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|Glossary of Aviation Terminology
Calibrated airspeed (CAS): Indicated airspeed corrected for instrumentation errors, but not for air density; See Also: airspeed; Symbols: V sub 'CAS'; Typical Units: kt,ft/s; Dimensions: Length / Time;
Calibration: A basic control to a data source from controls and displays for calibrating a device; Also, a procedure to adjust physical devices so that they provide the most accurate results possible; calibration procedures commonly result in correction factors to be downloaded from the host processor to the device; during calibration, the device is usually not available; See Also: alignment, boresighting, initialization;
Cant angle: Angle of nacelle mounting; Typical Units: rad, deg;
Capture: To attain an objective, such as reaching a radial of a radio station; See Also: capture criterion; Compare: activate, arm;
Capture criterion: A test case to determine if an armed objective has been captured; In avionics, an aircraft might have an objective to fly to a radial of a radio station, then to fly along it. While enroute, the objective is armed, meaning that the crew and software are attempting to reach the radial. The radial is captured and the objective is met when the capture criteria are met. In this case, the capture criterion might be bearing to the radio station is within 5deg of 270deg. An objective can have multiple criteria. Capture criterion are often used with radio navigation to determine a transition from armed to active.
CAS: Calibrated airspeed
Caution: A signal which alerts the operator to an impending dangerous condition requiring attention, but not necessarily immediate action (from MIL-STD-1472D); an annunciator that is more critical than an advisory but less critical than a warning;
CCLIM: Course cut limit
Center line: Standard aviation term
CEP: Circular error probability
Channel: A number that maps to a frequency;
Circular error probability (CEP): A probability that a percentage of two-dimension measurements will lie within a circle of given radius, with the circle centered at truth or mean of the measurements; Compare: radial error probability, spherical error probability; CEP specifies test cases for measurement errors of sensors of two dimensions, such as velocity east and north.
Clarke 1866: A standard model for computing earth data
Clarke 1880: A standard model for computing earth data
Collective: A flight control operated by moving up or down with hand in rotary-wing aircraft, primarily to control lift (altitude); controls collective (total) pitch of the rotors on a rotary-wing aircraft;
Collective cue: A vertical flight director cue for rotary-wing aircraft, primarily to control altitude, by changing power; Compare: yoke cue; Symbols: Gamma sub 'VERT'; Typical Units: percent,in;
Commanded: Controls given to a device, not that the device necessarily obeyed the controls
Communications: How well equipment is communicating; Values: operational, degraded, failed
Complementary filter: A filter in which the complement of the filter is desired, giving the effect of a high-pass filter by implementing a low-pass filter; a filter for combining multiple data sources, usually of different types, by adding filtered values, where the sum of the filters in the frequency domain is unity; a Kalman filter with fixed gains; Complementary filters are often designed in the frequency domain in way that that the filters determined at build time such that the cutoff frequency of the LFP is equal to that of the HPF. This provides the advantages of DNS's long-term accuracy and INS's short-term accuracy, while filtering DNS's high-frequency noise and INS's slow drift. Compare: averaging filter, Kalman filter;
Computer cycle: In a periodic, cyclical computer system, the most basic, fastest timing loop
Continuous time: Time which can have any point expressed as a real quantity, without regard for any specific interval or processing rate; Compare: discrete time;
Continuous-time equation: A mathematical relationship to describe a function of time, expressed in terms of continuous time; Compare: difference equation, differential equation, discrete-time equation, Laplace transform, state-space model, Z transform; See Also: first-order filter, second-order filter, unit functions for examples;
Control law: The mathematical definition of a system used to control or to change the dynamic response of a system;
Control surface: An airfoil attached to an aircraft that is moved to control the attitude of the aircraft; an surface to control flight of an aircraft indirectly, such as a swashplate to control pitch of rotor blades; See Also: aileron, rudder, spoiler, elevator, flaps, trim tab, stabilizer; Symbols: delta; Typical Units: rad, deg;
Controlled altitude (CTALT): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the vertical guidance modes; altitude that is being controlled Typical Units: ft; Dimensions: Length;
Controlled speed (CTS): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the longitudinal guidance modes; speed that is being controlled Typical Units: ft/s, kt; Dimensions: Length / Time;
Coriolis acceleration: Tangential acceleration caused by motion on a radial on a rotating surface, in aviation, it is acceleration in the earth's longitudinal direction caused by changing latitude, usually computed from system state data; Symbols: a sub c; Typical Units: ft/s-squared,g; Dimensions: Length / Time-squared;
Corrected altitude: Measured pressure altitude corrected for instrumentation errors
Coupled: Describes operation of flight director in which automatic flight control system causes flight controls to follow commands from flight director or errors from guidance
Course: Towards a point at a specified course; Compare: direct
Course cut limit (CCLIM): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the lateral guidance modes; limits the intercept angle of the flight path with a desired course, typically 45deg Typical Units: deg, rad;
Creeping line search: A pattern of equally spaced parallel lines followed for searching the ground from an aircraft; Compare: expanding square search, sector search;
Cross track: Perpendicular to the course;
Crosstrack deviation (XTKD): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the lateral guidance modes; distance from the aircraft to a desired course measured along a prependicular to the course Typical Units: ft; Dimensions: Length;
Crosstrack deviation gain (KXTKD): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the lateral guidance modes; relative weighting of crosstrack deviation in the lateral control law Typical Units: rad/ft; Dimensions: 1/L;
Crosstrack deviation rate (XTKR): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the lateral guidance modes; rate of change of crosstrack deviation Typical Units: ft/s; Dimensions: Length / Time;
Crosstrack deviation rate gain (KXTKR): A guidance control law parameter, generated by the lateral guidance modes; relative weighting of the crosstrack deviation rate in the lateral control law Typical Units: s; Dimensions: Time;
CTALT: Controlled altitude
CTS: Controlled speed
Cue: A indicator to an operator for control placement, tells the operator where to place controls; Synonyms: command
Cursor: See: moding cursor, target cursor
Cutoff frequency: The frequency at which the gain of a filter is at an edge of a band, usually taken to be when gain is 0.5, or -3.01dB; the frequency at which the output of a filter is half the power of the input; See Also: band-pass filter, high-pass filter, low-pass filter; Symbols: omega sub c; Typical Units: rad/s,Hz; Dimensions: 1/Time;
Cyclic: See: longitudinal cyclic, lateral cyclic;


