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Gabriele Sagona started singing with his father Vincenzo and then with mezzo Biancamaria Casoni. In 2009 he won and attended a master to make his debut as Colline in Puccini's La Bohéme with Orchestra Rossini in Pesaro; in the same year he was the only bass in the finals at the Concorso per giovani cantanti lirici della Comunità Europea "AsLiCo", for the role of Colline.
He immediately started a brillant career singinng: a modern edition of Mayr's Amore Ingegnoso (Barone) at the Bergamo Musica Festival; Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Fiorello) and Paisiello's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Lo Svegliato) in Sassari; Kalman's Die Csárdásfürstin (Kiss and Ambassador) and Strauss' Eine Nacht in Venedig (Senator Delaqua) for the "41st and 42nd International Operetta Festival" in Trieste; Un ballo in maschera (Tom) in Turin; La Battaglia di Legnano (Il Podestà), Attila (Leone) and La Clemenza di Tito (Publio) in Trieste; La Tarviata (Dottor Grenvil) in Hong Kong with Teatro San Carlo in Naples; Nabucco (Gran Sacerdote di Belo) in Parma, in Udine and Pordenone with Teatro Verdi di Trieste; Rigoletto (Monterone) at the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman with Teatro Regio di Parma; Gianni Schicchi (Simone) in Trieste and Turin; Maria de Rudenz (Rambaldo) and Torquato Tasso inBergamo; Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio) in Trento, Bergamo and at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; L'Occasione fa il ladro (Martino) in Trieste; Rossini's La Gazza ladra (Podestà) at Teatro Filarmonico in Verona; Roberto Devereux in Bergamo; Guglielmo Tell (Gessler) with Teatro Regio in Turin and on tourn in the US; Le nozze di Figaro (Il Conte d'Almaviva) in Turin; Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo) in Bergamo, Firenze and at Teatro Lirico di Cagliari; Andrea Chenier (Roucher) in Naples and Turin; Anna Bolena in Bergamo, La Bohéme (Colline) in Malta, Genova, Turin, Lugano and at La Scala; Il Turco in Italia (Selim) in Catania; Carmen (Zuniga) at Teatro alla Scala; Tosca (Angelotti) in Trieste and in Turin; Falstaff directed by Ronconi at the San Carlo in Naples and, conducted by Zubin Mehta, at Teatro alla Scala in Milan and on tour in Kazhakistan; La Fanciulla del west conducted by Chailly and directed by Carsen at La Scala; Madama Butterfly conducted by Riccardo Chailly for the opening of the season at Teatro alla Scala; La Cenerentola(Alidoro) in Limoges; Don Giovanni (Leporello) at Teatro Bellini in Catania.
He has worked with important conductors such as: Mehta, Chailly, Palumbo, Renzetti, Gelmetti, Abbado, Battistoni, Steinberg, Rolli, Arrivabeni, Santi, Zanetti, Noseda and directors such as: Pugelli, Abbado, Borrelli, Mariani, Michieletto, Hermanis, Carsen, Dante, Grinda, Poda, Esposito, etc…
He is also very active on the concert platform, having performed at Teatro Sociale in Bergamo and Como, at Festival MiTo, at the Ljublijana Festival, in Aquileia and Sarajevo with Teatro Verdi di Trieste in Rossini's Stabat Mater, as well as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. In 2009, for the "Haydn International Festival" he sang Mozart's Spatzenmesse at the Wiener Konzerthaus with the Vienna Art Orchestra; his sacred music repertoire includes: Bach's Magnificat and Hohe Messe in H-moll; Mozart's Requiem, Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Spatzenmesse and K ronungsmesse; Schubert's Mass in G major; Fauré's Requiem; Franck's Les sept paroles du Christ sur la croix.
He has recorded: Il Ratto dal Serraglio, Mayr's Amore Ingegnoso and Donizetti's Maria de Rudenz di Donizetti (to be released on dvd) for Bongiovanni.
Among his recent and future engagements: Busoni's Turandot (Altoum) in Cagliari; La Bohéme (Colline) at Teatro dell'Opera in Rome; Andrea Chenier (Roucher) conducted by M° Chailly and directed by Martone at La Scala in Milan for the opening of the season; Le Nozze di Figaro (Figaro) in Verona; Rossini's Messa di Gloria in Limoges.


