’ll play'. He hailed the presentation as the best ever on the platform, and reckons this puzzle-style adventure game is one of the first things you should add to your list of stuff to install on your new iPad 2.
Best iPad 2 apps : The big announcement today was about not only the iPad 2 but the color white for iPad 2. The iPhone 4 was supposed to have a white product but it is Here are some cute and cool iPad apps for children. See books and games for little kids all the way to seven years and up So you just got your new iPad 2. Or you have already had your iPad one of the best uses of the iPad that I have seen in a long time and Apple posts some guided tours of the new apps for iPad 2. but it needs to be said: the iPad 2 isn't just the best tablet on the iPhone And iPad Apps Gone Free: Shift! 2, Squawk, TowerMadness HD, And More apps available.


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Matthew McConaughey talks about finding his characters inner monologue, being in the moment, entrances and exits in a scene, tapping into a characters obsessions and more.
|—||Fyodor Dostoyevsky (via onlinecounsellingcollege)|
“If we are not our brother’s keeper, at least let us not be his executioner.”
― Marlon Brando
I’ve seen these online several times, decided you guys would like them too.
1. Scenes begin in the middle, not the beginning.
2. A character should be “doing” something 100 percent of the time.
3. A character enters a scene for a reason, and he exits for a reason.
4. Thinking tends to lead to…


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Bacardi Limited is one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits companies in the world. Originally known for its eponymous Bacardi white rum, it now has a portfolio of more than 200 brands and labels. Founded in Cuba in 1862 and family-owned for seven generations, Bacardi Limited employs more than 7,000 people with sales in approximately 170 countries. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.
Bacardi Limited is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, and has a board of directors led by the original founder's great-great grandson, Facundo L. Bacardí who is chairman of the board.
Highest paying job titles at Bacardi USA include Director, HR, Engineering Manager, and Finance Director


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I've been reading a bit on bad design. If anything, I have been acting as a contrarian in class against the idea of "bad taste" or "bad design". I just can't imagine who becomes the authority in determining the definition of "good". Nonetheless, I stumbled upon a great quote that comforted my distraught state:
"I’m convinced that without bad design, the world would be a far less stimulating place; we would have nothing to marvel over and nothing to be nostalgic about."
— Carrie Phillips
Nice isn't it? Here is an IDEO article that I find relevant to this idea about Shanzhai design.