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Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about art in one of the first Reddit video AMAs
Reddit's AMA — short for "ask me anything" — is one of the most loved facets of the popular social media site, enabling the community to crowd-interview anyone with an interesting story to tell.
On Tuesday, Reddit launched the first batch of video AMAs, a new take on the format which has folks answering redditors' questions on video, and one of the first stars to participate was none other than astrophysicist and TV host Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Tyson is no stranger to AMAs — he's participated in five of them since 2011, but this one is a bit different. Not only does he answer the questions to the camera, but the session has a set topic: art.
In the 13-minute video, Tyson answers some serious questions and some quirky ones (our favorite: "If you were going to be painted nude, but the background of the painting was on the surface of a planet of your choice, what planet would you choose and why?"), throwing a fair bit of scientific facts in for good measure.
Reddit announced its video ambitions in May this year, hiring two producers to launch an internal video division. The video AMA is the first original content coming out of that project.
Two more video AMAs were posted Tuesday, one starring actor and singer Hilary Duff, and the other statistician and writer Nate Silver. Check them out below.

subset: commoncrawl


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Due to is insanely high electronics tariffs, Nintendo will no longer sell any products in Brazil.
Bad news for Brazilian Nintendo fans: the console manufacturer has announced that it is planning to halt all sales of all Nintendo products in the region. That means no consoles, games, or other official Nintendo accessories will be available for purchase in Brazil. The reason? The country's insanely high import taxes and tariffs on electronics.
"In response to ongoing developments in the Brazilian market, Nintendo of America Inc. today announced changes to the physical distribution of its products in that country. Starting in January 2015, Gaming do Brasil, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Juegos de Video Latinoamérica, GmbH, will no longer distribute Nintendo products in Brazil. Gaming do Brasil has distributed Nintendo products in the country for the past four years. Despite the changes in Brazil, Juegos de Video Latinoamérica will continue to be Nintendo's distributor for Latin America and they remain committed to the brand and the region," said Nintendo in an official statement.
It explained that "Brazil is an important market for Nintendo and home to many passionate fans, but unfortunately, challenges in the local business environment have made our current distribution model in the country unsustainable. These challenges include high import duties that apply to our sector and our decision not to have a local manufacturing operation."
For reference, the Wii U retailed in Brazil for 1,899 Brazilian Real, which works out to a whopping $700 USD. And if you think that's bad, buying a PS4 in Brazil will set you back 4,000 Brazilian Real, which is an insane $1,500 USD. The Xbox One on the other hand, despite being similarly priced to the PS4 in North America, is considerably cheaper in Brazil, at just 2,200 Brazilian Real or $800 USD - mostly due to the fact that Microsoft actually has a manufacturing plant in the region.
And I thought Australia's electronics import taxes were bad...
Source: Polygon