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Manchester United batter Newcastle after falling behind to freak own goal
Scoreline in no way flattered United despite early setback.
'I couldn't have asked for a better year' - Tiger Woods completes road to redemption
"It's been an amazing year… I'm speechless.'
Rio revenge as Michael Conlan scores wide win against Olympic nemesis Nikitin
Conlan wins 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92 to improve his unbeaten pro record.
'Aren't you that weirdo who walked out of football?' I always had that stigma to me'
Once an exciting prospect, Thomas Butler played just twice for Ireland and fell out of love with football. Here he talks of how he bounced back and came to terms with his bad decisions.
Spain exact revenge on Germany to be crowned U21 European champions for fifth time
Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo were on target as Spain beat Germany 2-0 to seal a fifth European title.
Conlan finally gets revenge chance against Russian who 'beat' him at Rio 2016
The Irishman will face Olympic rival Vladimir Nikitin at Belfast's Falls Park this August.
'F**k off home' - How Mick McCarthy recovered from Lansdowne boos to become Ireland's go-to man
Almost 6,000 days after he was booed out of Lansdowne Road, McCarthy returns for a second stint in the job.
'It's the best place in the world to win and the worst place in the world to lose'
Down legend Fionnuala Carr had a memorable day in Croke Park with her club Clonduff yesterday
O'Rorke on the double as Mattie Kenny's Dublin ease to 13-point win over Offaly
The Dubs made it two from two in Tullamore as they were too strong for the Faithful county this time out.
'It was torture, so disappointing... We never want to feel like that again'
Kilkenny captain Shelly Farrell hopes that her side can right the wrongs of last year's All-Ireland camogie final as they face Cork again.
Boyata goes from villain to hero after scoring winner for Celtic against Hamilton
The Belgian defender returned to the side after deciding not to play in their recent Champions League exit against AEK Athens.
'We are much better, way more focused and much more clinical' - Cork star Scally
The 21-year-old is on the cusp of a shot at a fourth Celtic Cross as Cork face Donegal in today's semi-final.
Cavan stage superb second-half comeback to stay senior and send Tipp back down
Aishling Sheridan and sub Lauren McVeety provided the goals in the final ten minutes to seal the famous victory.
Lancaster's redemption a happy tale in Leinster's European success
The 48-year-old has been central to the Irish province's return to former heights.
'It's massive' - Cavan captain Greene aiming to overwrite past disappointments
Tipperary stand in their way of the Division 2 league title and promotion to the top flight.
'I didn't have a chance at Chelsea' - Salah delighted with Premier League redemption
Mohamed Salah failed to make his mark at Stamford Bridge, but is loving life at Anfield after a brilliant debut season.
Ireland U21 international Manning redeems himself after own goal with late strike for QPR
Galway native Ryan Manning scored for both sides as QPR beat Norwich at Loftus Road on Monday afternoon.
Bohan gets chance to right the wrongs with Dublin after disappointment of 2003
The Dubs are back in the TG4 All-Ireland ladies senior football final for the fourth year in a row.
'Burn it to the ground': What should be done with Magdalene laundry buildings?
A group of survivors and their families gathered at the back of a Dublin Magdalene laundry today to share their stories.
'We're hissing to get out there and have a crack': Black Ferns ready to end 2014 hurt
Eloise Blackwell and her side are using that losing dressing room feeling to their advantage this time out.
Maguire savours his sweetest moment against the club that let him go
"When I celebrated the first goal I got spat on, so to come away scoring three goals was brilliant."
Irish kickboxer Caradh O'Donovan banishes defeat at European championships with Irish Open victory
O'Donovan doubted whether she was past her best after losing out at the European Championships.
Toure gets standing ovation from Man City team-mates as Guardiola confirms he will stay
The midfielder made a shock return at Crystal Palace and after scoring twice in a 2-1 win his manager and team-mates showed their appreciation.
Love 'humbled' by Ryder Cup success
The USA captain was delighted to lay the ghosts of Medinah to rest as his side hammered Europe in singles to win the Ryder Cup.
Irish photographer documents life inside notorious Uganda prison
Inmates at Luzira have access to spiritual seminars and counselling.
'Doubt me now!' - McGregor delivers message to fellow UFC athletes in post-fight footage
Hate to say I told you so…
'She kept her head. She was going to take that medal home if it killed her'
A silver lining for Annalise Murphy after the pain of London 2012.
'Forget the medals, you have the love of your people' -- The redemption of Stevie G
Donald McRae chats to The42 about ghosting the Liverpool legend's autobiography.
Poirier: 'I'll beat Duffy and when McGregor moves to lightweight I'll be waiting for him'
The UFC Dublin headliner outlines his plans to The42.
'I'd been on the streets since I was 13... Football helped me to believe in myself'
Thomas O'Dwyer and James Traynor of the Irish Homeless World Cup team chat to TheScore.ie about overcoming obstacles.
This is how it would sound if Morgan Freeman read the LeBron 'homecoming' letter
Everything sounds better in Morgan Freeman's voice.
Player burnout no problem if you 'do all the small things right'... and eat plenty of steak
Cork dual star Aidan Walsh is well placed to voice his method of combating fatigue as he aims to play nine inter-county fixtures in 12 summer weeks.
Brazil's brilliant World Cup teaching naysayers a lesson, says Lula
The former president feels that pessimists can learn from the success of the tournament.
Arsenal come back to win FA Cup and end nine-year trophy wait
Hull stunned their Premier League rivals by going 2-0 up inside nine minutes.
'Irresistible, ingenious, impudent' Luis Suarez wins football writers' Player of the Year
The Uruguayan has been lauded with praise by the Football Writers association.
Bayern lifts reporter ban after Sun's apology
The Daily Mirror, however, have yet to apologise and are still barred.
Shaq wants you to fund the sequel to one of the worst games ever made
If you donate $500 to it, Shaq will follow you on Instagram and will like and comment on your photos.
'Highly unlikely' that NAMA will still be operating by 2020
The bad bank announced plans today for another multi-billion redemption of senior bonds.
Stolen tree returned to Lusk launderette after owner posts excellent letter to thieves
The Santa guilt-trip is the biggest trip of all.
Disgraced Johnson looking to make amends with new anti-drugs campaign
The former drugs cheat is hoping to stop others going down the same route he did.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the basement of Titchener Hall, SUNY Broome students are on the air with their playlists, providing a lively musical backdrop to campus life.
On Oct. 30, 2018, the college held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening for The Hive, the campus' online-only radio station. You can listen to it from anywhere in the world by pointing your Internet browser to www.sunybroome.edu/thehive.
"This is a great addition to an already great Communications program," said SUNY Broome President Kevin E. Drumm, noting that the station gives students the opportunity to experience all different types of media firsthand.
While the death of radio has been forecast ever since the advent of television, the medium is perhaps more robust than ever, noted Dr. Drumm, who always listens to local stations as he drives in his car. So too does Executive Vice President Francis Battisti, who noted that many media professionals, from broadcast to radio, had their start in SUNY Broome's Communications & Media Arts (CMA) degree program.
Click here to learn more about Communications & Media Arts at SUNY Broome.
The CMA department had worked for years to establish a station, noted Professor Tim Skinner, an alumnus of the program himself who fulfilled his own dream of working in radio, before returning to campus as a professor. "It's my hope that this new facility on campus will help fulfill the dreams of others to come," he said.
The station adheres to FCC guidelines and standards, along with college policy. It serves as a lab space for CMA students, who are studying commercial radio. Shows are currently pre-recorded and carefully monitored by class instructors, and all music is edited for radio broadcast.
"It gives them a real world experience," said instructor Ray Scott, whose day job is on local radio. "Being on radio is actually a difficult thing to do, although people think it's an easy thing to do. You have to learn how to talk to people without having a direct conversation."
In his class, students must create a one-hour radio broadcast each week that their instructor and fellow classmates must listen to and critique. It can be a tough experience, but also a rewarding one.
"No one's in the room with you, but it feels like a thousand people are watching you," explained CMA major and sophomore Chaz Weir. "You get better over time."
Like Chaz, sophomore and CMA major Kylie Gage tends to focus more on film and photography, but took the radio class to challenge herself and expand her horizons. Unlike many classroom assignments, which allow revisions, the radio students have one shot to get it right.
"You don't get to start over and do it again when you're live," Kylie explained.
Without the class and the station, neither Kylie nor Chaz would likely have experimented with radio. It's an opportunity they appreciate, they said.
"I'm not a very talkative person, so I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and sign up for something that would help me with that," Kylie explained. "It allowed me to focus on a new form of media arts."