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The Volokh Conspiracy
Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
First Amendment limits on freedom of information law
Sometimes the First Amendment guarantees access to public records (generally limited to court records). Often freedom of information acts and public records acts are seen as fulfilling broader First Amendment values, by facilitating speech about how the government operates.
But yesterday a federal district court in Washington held that the First Amendment limits public records requests for certain information, when revealing that information unduly exposes people engaged in First Amendment protection to risk of harassment. The court had expressed similar views in its decision granting a preliminary injunction against release of the records, which I blogged about last fall; but I thought I'd pass along the most recent decision, granting a permanent injunction (some paragraph breaks added):
Plaintiffs are erotic dancers and managers at Dreamgirls at Fox's, a Parkland, Washington erotic dance studio. Erotic dancers and managers are required to be licensed under local law.
Defendant David Van Vleet, a private citizen, filed a Public Records Act (PRA) disclosure request with Defendant Pierce County Auditor Julie Anderson seeking the Dreamgirls' employees' personal information, including true names, birthdates, and photographs. [Text moved: [Van Vleet] claimed that he had a First Amendment right to access the information so that he could pray for the Plaintiffs, by name.] Anderson informed the Plaintiffs of Van Vleet's request and of her intention to disclose their information to him unless Plaintiffs obtained an injunction.
Plaintiffs sued seeking to temporarily and permanently enjoin the disclosure—not just to Van Vleet, but to any member of the general public. They argue that the PRA's privacy exception is not broad enough to prevent that disclosure—as Anderson apparently determined—but that disclosure would violate their constitutional rights to privacy and free expression. . . . They claim that disclosure would lead to stalking, harassment, blackmail, and injury to relationships and future employment prospects.
The PRA is a tool to enable citizens to monitor their government. It is not a mechanism for them to examine, exploit, or endanger each other: "[t]he primary purpose of the public records act is to provide broad access to public records to ensure government accountability." The PRA was never intended to facilitate spying or stalking, or to enable a host of other nefarious goals. Thus, the PRA generally requires the disclosure of governmental documents and records to citizens requesting them. It also recognizes that some information should not subject to public disclosure, and provides for redaction in some cases:
Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection and copying all public records, unless the record falls within the specific exemptions of subsection (6) of this section, this chapter, or other statute which exempts or prohibits disclosure of specific information or records. To the extent required to prevent an unreasonable invasion of personal privacy interests protected by this chapter, an agency shall delete identifying details in a manner consistent with this chapter[.]
The parties agree that PRA has no express exemption protecting erotic dancers' information from disclosure. The privacy right it recognizes precludes disclosure if information about the person: (1) would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, and (2) is not of legitimate concern to the public. RCW [Revised Code of Washington] §§ 42.56.050.
Plaintiffs argue that the PRA's "other statute" reference does not include the Constitution, because the Constitution is not a statute, and because the PRA elsewhere explains that all exemptions must be narrowly construed in order to ensure maximal disclosure and governmental transparency: "This chapter shall be liberally construed and its exemptions narrowly construed to promote this public policy and to assure that the public interest will be fully protected." RCW §§ 42.56.030. The Plaintiffs claim that because the disclosure of their information that would violate their First Amendment rights, and the PRA does not prohibit that disclosure, it is unconstitutional as applied to them.
The State argues that the PRA's deference to "other statute[s]" is a "catch all" saving clause, which does not require a disclosure that would violate the Constitution:
If the requested records are constitutionally protected from public disclosure, that protection exists without any need of statutory permission, and may constitute an exemption under the PRA even if not implemented through an explicit statutory exemption. In other words, it is not necessary to read the PRA in conflict with the Constitution when the Act itself recognizes and respects other laws (including constitutional provisions) that mandate privacy or confidentiality.
This interpretation is also consistent with the canon of constitutional avoidance: when a statute is susceptible to more than one construction, the interpretation that does not violate the constitution is favored.
The State is correct. The PRA, by design, cannot violate the Constitution, and constitutional protections (such as freedom of expression) are necessarily incorporated as exemptions, just like any other express exemption enumerated in the PRA. Plaintiffs' claim that the PRA is unconstitutional as applied because it cannot accommodate a constitutional limitation on disclosure is wrong, and is rejected. . . .
The issue, then, is whether the Constitution protects Plaintiffs' information, exempting it from disclosure under the PRA. Plaintiffs argue that, as workers in an erotic dance studio, they are engaging in a form of protected First Amendment expression, and that disclosure of their information would have an unconstitutional chilling effect on that expression.
It is well-established that erotic dancing is a protected form of expression under the First Amendment: "Courts have considered topless dancing to be expression, subject to constitutional protection within the free speech and press guarantees of the First and Fourteenth Amendments." The Ninth Circuit has emphasized that a county's public disclosure of erotic dance employees' personal information has an unconstitutional chilling effect on that protected form of expression:
The First Amendment does not permit the County to put employees of adult entertainment establishments to the choice of applying for a permit to engage in protected expression in circumstances where they expose themselves to unwelcome harassment from aggressive suitors and overzealous opponents of such activity, or choosing not to engage in such activity out of concern for their personal safety. The chilling effect on those wishing to engage in First Amendment activity is obvious.
The disclosure of Plaintiffs' information here would have a similarly unconstitutional chilling effect. As erotic dance studio employees, Plaintiffs are uniquely vulnerable to harassment, shaming, stalking, or worse.
Plaintiffs have express concern regarding the enhanced risk that disclosure of their real names and other licensing information might bring. They plausibly claim that they would not have engaged in their profession had they known that their erotic license information could be so easily disclosed to any member of the public. . . . Thus, the Plaintiffs' information is protected under the First Amendment, and it is exempted from disclosure under the PRA. . . .
Anderson's determination that the PRA required disclosure of Plaintiff's licensing information was in error. Defendants Pierce County and Andersen are PERMANENTLY ENJOINED from disclosing the information requested to Van Vleet due to the protected nature of Plaintiffs' license information under the First Amendment, and the PRA's recognition of that protection. . . .
As I noted before, this case might also be relied on by analogy in Second Amendment cases, in situations where people try to use public records laws to get the names of registered gun owners, or of registered holders of gun carry licenses. (The Supreme Court said, in D.C. v. Heller (2008), that there is no constitutional right to concealed carry, but some courts—such as the 7th Circuit and the Illinois Supreme Court—have held that there is a constitutional right to some form of carry, and in some states a license is required for any sort of carrying.) It's always uncertain, of course, how much courts will accept such analogies.


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According to media reports, the Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal has confirmed that the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test will be the only medical entrance examination in the country. Institutions like All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research which conduct AIIMS MBBS and JIPMER MBBS entrance test will not be conducting examinations for the respecting examination for the MBBS admissions.
The admission to the 1207 seats in all the 15 AIIMS including AIIMS New Delhi and 14 others and the 200 seats in JIPMER Puducherry and Karaikal will be conducted based on the NEET examinations conducted by the National Testing Agency.
Related : Why NEET is a Tough Nut to Crack?
As per reports, the confirmation regarding the examination was made in the Lok Sabha where the MHRD was asked specific six questions regarding the MBBS Admissions. The questions asked included the number of entrance examinations conducted by separate institutions for MBBS admissions, the governments plan on implementing NEET as the only entrance examination for MBBS admissions and the reason behind the same, if the government has discussed the above matter with the states before implementing the same, details of the response along with the number of states which refused to implement the decision and the states likely to implement the decision.
Related : 7 Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for NEET Exam
The HRD Ministry provided a combined answer for all the questions asked at the house. According to the ministry, the National Medical Commission Act 2019 was approved on August 8, 2019, this year and Section 14 of the act conveys that there will be a common and uniform NEET examination for the admission to the MBBS programs in the medical colleges including those that come under any other law.
According to the above-mentioned clause, the AIIMs and JIPMER medical entrances have been scrapped and the admissions will be conducted under NEET. Students all over the country can now appear in only one medical entrance exam. Until last year close to 3 lakh students appeared in AIIMS and 1 to 2 lakh students appeared in the JIPMER entrance examination. NEET, on the other hand, has 15 lakh applicants and over 14 lakh appeared for the examination. Since the AIIMS and JIPMER examinations will be canceled the number of applicants for the upcoming NEET examinations will increase.
Related : Best Study Plan to Crack NEET 2020
The National Testing Agency will be conducting the NEET 2020 examination on May 3, 2020, in the pen and paper mode. The registrations for NEET 2020 will begin on December 2, 2019, and will conclude on December 31, 2019.