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MSDN improves search, breaks my gadget| Comments
Ah, the joys of using non-API APIs :-). I say that in jest because essentially my first stab at the MSDN search gadget wasn't using any *real* API, but rather just formatting queries correctly and hoping that the format would stay the same.
Well, when you do this you run the risk of things changing. For MSDN (and TechNet) search, things have changed 3 times now. Mike Ormond points out that another change breaks the default MSDN gadget that I had created. He's posted a fix that works for him (until the next change) and should for others.
Thanks Mike for posting the fix!


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GOCC 27th Annual Holiday Party
GOCC Members and Their Guests Are Invited to Attend Our 27th Annual Holiday Party
On Saturday December 14th 2019 from 10:00 AM until 4:00PM
at Castaway Bay at 2001 Cleveland Rd, Sandusky, OH!
A Behind The Scenes Tour of Castaway Bay will also be offered at 9:00 AM
• Check in for tour: 8:45 a.m. (Please do not arrive before 8:45 a.m.)
• Tour: Behind the slides tour at Castaway Bay: starting at 9:00 a.m.
• Check in for party only: 9:30 a.m.
• Food: Dinner served at Noon
• Throughout the Party We Will Have Guest Speakers From The Parks, And those Generous Door Prizes!
Soup du jour, garden salad with dressings, salad assortment, carved prime rib of beef, au jus, chicken piccata, garlic roasted new potatoes, green beans almondine, rolls & butter, dessert and beverage.
Vegetarian meals or other special requests are available.
Please let us know if you have a nut allergy with your reservation.
Price: Adults: $45.00 Members $50.00 Non-Members
Ages 2 to 10: $29.00 Members $34.00 Non-Members
Please note this is now a closed event, and you MUST be a member of GOCC to register, or the guest of a GOCC member to attend.
Registrations are now closed for this event.
To Download the Flyer Click Here
Exciting Changes to Our Annual Holiday Party Photo Contest!
There are now 3 Photo Contest Categories:
1) Sunrise or Sunset Rollercoaster
2) Day or Night Rollercoaster
3) Flat Ride at anytime
Contestants may now enter three photos, but not more than two in the same category.
Click Here To Download The Photo Contest Rules
Day passes for the indoor waterpark at Castaway Bay. Cost: $15 Valid only on 12/14/2019
The payment of registration fees by, for, or on behalf of participants releases and holds harmless the Great Ohio Coaster Club, Inc. (GOCC), its members, its Board of Directors, its representatives or appointees, and our host from any and all liabilities related to the event.
Attendees are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct to ensure that the organizations are always represented in a positive manner. Members are responsible for the conduct of their non-member guests.
Every attempt will be made to follow the printed itinerary, but scheduled activities are subject to modifications due to weather, mechanical or other unforeseeable problems.