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Last updated: July 24, 2019
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Barack Obama, Red Lobster, and the Big Problem of Big Data
The Obama campaign knows who you are and what you like—and they're trying to figure out what that means now, and in the future. They're way ahead of journalists, and the public, on how voting is done in America.
Charles Duhigg, author of the fascinating The Power of Habit (the best part of which ran as his widely read New York Times Magazine piece on Target's use of data), had a neat piece the other day on campaign data-mining, and what the Obama campaign knows about you:
Officials at both campaigns say the most insightful data remains the basics: a voter's party affiliation, voting history, basic information like age and race, and preferences gleaned from one-on-one conversations with volunteers. But more subtle data mining has helped the Obama campaign learn that their supporters often eat at Red Lobster, shop at Burlington Coat Factory and listen to smooth jazz. Romney backers are more likely to drink Samuel Adams beer, eat at Olive Garden and watch college football.
Obama is doing well with Red Lobster diners, probably because he's black, right? I don't think so: "The family restaurant Fuddruckers and fast-food restaurant Hardee's were favorites among likely McCain voters. Mrs. Clinton's likely supporters skewed toward Red Lobster and Krispy Kreme. The Cheesecake Factory, along with Panera Bread and Starbucks, were popular among groups likely to vote for Mr. Obama." I dug into this for awhile (Darden Restaurants, which owns both Olive Garden and Red Lobster, plays demographic data close to the chest). Perhaps this has something to do with it (PDF):
When running against Clinton, blue-collar voters were a concern for the Obama campaign:
Two key demographic groups are often called, in campaign parlance, the "beer track" and the "wine track." Obama attracts strong support from the latter - highly educated voters with high incomes who tend to be more content with their stations in life. Polls have shown Clinton stronger among lower-income voters who lack a college education and harbor deep economic anxieties.
Why the change? Perhaps this: incomes around $100k—where Red Lobster tops out and in the heart of Olive Garden's market—is where support for Romney tends to break out.
Or maybe Red Lobster represents the elusive swing voter, in which case political scientists should be aware that combination Red Lobster-Olive Gardens portend the coming of a dominant centrist party (David Brooks and Thomas Friedman may use this thesis, for a small fee).
Anyway, the whiz kids at "The Analyst Institute," the in-house Dem shop doing strategic marketing for the Obama campaign (Dems tend to go in-house, Republicans tend to source out market research; how's that for a political metaphor?) assuredly know:
The Obama campaign's "experiment-informed programs"—known as EIP in the lefty tactical circles where they've become the vogue in recent years—are designed to track the impact of campaign messages as voters process them in the real world, instead of relying solely on artificial environments like focus groups and surveys. The method combines the two most exciting developments in electioneering practice over the last decade: the use of randomized, controlled experiments able to isolate cause and effect in political activity and the microtargeting statistical models that can calculate the probability a voter will hold a particular view based on hundreds of variables.
The Obama campaign has been tight-lipped about their data mining, from Project Dreamcatcher to Narwhal. So Pro Publica has been trying to reverse-engineer the process by collecting, posting, and analyzing campaign e-mails: "So far we have found that the campaigns have been sending on average two variations of each email, but we've seen as many as nine variations of a single email. Most often the variations are small, and based on whether (and how much) the recipient has donated in the past. But sometimes the variations are more interesting." Using algorithms, they attempt to figure out what kind of targeting the variations indicate. And the future of campaining—not to mention campaign reporting—is moving in that mathematical direction, as Sasha Issenberg, author of Victory Lab, writes:
Over the last decade, almost entirely out of view, campaigns have modernized their techniques in such a way that nearly every member of the political press now lacks the specialized expertise to interpret what's going on. Campaign professionals have developed a new conceptual framework for understanding what moves votes. It's as if restaurant critics remained oblivious to a generation's worth of new chefs' tools and techniques and persisted in describing every dish that came out of the kitchen as either "grilled" or "broiled."
The smartest people I talk to in political campaigns — the ones who spend the most time in the company of advanced data and sophisticated experimentation — are also the quickest to concede how little we ultimately know about what it takes to win. For them, empiricism breeds uncertainty. Only by knowing what is measurable can we appreciate how much isn't, and be honest with readers about the fact that everything else may have to remain a mystery.
Well, some of it is a lack of math and programming nerds in journalism, but that's being fixed by places like Pro Publica. A bigger problem is proprietary data. Campaigns have access to often expensive data that journalists don't: "large commercial databases, voter files, boutique lists, and an unprecedented quantity of voter interviews it regularly conducted using paid phone banks and volunteer canvassers," as Issenberg writes in his piece on Dreamcatcher. Sometimes little bits do get out, and they demonstrate how big a difference little differences (as in the e-mails Pro Publica is collecting) can make:
We tried four buttons and six different media (three images and three videos). We used Google Website Optimizer and ran this as a full-factorial multivariate test which is just a fancy way of saying we tested all the combinations of buttons and media against each other at the same time. Since we had four buttons and six different media that meant we had 24 (4 x 6) total combinations to test. Every visitor to the splash page was randomly shown one of these combinations and we tracked whether they signed up or not.
The buttons were "join us now," "sign up now," "learn more," and "sign up." Learn more (the least committal) did the best; sign up now (no one wants to sign up for e-mails) did the worst. Of the splash pages, ones with video did the worst, and the one with the super-cute picture of Obama and his family did the best.
It's basic A/B testing that resulted in sensible layout decisions. Not, in other words, anything groundbreaking—which is probably why we know about it. Actually catching up to them will require shaking loose their sacred data, or obtaining and learning to use equally powerful tools to reverse-engineer their mysterious science.
Photograph: Calgary Reviews (CC by 2.0)
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Homepage > How to balance your microbiota
How to balance your microbiota
Bringing in good bacteria to fill or enrich the microbiota and help it to function smoothly. This is the challenge of microbiota modulation. In addition to a varied and balanced diet, probiotics and prebiotics have a well-documented benefit in may digestive diseases. They have also been the subject of intense research in all the diseases involving the microbiota. More recently, modulation by fecal transplant is currently limited, but can be extended to other indications.
There are five ways to affect the equilibrium of microbiotas. Each of them has its own specific features.


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Custom made Mojo Hand for whatever you desire and instructions for use. Can come with a 5 ml bottle of custom anointing oil. Fixed, dressed, and consecrated on my altar, this is custom made just for you.
When checking out, please fill out the notes to seller section with what you desire, be it luck, money, love, or health, what your specific situation is, and your full legal name.
When you receive your Mojo bag please add personal concerns to make the bag yours.