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Wardrobe stitches musical together
Joanna Gartman, Reporter
February 28, 2018
An actor's costume provides support physically and emotionally, to actor and audience alike. The wardrobe team has the pressure of enhancing the entire experience by providing strong visual support to the story. The wardrobe team conquered the task of clothing the variety of captivating characters ...
Through the struggle, find strength
latoya fondren
January 17, 2018
Life has its moments and through my adversity, I've learned many valuable lessons being a young adult growing up and having to figure out how to pay the "big bills" in order to sustain a living. My mother warned me that once I turned eighteen I was going to be financially cut off, and from that point...
685 degrees awarded at fall graduation
The Wichitan
December 16, 2017
Reporting by Tyler Manning, Cortney Wood, Rachel Johnson, Justin Marquart and Fran Martinez As adrenaline coursed through their veins, 502 students walked across the stage at Kay Yeager Coliseum on Dec. 16, 2017 with friends, families and colleagues cheering them onward while an additional 183 gra...
Sam's Southern Eatery new restaurant in Wichita Falls
Justin Marquart
November 15, 2017
After one Pioneer of Texas restaurant closes on Sept. 25 a new restaurant, Sam's Southern Eatery, opens at that location, off of Southwest Pkwy on Oct. 25, serving sea food, po'boys, burgers, salads and chicken. The restaurant still had that Pioneer feel to it because they still had those woode...
Purpose found through major changes
The Wichitan
November 15, 2017
I had one goal on my mind: attend Abilene Christian starting in the fall 2017 and graduate with a bachelor's degree of science. Little did I know my plans would end up with two hospital visits during the summer and a long, long road of recovery. Since I was 9 years old, I dreamed of being a pediat...
Women's basketball team wins pre-season exhibition
Makayla Scheck
November 3, 2017
With the basketball goal fixed and ready to be used, the women's basketball team played in an on campus exhibition against Hardin-Simmons University as an opening to the preseason and ended with a score of 61-42. With a slow start, the first basket wasn't made until half way through the first qu...
Priddy Scholars brings new opportunities to first year students
Chloe Phillips
October 28, 2017
Campus activities have since seen an influx in first-generation students thanks to the Priddy Scholars program, a full-ride scholarship that encourages involvement on campus, study abroad, and service projects. According to Cammie Dean, director of student transition services, the program beg...


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Monster Hunter: World Receiving a Massive and Chilly Expansion Next Year With 'Iceborne'
Posted by Evolve on Dec 13, 2018 | In: General News
In a little over a month from now, we'll be hitting the first anniversary for the ever-growing Monster Hunter: World. The hit action RPG landed on consoles in January of this year, before making its way to PC in the summertime. With a year almost under their belt, the developers at Capcom have some big things in store for the fans. How does an expansion sound? Turns out, that's exactly what they had in mind. In a new post put out on the PlayStation Blog, Capcom pulls back the curtain on a massive expansion for World known only as 'Iceborne'. As the name implies, it will focus primarily on cold settings and additions to the game, though not much else is known at this time outside of a vague teaser trailer.
What IS known is the plethora of new content it will be bringing our way. Once Iceborne drops, it will carry with it a whole new environment to explore, new equipment and weapons, a new difficulty, and of course, new monsters to hunt. There are some little easter eggs here and there in the teaser, but for now, we'll just have to speculate. According to Capcom, they'll have more to say on the expansion sometime in Spring of 2019, so stay tuned until then! Something to also hold us over in the meantime are the large amount of free updates Monster Hunter: World has been and will be receiving. Unlike these, Iceborne will be a paid expansion. According to Producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, Iceborne itself will be the size equivalent of Monster Hunter "G" or "Ultimate" games. That's pretty big for one expansion!
As for the free updates, there's a lot in store for us. With the new year kicking in gear here soon comes the Appreciation Fest: a celebratory event in honor of Monster Hunter: World's first birthday. Arch-tempered Nergigante is coming in Spring 2019, right around the time we find out more about Iceborne. Last but not least is a timed update dated for sometime in early 2019, which will bring The Witcher's very own Geralt of Rivia to the game. Fitting choice, no? He'll even be fully voiced by Doug Cockle! Details behind this update are a bit hazy right now, such as the details of how fully Geralt will be playable, and what if any elements from Witcher will be thrown into World. It's an exciting collaboration though, and one that's likely bringing together fans of both series. All of these updates, including Iceborne, will be coming to consoles first. Iceborne can be expected sometime in Fall 2019.
If you have yet to try Monster Hunter: World, don't fret! According to Capcom, they'll be putting out a new free Trial Version of the game on December 11th at 4pm PST. This will last until December 17th at 3:59pm PST, so you'll want to enjoy it while you can. The Trial will showcase the first few story missions, alongside a handful of optional sidequests. Owners of PS Plus can enjoy the perk of teaming up with buddies, whether they're playing the trial version or the full game. Best part is that all of your progress will carry over in full when you make the jump. Considering Monster Hunter: World is being sold at a deeply discounted price right now due to The Game Awards sale, the timing couldn't be better. The game is available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC if you're interested. For the Iceborne teaser, check out that below, or head to Capcom's post about it on the PS Blog. Happy hunting!


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February is Black History Month. While I encourage you to acknowledge it with some dedicated activities, I'm also reminded that … More
Tag: Martin Luther King Jr.
10 Compelling Paired Texts for Black History Month
Here are ten great paired texts with which to recognize black history month while meeting numerous Language Arts standards. All … More
The Face of Hate—Why We Need to Teach Black History
One of the things I find fascinating—and disturbing—about photos from the Civil Rights era are the faces in the crowd. … More
Great Reader's Theater for Martin Luther King Day
Whether for RT or stage performance, here are half-a-dozen kid-friendly scripts to ramp up your MLK Day celebrations and Black … More
Celebrate Your Slow Readers
I recently read an article about how "slow reading" is gaining acceptance as an academic approach. Though the piece was … More


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Harajuku guy in colorful retro street style with a pink suit, flare pants, yellow tinted glasses, and Batman logo print sneakers.
yellow shirt Japanese Street FashionBrowsing
Harajuku trio sporting colorful hair and ensembles with shirts, plaid pants, track pants, wide leg pants, double strap slides, waist bags and lace-up shoes.
Harajuku guy sporting a colorful street style while out and about on the street.
Blonde-haired Harajuku guy sporting a black-and-yellow casual preppy look while out and about on the street one fine evening.
Japanese teenagers wearing casual streetwear in Harajuku.
Red-haired Harajuku girl wearing a yellow t-shirt, ribbed flared pants, and brown leather shoes.
Harajuku trio sporting striking streetwear styles while out and about on the street.
Harajuku teens wearing t-shirts, platform shoes, waist bag, sunglasses, and grommet belts.
Japanese students sporting colorful kawaii looks while out and about on the street in Harajuku.
Harajuku girls dressed in satin bomber jackets, plaid skirt & plaid pants, t-shirts and bags.


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Greek Xiphos Sword- Short Sword- D2 Steel- 24" Battle Ready
Xiphos Sword Description
The Greek xiphos sword is a double-edged, one-handed Iron Age straight short sword used by ancient Greeks. The classic blade was between 20" and 25" in. The xiphos sometimes has a midrib, and is diamond or lenticular in cross-section. It was generally hung from a baldric under the left arm. The xiphos was generally used only after the spear was discarded for close combat. Very few original xiphos sword have survived. The xiphos' leaf-shaped design allowed it to be used for cutting and thrusting. The design has likely been in existence since the appearance of the first swords. The leaf-shaped short swords were not limited to Greece and can be found throughout Europe in the late Bronze Age. Blade Materials
Sword Details
Handle Material: Rosewoord with D2 Steel Bosters
Overall Length: 24"
Rockwell Hardness: 55-62 HRC
Sheath: Leather sheath
Blade Material: D2 Steel
Greek Xiphos Sword- Short Sword- D2 Steel- 24" Battle Ready
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Customer Reviews
Can'r go wrong with one of these swords and the item above
The sword quality is outstanding!
Would like to see a spartan sword available. Sharp, clean lines. Now I understand why the Greeks did well against the Persians.
I am truly captivated by this piece of modern-made historic art. I had some problems with shipping, but it was well worth it. Super sharp, sleek, smooth, and beautiful.
Just got this one today. It's really nice especially if you are looking for a authentic design reproduction ancient Greek sword. The quality is really good too.


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A free
From 11.00am until 4.00pm
At Jumbles Sailing Club
Horrobin Lane, Turton. BL7 0HJ
A free event to try sailing in beautiful surroundings in the Jumbles Country Park. Experienced sailors and instructors will be on hand to take you on the water and give you a taste of the excitement of sailing. Bring warm clothes and old trainers (and some spares just in case). We recommend that children are 8 years and upwards, are confident in the water and able to swim 50m. Safety boats will be on hand and snacks and drinks will be available in the clubhouse. Should you consider joining there will be a £15 discount on the day. (See details on our Membership page for costs). If you become a member there are training courses available starting in May.