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Look: Rafael Nadal is in Manila for IPTL 2015!
The Philippine Mavericks also won their first match.
(SPOT.ph) In case you missed out on all the tennis excitement over the weekend, Sunday marked Day 1 of the International Premier Tennis League at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
— IPTL (@iptl) December 6, 2015
To quickly sum up the results, the Singapore Slammers (whose players include Carlos Moya and Marcelo Melo) defeated the Japan Warriors with a final score of 29-20. Meanwhile, the Philippine Mavericks (led by Serena Williams) bested the OBI UAE Royals with a score of 29-18.
— IPTL (@iptl) December 5, 2015
— 7DAYS Sport (@7DAYSSPORT) December 6, 2015
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 6, 2015
There are a total of four more upcoming matches on Monday (December 7) and Tuesday (December 8), that will include Rafael Nadal, who plays for the Micromax Indian Aces. The 14-time Grand Slam winner arrived in Manila on Saturday night, November 5, for his match.
On Sunday, Rafa conducted a tennis clinic (above) at the Colegio San Agustin in Makati City to promote the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy that's opening in Spain. According to a report from PhilStar.com, he also plans to open a tennis school for kids in the Philippines.


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|Marvel Universe >> View Post
Subj: Re: How Are They Destroying Their Legacy?
Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2015 at 12:38:05 pm CST (Viewed 17 times)
Reply Subj: Re: How Are They Destroying Their Legacy?
Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 at 07:49:17 am CST (Viewed 377 times)
Quote:And according to those in power there is no "after." This is the new state of things for the foreseeable future. This is only likely to change if there is a significant regime change at Marvel.
Quote:Secret Wars will only be lasting 2-3 months. Battleworld is here for the long haul.
Didn't I say that a while back and you told me I was wrong?
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|Alvaro's Comicboards powered by On Topic™ © 2003-2020 Powermad Software


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"Atlanta is a major hub for technology and innovation, and a natural fit for Waymo's testing programme," Waymo said on Twitter.
Atlanta is a major hub for technology and innovation, and a natural fit for Waymo's testing program. Thanks to @GovernorDeal for the warm welcome!
— Waymo (@Waymo) January 22, 2018
With over eight years of testing under its belt, Waymo is a pioneer of self-driving technology and is already testing vehicles in suburban Phoenix, Michigan, Silicon Valley and San Francisco. Another successive tweet by the company mentions that it has now successfully tested in 25 cities across the US, with over 3.5 million miles autonomously driven till date.
While self-driving car companies test their vehicles in public, they routinely have a human in the driver's seat ready to take over if the technology fails.
Watch: Tech and Auto Show EP 28 | 2018 Audi Q5, LG V30+ & More


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Tiger Zinda Hai New Trailer Fan Made
Salman Khan has given a no of blockbusters in the past. This year till date no any big film from Salman Khan has been released but makers are trying to project Sallu at grand level to get very big success. The new movie is the sequel to Tiger Zinda hai. Katrina Kaif is looking very sexy in the released images & photos. It seems that film may have some of the bikini scenes.
Katrina Kaif Salman Khan hot images Tiger Zinda Hai
Sultan was the last big blockbuster from Salman which has created new box office record also ft Anushka Sharma. Hot beautiful Katrina Kaif who has not given any big film from last few years. She will be back with Salman after a long interval of time. Some of the viral photoshoot images of Kat seems to be very hot and this will made her more fan following in the coming days.
Bikini Images of Katirna Kaif Download
The movie will be released on grand note and in record no of screens. Both of the leading stars has very big fan following in India as well as in overseas market specially in USA, UAE.
Tiger Zinda Hai is upcoming Bollywood movie featuring Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif. Ek Tha Tiger 2 HD Teaser 1080p full movie 2017 download HD teaser caste song poster & new kissing video bed scene images hot photos bold poster liplock pic. New Indian film of Salman & Katrina. Hot performance of both of the leading stars once again make your amaze. film is finally going to release worldwide in record no of screens on Christmas 2017 i.e on 22nd December. Fans will once again see katrina Kaif in a sexy new avatar. kat has given some of the flop films in recent time and she is being reunited with Salman under the production of Yash Raj Banner produced by Aditya Chopra & the film will directed by Ali Abbas Zaffar. Fans will see a grand entry of South Mega superstar Mahesh Babu in strong supporting role. Music of the film will once again rock like that of the previous part Ek Tha Tiger released in 2012.This time VIshal-Shekhar is giving music to this one movie.