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From chatting with the independent developers leaving the Microsoft PDC keynote event on Monday, you can detect the buzz of excitement about Windows Azure, but there are also a number of questions. The developer sessions, which are spread out over the week-long conference, should answer many of those.
Microsoft has launched an in-depth website dedicated to the entire Azure platform. We had a chance to ask direct questions to a collection of Microsoft spokespersons. Here are some points of note:
- The key to understanding Azure on the most basic level is to think of it as Windows Server 2008 running on the web. You can develop, debug and deploy your apps using your local server and local resources, then deploy that same code to Azure, connecting to the platform's databases, storage and identity management resources.
- The app architecture and development environments are the same, but once you move to Azure, you get the advantage of working without the constraints of your local infrastructure.
- Moving a pre-existing or legacy app from your local Windows server to the Azure platform will require only minimal changes. A Microsoft rep says "Azure's services have heritage in the Windows Server environment."
- Azure only runs inside Microsoft. It's not available as a product you can use to create your own cloud environment.
- Azure's data centers are only in North America right now. Microsoft is investing in data centers now to increase its geographic footprint.
- OpenID support will be available in Azure. For identity management, Microsoft LiveID is available now as part of the Live Services, but a rep says this is only the first step towards being a full OpenID provider. Update: Here's the official word on OpenID support from Microsoft. We'll have a follow-up post soon.
- The SDK has support for VisualStudio right now. Support for Eclipse, Python, Ruby on Rails, and PHP is listed as "coming soon."
- Development tools include an isolated environment for testing with dedicated storage and processor resources. There are also command-line tools and VisualStudio plugins that will allow local debugging.
- Pricing details have not yet been announced, but Microsoft says there will be a tiered pricing plan competitive with what's already on the market. That means storage, processor resources and database size will be charged on an as-needed basis, just like Amazon EC2 except (most likely) on a much larger scale.
- Unlike EC2, it's unclear if the storage service will be persistent. So far, we know that once you deploy to Azure your data will be physically stored "close to your computational resources," there will be triple replication for fail-safe performance, and you have access to your data via REST. A Microsoft rep says that data will be a "priced service node," which the company isn't ready to discuss. But it sounds like you'll be able to choose between persistent and non-persistent data storage services, each at different prices.
Want to follow the buzz on Monday morning's debut of Windows Azure? The best place to look is Twitter. Do searches for the hash tags #pdc2008 and #azure to see what the developers in attendance (and those listening in from afar) are saying.
See Also:


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Mat Jackson says that Airwaves Racing are now very capable of earning their eagerly-awaited first win of the 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season, after narrowly missing out in a tense final race at Snetterton.
The Ford Focus ST driver put eventual reverse-grid race winner Aron Smith under intense pressure for much of the final Sunday encounter in Norfolk, coming just short behind the BMR Racing driver for what is Jackson's third podium of 2014.
Jackson felt sure that he and team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi would have been uncatchable had the reverse grid draw swung one position in favour of the Airwaves team, Jackson having bettered the Volkswagen of Smith in race two with sixth position following an eighth place finish in the opening contest of the day.
"It was close", Jackson commented to The Checkered Flag afterwards. "Obviously had the reverse grid swung the other way then it would have been a one-two for Airwaves and we'd surely have won it. But it's ifs, buts and maybes that don't win.
Ultimately, Jackson added that the Ford was simply not a match for Smith's Volkswagen CC on the Snetterton 300 circuit's long straights, the BMR machines topping the speed traps for much of the weekend.
"The car was quick, and quicker through the corners, but we were suffering in a straight line", Jackson commented, as boost levels proved a talking point among many in the paddock.
"It's frustrating, but you never know – next time it might turn in our favour so that's what we have got to hope for."
The pace of the Ford showed further promise and improvement, Jackson adding: "We're making big progress with the car and it's moving in the right direction. So we're in good shape, and obviously Knockhill is a very different circuit to here so we'll wait and see.
"We need to deliver and find that little extra bit that will give us that win."
Like Smith, Jackson agreed that the pair's final race dice set a positive example of how drivers should settle their battle for victory, the duo having previously come to blows at Brands Hatch in the season opening meeting of 2014.
"You've got to race as you want to be raced", added the 2008 BTCC runner-up on his duel with Smith at Snetterton. "Not everybody does! But that's racing.
"There's nothing more infuriating than being fired off, because that shouldn't be entertained in an international championship. I wouldn't want to race against that, and you'd like to think those around you feel the same way."
Another strong weekend for the Airwaves Racing man moves him closer to the top five in the championship standings, now 14 adrift of fifth-placed Rob Collard as the series next heads to Knockhill for rounds 19, 20 and 21 of the season on 23/24 August.


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The Onet website reported that Poland's Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro filed an application with Poland's Constitutional Tribunal concerning the legality of making references for ECJ preliminary rulings by Polish domestic courts regarding the country's justice system.
The application, pertaining to the interpretation of article 267 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), was filed in the wake of recent controversy concerning Poland's judicial reform, which led the EU to launch a probe into alleged rule of law violations by the Polish government.
Both Poland's Supreme Court and a number of judges of lower courts have recently made references for preliminary ECJ rulings on judicial independence. This move led to the proceedings before the courts in question being stayed, which sparked criticism in government circles.
Poland's Justice Minister filed an application, asking whether Article 267 is consistent with Poland's constitution insofar as preliminary rulings would pertain to Poland's domestic justice system which are not covered by EU legislation.
Article 267 of the TFEU states that "The Court of Justice of the European Union shall have jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings concerning: (a) the interpretation of the Treaties; (b) the validity and interpretation of acts of the institutions, bodies, offices or agencies of the Union. Where such a question is raised before any court or tribunal of a Member State, that court or tribunal may, if it considers that a decision on the question is necessary to enable it to give judgment, request the Court to give a ruling thereon".
Critics of the current government have immediately cried foul of the Justice Minister's decision to ask the country's top constitutional court about the scope of application of Article 267, alleging that the initiative would force the court to decide whether EC law takes precedence over domestic law or vice versa.
"This is an advanced move towards Polexit," one of the Poland's judges was quoted as saying, and the liberal media coverage set off a wave of speculations on the current conservative government's possible willingness to loosen its ties with the EU.
However, due to the complex nature of the legal issues at hand, one may only speculate as to the intentions behind the move. Since Article 267 only covers questions on the interpretation of EC law, intended to ensure its uniform application across the EU, one may suspect the Justice Minister merely wished to specify whether questions concerning Poland's domestic law should also be included within the scope of the article, which, on the face of it, seems contrary to its wording.
Some of Poland's judges, fiercely opposed to the government's reforms, may have wished to use the preliminary ruling procedure to block their implementation – something the government would be keen to prevent.
The Polish Constitution states clearly that its provisions take precedence over any other laws, barring those to which Poland has signed up in international agreements. So it is is a matter of interpretation of what exactly Poland has signed up for with its accession to the EU and whether legislation covering the organization of the judicial system is included therein. The Constitutional Court will now have to decide on what that interrelationship is.


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properties / Sold
000 Vv Rd, Prairie du Rocher, Illinois - $134,000
16 acre(s), Tillable, Residential, Building Site in Monroe County
Listing Number: 183
Property Details
16+/- acres at the corner of Vv and Carr Road in Monroe County, IL- Waterloo School District. Approximately 9 acres tillable. Possible building site.
It is our understanding that Prairie du Rocher Grade School can be a choice at this location. If this is important to the buyer, then we ask that the buyer calls to verify with the school.
Directions: From IL Route 3 in Red Bud heading north, make a left on Ames Rd, in approximately 5 miles make a right onto Vv Road. Property is 2.5 miles on the right.
Legal Description: Part of Sec 33, T4S - R9W
Parcel(s): 16-33-200-005-000
Taxes: 2018 - $67.64
Soil Productivity: 94.4View Associated Files:
Brenda Chandler, Managing Broker
877-473-2018 ext 103
Brad Chandler, Auctioneer & Real Estate Broker
877-473-2018 ext 102
Click "View larger map" to be able to get "Directions"


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Mike Davidson has created quite a stir in the blog community with the release of sIFR (or long: Scalable Inman Flash Replacement) especially among designers that want to have more options than Arial, Verdana or Georgia in their HTML websites. To make it short: sIFR uses SWF files to dynamically display texts - especially headlines - with embedded fonts. This alone of course would not make news as it has been done before - the interesting part about it is that it replaces the original headline via CSS in such a way that it fits itself in exactly the same space and tries to create an optimum layouted text. See an example here. On browsers that do not support Flash users can still see the original HTML headline.
The latest version is sIFR v2.0b.