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Thought Leadership is in Our DNA
Michael P. Huseby,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BNED
Michael P. Huseby serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. Previously, he served as Executive Chairman of Barnes & Noble Education. Prior to joining the Company, he was a member of the board of directors of Barnes & Noble, Inc. from January 2014 and served as the Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble until August 2, 2015. Mr. Huseby was appointed Chief Executive Officer of NOOK Media LLC and President of Barnes & Noble in July 2013, and Chief Financial Officer of Barnes & Noble in March 2012. From 2004 to 2011, Mr. Huseby served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cablevision Systems Corporation, a leading telecommunications and media company, which was acquired by the Altice Group in June 2016. He served on the Cablevision Systems Corporation board of directors in 2000 and 2001. Prior to joining Cablevision, Mr. Huseby served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Charter Communications, Inc., a large cable operator in the United States. Mr. Huseby served on the board of directors of Charter Communications from May 2013 through May 2016. From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Huseby served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, of AT&T Broadband, a provider of cable television services. In addition, Mr. Huseby spent over 20 years at Arthur Andersen, LLP and Andersen Worldwide, S.C., where he held the position of Global Equity Partner.
Thomas D. Donohue,
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, BNED
Thomas D. Donohue serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. In this role he is responsible for overseeing accounting, tax and enterprise risk management, and internal audit. Mr. Donohue also serves as the Company's treasurer and head of investor relations. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Investor Relations for the Company since 2015. Prior to joining Barnes & Noble Education, Mr. Donohue served as Treasurer of Barnes & Noble, Inc. since June 2012. Prior to joining Barnes & Noble, he spent 12 years at the Interpublic Group of Companies, a global provider of advertising and marketing services, where he served as Vice President, Assistant Treasurer, International. He graduated from Loyola University in Maryland and received his MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Stephen Culver,
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), BNED
Stephen Culver is senior vice president and chief information officer of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. and is responsible for overseeing the company's IT operations and strategic development. Prior to joining Barnes & Noble College in 2005, Stephen held leadership positions in both the private and public sectors. He owned and presided over an IT consulting company, which specialized in the retail and wholesale industries. As CIO of Giorgio Armani Corporation, he lead the IT operations during the development and expansion of their North American operations.
JoAnn Magill,
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, BNED
JoAnn Magill serves as Senior Vice President, Human Resources of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. Since joining the Company in 2003, Ms. Magill has played an integral role in the development and implementation of policies, practices and programs for thousands of full and part time employees at the Company's corporate office and its campus bookstores nationwide. In her role as Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Ms. Magill oversees employee relations, recruitment, benefits, payroll and compensation. Prior to joining Barnes & Noble Education, she served as the Vice President of Human Resources at AT&T Broadband Media Services for five years. Ms. Magill also had an extensive 25 year career with Pathmark Supermarkets, where she held a variety of field and corporate leadership roles.
Lisa Malat,
Lisa Malat serves as President, Barnes & Noble College and a member of the BNED senior leadership team. In this role, Ms. Malat has overall responsibility for the growth and profitability of Barnes & Noble College, providing strategic direction and operational leadership across the business, which manages physical campus bookstores and e-commerce sites nationwide. Ms. Malat also leads strategy and execution for merchandising, marketing and business development, serving the higher education and K-12 markets. Prior to assuming her role as President, Ms. Malat served as Chief Operating Officer for Barnes & Noble College since 2018. Ms. Malat joined the company in 1996, and has held various senior executive positions including Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Operations. Prior to joining Barnes & Noble College, she held several senior level roles within the Macy's Inc. organization. Ms. Malat received her bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Jonathan Shar,
Executive Vice President, Retail and Client Solutions, BNED
Jonathan Shar serves as Executive Vice President, Retail and Client Solutions. In this role, Mr. Shar has overall responsibility for the growth and profitability of the Company's Retail segment, including the development and implementation of client-focused solutions that deliver innovation and increased value to the higher education marketplace. Previously, Mr. Shar served as Senior Vice President, Revenue and Product Development for the Company. Prior to joining BNED in 2018, Mr. Shar was Chief Marketing Officer at Akademos, Inc., a disruptive and growing e-commerce and digital marketing company that provides online bookstore services. He previously was the General Manager of NOOK Digital Content at Barnes & Noble, Inc. where he oversaw business development, product development and marketing for the Global NOOK Newsstand, NOOK Video and NOOK Apps digital businesses. Prior to his nearly five years with NOOK, he served as Senior Vice President and General Manager at CNNMoney, responsible for the CNNMoney website and mobile franchise. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Sports Illustrated Group and Director of Consumer Marketing for FORTUNE Magazine Group. Mr. Shar received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Tufts University and has an MBA from the University of Michigan.


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A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a woman was stabbed 'numerous times' in Manchester.
The woman, 30, is fighting for her life following the incident at the junction of Shadowmoss Road and Cornishway in Wythenshawe at about 1.05am on Sunday (30 October).
She was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds and injuries to her head and neck and remains in a critical condition.
Officers attended and a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. He remains in police custody for questioning.
According to the Mirror, police forensics teams have been combing the area. A neighbour near the house being searched today told the Mirror he could hear shouting and screaming during the incident.
He said that he had thought it was neighbours arguing. Police have launched an investigation and are appealing for witnesses.
Detective Inspector Tony Lea of Greater Manchester Police's City of Manchester Team, said: "Sadly, a woman is in a critical condition in hospital after being attacked in the early hours of the morning.
"We have a man in custody in connection with the stabbing but we still need witnesses to come forward and help us with the investigation.
"I'm urging anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has any information, to get in contact with us as soon as possible."