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For years, developers such as Eli Broad have been trying to create a serious arts district in downtown Los Angeles, along the so-called Grand Avenue Corridor, home to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MoCA) and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. With The Broad Museum due to open in autumn 2015, the area stands to draw more visitors and investment. But in the meantime, the downtown art scene is already gaining significant momentum—only not where the big money predicted, but in odd pockets on the outskirts of the city.
Grice Bench, François Ghebaly Gallery and the Mistake Room have all opened within the past year, not far from Night Gallery, a pioneer in the south-of-downtown area that is still known for garment manufacturing. Further north, London's Ibid Projects opened in September. All but the Mistake Room are commercial galleries.
Hauser Wirth & Schimmel is working to renovate a 100,000 sq. ft, seven-building complex that will include gallery space, a shop and restaurants. It is expected to open by the end of 2015. The huge complex is near the Box, run by Mara McCarthy, daughter of the artist Paul McCarthy. Both are part of the so-called "arts district" downtown—long "the home of poor artists", according to the National Public Radio arts host John Rabe—and are closer to the Geffen Contemporary at MoCA in Little Tokyo than any Grand Avenue activity.
Meanwhile, the studio-turned-project-space opened last year by artist Laura Owens and her New York-based dealer Gavin Brown in Boyle Heights, east of the LA River, is attracting neighbours. The New York gallerist Michele Maccarone, already known as a geographical maverick for her willingness to set up shop on New York's Lower East Side and then in its West Village, has just signed a lease for a 35,000 sq. ft space at 300 South Mission Road, a block from Brown and Owens. Built in 1926, the building has been used for a variety of manufacturing purposes.
As with so many New York gallery transplants, Maccarone says that her artists' interest in Los Angeles drove her decision to branch out. She is giving her two Los Angeles-based artists, Alex Hubbard and Oscar Tuazon, studio space in the new building. "They're both newcomers to the city and it's really important that they have somewhere to hang their hat in Los Angeles," she says.
Maccarone is no stranger to the city, having run the gallery MC in Culver City with Christian Haye until 2007. This time around, she was won over by the downtown architecture. "I really liked the flexibility of the warehouse," she says. It is also true that Boyle Heights is significantly more affordable than, say, Culver City, arguably the epicentre of art galleries in Los Angeles for the past decade.
Commercial real-estate broker Dan Bernier—who ran a gallery in the 1990s, showing artists including Martin Kersels and George Stoll—says that downtown has the advantage of affordability and larger, industrial spaces. "My sense is that if you had $25,000 a month to spend, you could rent 8,000 sq. ft in Culver City where David Kordansky used to be, and maybe just a little more than that in Hollywood. Or you could rent 30,000 sq. ft near Gavin Brown. Or 25,000 sq. ft where Night Gallery is."
Both Culver City and Hollywood suffer from competition with "creative office spaces" that also value the "concrete floor, bow-truss ceilings, high-volume" aesthetic, Bernier says. These design studios, internet firms and production companies are driving prices up.
That inspired François Ghebaly to consider downtown two years ago when he reached a limit with his cramped, albeit centrally located, gallery in Culver City. He now shares a 25,000 sq. ft space in a former truck-part manufacturing building with four other art ventures.
Downtown has the experimental feel of the arts strip in the city's Chinatown area a decade ago, although a little more grown-up, Ghebaly says. "It's like a 2.0 version of Chinatown; the spaces are bigger and maybe we're running things more professionally." The neighbourhood's "rough-hewn" aesthetic attracted Grice Bench co-founders James Bae and Jon Pylypchuk. "We think it appeals to and challenges our artists," Bae says.
Still, there remains a perennial Los Angeles question: will deep-pocketed collectors, many of whom live on the West Side, drive to these gritty locations downtown?
Last winter, the Mistake Room had no shortage of visitors to its inaugural show (an Oscar Murillo extravaganza), and nobody worries about interest in Christian Rosa, the current art-market darling, at Ibid—but it is harder to judge the draw of galleries with lesser-known artists. Bae's take is that the most intrepid collectors—"the ones we care about the most"—will go wherever needed. He also reports that, since opening in April, his gallery turnout has "got much better; we now see two or three times more collectors per show".
Besides, collectors have fewer excuses now that technology has made the sprawling city easier to navigate. As Bernier says: "It's just not that hard. Collectors today can punch an address into their GPS, have their driver do it or request an Uber car."
Women on top: galleries in Hollywood
Since Regen Projects moved in two years ago, Hollywood has become a can't-miss gallery neighbourhood. It has also become, Michael Kohn aside, a mecca for female-run art galleries on the West Coast. The current line-up includes Shaun Regen, Erica Redling, Overduin and Kite, Diane Rosenstein, Hannah Hoffman, Sarah Gavlak and Esther Kim Varet. Meanwhile, Lauri Firstenberg of Laxart has announced plans to move her non-profit organisation from Culver City to Hollywood by early 2015.


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Posts Tagged 'Church marketing'
There Is No Summer Slump; You Just Suck.
No need to think of it as a slam, even though it totally is. Spring is here and churches are (rightly) gearing up for Easter. They call it the Super Bowl for churches; go time numero uno. They pour capital into events like they're going out of style, creating egg hunts that last for miles…Read More
Pray for __________.
The church is leading the way. Hurricane Harvey. Puerto Rico. Las Vegas. When the going gets tough, the church rises up. But have you heard all the talk about "thoughts and prayers"? The most commonly thrown around verbiage in the tragedy that has been the last two months, has been "My thoughts and prayers are…Read More
Wi-Fi Hack
Do you want the details of guest at your church? What if someone told you that was not only possible, it was: easy, cost-effective, and automated? Here's the deal: it is all that and more. So … what's the catch? Nothing. There is no catch. All you need is internet at your church and a…Read More
Dream Big Dreams
No one tries to fail, but too many fail to try. They dream big dreams, but fail to get their dreams off the launch pad. They talk with friends, mentors, advisors, and all of a sudden their grandiose dream becomes less a dream and more of a realistic solution. Look, we all like realistic solutions.…Read More
Connect the Dots in Marketing Your Church
Everyone loves to play Connect the Dots. When parents sit down at a table in a restaurant, they're going to play with the kids' menu. They're going to color, complete the crossword puzzle, stick the stickers, and connect the dots to see what image they have. Playing connect the dots is something we were all taught as…Read More
Want to win this Sunday?
Easter is like Super Bowl Sunday for churches. It's the World Series. The Stanley Cup. Wait. No one watches hockey 🙂 But it's a big deal. Can you and your church leverage this once a year opportunity and take full advantage of people's responsiveness and openness to the Gospel this weekend? We want to help you…Read More


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FGA Fighting Fund
Your ability to own firearms and hunt is under constant attack and we need to keep fighting on every front.
Legislative changes affect the funding and conduct of political activities by Field & Game Australia and many other third party organisations that conduct political activities. We are now required to maintain a separate account and treat all incoming funds as political donations.
Because of these limitations and because most Field &Game members do not have large amounts of disposable income, we have established a Fighting Fund, or political action account, so members to make affordable, regular donations. The amounts will vary, but every dollar helps and is an investing in the future of firearms ownership and hunting.
• No individual may donate more than $1000 a year
• You can make a single donation up to $1000
• You can set up a regular donation (monthly) but the total over 12 months must not exceed $1000