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06-09-2016 12:47 AM - last edited on 06-09-2016 08:25 AM by RogersMoin
Thought I'd report in after going through a trial firmware update. I'm running 184.108.40.206 and this problem is still not fixed. Goodbye, Rogers. Thanks for wasting my time. Just called Bell and they'll be here on Saturday morning to install my new internet. Finally going with a company that actually provides a serevice that works. First thing the guy on the phone said is, "Let me guess, Rogers firmware problem?" Haha....
Firmware update did nothing to solve this problem. Called Bell and making the switch on Saturday. I'm convinced this will never be fixed.
I feel your pain. I'm done with Rogers. I have wasted 11 years of my life as a customer of theirs and I've had it. Unaccpetable incompetence at evey level. When they screw up, they screw up big. Sadly, the only solution I have come up with is to switch to Bell. The technician will be here Saturday and I got a great deal.
Hi, thanks for checking on the .21 firmware. i've been considering a switch to another carrier as well. II use the chromecast for so much, and the fact that the simple device doesnt work is really disappointing. I'll give it a month to see what happens, but i have a feeling this issue will not be resolved in a timely manner. Thanks for pointing out Bell, ill see what kind of deals theyre offering now
06-09-2016 11:45 AM - edited 06-09-2016 12:22 PM
Now that user Zaphod99 has confirmed the firmware update 18.104.22.168 does not solve the problem, does anyone think that either A) purchasing a new router to use with a Rogers modem or C) replacing the current Hitron router with their older 2.4G-only capability would temporarily solve the issue?
I'm curious to know if any confirmed Rogers staff members actually read or offer any solutions to these posts. We're all going around in circles here and there's no sign of a Rogers employee. We all have hundres of dollars worth of equipment that no longer works because of these firmware updates and we don't even get a single acknowlegment that this problem has been recognixed. I'm wondering if this is perhaps deliberate and, for some reason, Rogers don't want their customers using chromecast etc. Thoughts?
06-09-2016 12:21 PM - edited 06-09-2016 12:23 PM
The manual DNS solution does not work. Like everything else, it appears to work for about an hour and then the icon disappears once again.
Here is the story that i got yesterday:
I reset my chromcast a half a dozen times and truly thought i had a faulty unit.
Exchanged it with no issues, and had the same problem with the new one
Got onto the online chat with a rogers tech..... he said the modem was working fine and if i wanted to fix the issue with chromcast a tech would be willing to try for 129.99 plus tax.
My answer was really? thats your solution?
He then told me that the issue was with chromcast, i should call them.... so i did
Chromcast advised that the update on the router made chromcast incompatble with this specific hitron modem and that they are in negotiations not just with Rogers but also with Hitron.
Right now there is no fix .... although i did not try the changes on the modem settings as of yet
After what i heard from chromcast i have a feeling it wont work for any length of times
1: Has anyone tried a Factory Reset for Hitron modem? Does it help resolving the issue?
2: would switching to older 2.4G only modems be a solution to chromecast problem? How do we know Rogers also didn't recently do the same mess up in other modems to block chromecast - not fixing this self-created problem suits them as it saves them a lot of bandwidth !
@hamdan wrote:
I have Chromecast and it was working fine and I can send videos from my iPhone from YouTube and other applicable applications. Chomecast is not the only device I can cast videos on, my Samsung TV can cast as well.
Now the icon disappeared from YouTube and other apps and I am not able to see the icon for both (Chromecast and TV). I tried to reset Chromecast, but the setup can not go through. Chromcast support suggested that I have to change a router setting, for example, AP Isolation is to be Disabled.
Note that I have't change anything I mean router or phone or app settings.
***edited labels***
06-12-2016 12:57 AM - last edited on 06-12-2016 08:38 AM by RogersMoin
Chromecast no longer works on Hitron
I'm not sure what happened but it seems that the Chromecast no longer works properly. Rebooting the modem restores the Chromecast functionality temporarily but after about 30 mins it's gone again even though it's connected to the network.
Ok...so there is a fix. It is 100% bad firmware. Don't let anyone tell you differenly. This is a problem caused by Rogers. The update to 188.8.131.52 killed all casting. I contacted Rogers on this forum (not technical support on the phone) and asked to be rolled back to the previous firmware (184.108.40.206). The problem was instantly fixed. Thank goodness because I had already scheduled an appointment with Bell this past Saturday, and was fully prepared to change providers. This fix has kept me a Rogers customer...that is, until the next untested stupid update they try and force on me.
06-15-2016 10:30 AM - edited 06-15-2016 10:57 AM
Just adding my data to this thread.
Note that this message contains an admission that the current firmware version (188.8.131.52) is known to have/cause problems with Chromecast.
Maybe a week ago, my devices stopped seeing my Chromecast (older generation). Meaning to say, the apps did not have the casting icon (rectangle with wifi waves in the corner) any more. All manner of Chromecast hard resets, unplugs, replugs, and router power cycling did nothing. I even went and bought a current-gen Chromecast, thinking my old one got broken, possibly by a firmware update from Google. But both devices exhibited the same problems.
However, as of right now, I have both devices working. Here's my current setup and what I did:
Hope this helps others.
At this point, I'm just waiting to see if the older-gen Chromecast holds up for a few more days without problems, then I'll return the new-gen one I just bought.
If anyone can tell me how to determine my router/modem firmware version, I will update this post with my version. (Found it with some help.)


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Soaring through the sky over a gorgeous landscape, seeing the wonders of nature from the perspective of a bird, gliding with the miracle of flight. Just the thought of it is enough to get the heart pounding and the adrenaline pumping. Throw in the fact that you can do it all safely, with a knowledgeable guide/pilot who knows the area inside and out, and it is no wonder that helicopter tours have become so popular in recent years.
There are many, many tours out there that fit any budget and need. But these are some of the greatest, most unforgettable helicopter trips around the world.
Canadian Rockies (Go Ahead Tours)
If you love mountain scenery and the peace of the forest, you will love this tour. You choose your view, adding in whatever locations you might wish to see and taking a helicopter ride through each. The full trip takes you through ten days of tours, beginning in Calgary and ending in Vancouver. Between you will see Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Kamloops. You can even add more days in Vancouver and Victoria to extend your trip. If you like nature and wildlife photography, this is especially perfect for you.
New Zealand (Go Ahead Tours)
Where they filmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the beautiful landscape of this country is legendary. Green as far as the eye can see, mountains towering in the distance and a great deal of untamed areas where the animals reign, it is breath taking. Hit Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, Nelson, Greymouth Region, Fox Glacier, Queenstown, Christchurch, and even add Fiji if you want. This is another customizable trip, so you can see as much or as little as you like.
Grand Canyon (Papillon Tours)
The Grand Canyon is a standard family vacation spot for Americans all over the country. But you have never seen it like this. Fly over this massive chasm and see the true depth of this world wonder. They also have airplane and bus tours available, though the helicopters are their true specialty.
Ischia (SAM Helicopters)
Located in the Bay of Naples, this volcanic island is home of a wonderful tour through some of the best known spots in Italy. Capri, Pompeii and Herculaneum are all included in the tour, as well as Sorrento and Mount Vesuvius. Be sure to check out some of their other tours, as well. There is an emphasis on the historical sections of the island, as well as other regions withing Italy.
Big Island Helicopter Tours
Famous for the volcano that has been erupting for the last several decades, you can now take a tour straight over it to see the phenomenon of Kilauea yourself. This Circle of Fire Plus Waterfalls tour is definitely the coolest on this list. They specifically take you to the spots where lava has been free flowing from the volcano. A memorable experience, indeed.
Have you been on a helicopter tour before? What was it like, and where was it located? Let us know in the comments!
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: iStock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: iStock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: iStock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: iStock.com
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: iStock.com
Annie is an adventurous traveler who believes that traveling with save the world!


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"20 Minutes of Successful Niche Secrets – EPISODE 16",
Where I coach David Johanns
"PODCAST – EPISODE 16," Where I coach David Johanns and help him to break into a local luxury market!
Glenn: Good afternoon! Today my special guest is David Johanns from Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty in downtown Toronto. How are you doing today, David?
David: Well, Glenn, I'm doing pretty good. I'm sitting at my piano. I thought that would be a great intro to this podcast. There you go.
Glenn: That's the best. I've got to tell you, David, that is the best start of any call I've ever had.
David: I wanted to, because I've been listening to your podcasts, and I thought, "Well I can do something no one else can do on the intro."
Glenn: That's right. I love it. Okay, so David, why don't you tell some of our listeners just a little bit about yourself and then we'll move on to what the biggest challenge you have in real estate is. And then in 25 minutes, we will give you an awesome, unique process to follow to get a steady stream of leads, and then basically a blueprint to follow for the next 12 months so that you can double your income. So let's go to it!
David: Well what I'm looking forward to is at the end of this call, what you basically told me is that all of my problems in real estate are going to be solved. I'm very excited about that. There's the challenge. I'm fairly new to the real estate game. I think I joined Keller Williams a little over a year ago. And I previously (as you know, I play piano), wrote music for television for many years, so I've worked as an entertainer my whole life pretty much. I've done a lot of television shows. My passion is sailing. I live on a boat in the summer. I love working with people, and I love houses. I own a lot of tools. I can renovate – all of that stuff. And I guess that's what drew me into real estate, is the joy of being around people and entertaining. Because to me, when I'm showing a house or when I'm gauging people, it's not much different than working as an entertainer. And I think my background, connecting to people as an entertainer (because it's an exchange of energy), benefits me in the world of real estate (or hopefully so I'm finding). So that's the quick Dog And Pony Show synopsis.
Glenn: Alright. Perfect. I guess there are two questions for you: If I had a magic wand right now and could create an ideal, perfect-fit client for you, who would that be? Followed by: What is that challenge that you're facing right now in the marketplace?
David: Well of course I love working with clients that are more my generation, so they're, dare I say that word – "older" and established. I love (I spoke to you about this before), contemporary architecture – clean lines, glass, steel, lots of windows, open spaces, falling lines – so somebody that is into that, that has that design aesthetic and that appeal to them, and that's what they're in the market for. So I suppose someone in that is going to be a higher-end client. More expensive properties – dare I say "luxury" homes. I suppose, in a crystal ball situation, that's who I'd like to work with. But I'm always apprehensive to say that, because I've worked with younger people, helping them get their first home, and I got a lot of joy out of that help. I found that very rewarding as well. I'm nervous, I suppose, because that market that I like is very small and almost exclusive, and it's hard to sometimes get into that demographic. It's an exclusive world sometimes.
Glenn: Well I think, when we're working on a niche market, I always say to people, "Over the next 90 days, this is really 20% of your time. You should still keep running with all the other clients you like to work with, whether it be first-time buyers or move-up or move-down." I mean, we've got to live. We've got to eat. And it's not just one client that always gives us joy. A lot of times, there's nothing better than helping a first-time buyer buy their first home, right? I always call it the "sell real estate for hugs" – it's the hug you get after you help them find their first property.
David: I like that. That removes some of my anxiety about deciding who I would really like to work with, because like you said, you've got to eat. And in pursuing putting food on the table, I've been using the model that I really like that Jason Weinberger has promoted with me (there's a name dropped for him), which is doing Open Houses. I've found that has been very effective for me, so I'm making that a bigger objective: every weekend, find a place I can host, because the last few times I've done that, I have generated really good leads.
Glenn: Yeah. Well I always think that there are agents built for Open Houses, in a way. There are some agents who just aren't good at all, and there are other agents who – and I know you, are just very personable, open, and approachable – and they tend to do really, really well.
David: Well the other reason I like doing it is that I get to learn before I do the Open House. I find out about what's selling in the area because I don't want to come across as an idiot if somebody starts asking me some direct questions about the local market. So it forces me to become more educated, sometimes in places that I've never been. So to me, that's a bonus.
Glenn: Sure. Yeah. Well there's a big argument of – it's not one Open House each day; you could easily do three Open Houses a day. There's no rule that says you can't do 11-1p.m. on one house, 1-3 p.m. on another, and 3-5 p.m. on another. I know an agent who is now selling over 500 properties a year who started 12 years ago, and that's all she did, was just six Open Houses every weekend. And I think the other model we have to break is: Open Houses aren't just for weekends. People are busy on weekends. Open Houses can easily be right after work from 5-8 p.m. if you're on a busy street and you get a lot of high traffic, because that's what clients want, right? But let's go back to your big niche – the modern architecture, contemporary, clean lines. If people who love food are called "foodies," I'm going to call those people "homies." They're the people who can talk for hours. People who love those homes and design those homes and build those homes are very committed and passionate to that, wouldn't you agree?
David: Absolutely. One of my best friends is a well-known architect, Adam Thom, and I've known him for almost 20 years. I think just hanging out with him – his designs all reflect that, and kind of through osmosis, I've really been drawn to that. I love the stuff he does. It's integrated with nature. It's leading-edge building technology. Everything about it: the conservation of energy, environmental footprint, self-sustaining, off the grid, use of energy – all of that stuff is really appealing. And also just standing in a space where the light comes pouring in – the manner in which the windows are situated, how it conserves energy and keeps the house cool in the summer and warm in the winter – all those things are amazing.
Glenn: Right. So let's think about your ideal target market buyer for that type of property, okay? We're creating almost like a computer avatar right now; the perfect fit. So how old would they be, if you had to guess? Let our audience know, what's the target age group?
David: I think they're pretty much going to be, I would say, over 40. So they've likely already owned a home. I can't imagine this being a first buy. And they have a distinct taste and objective. I would say they're very conscious people in terms of culture, aesthetics, and even the environment. I find these people tend to want to spend more money on building material if it leaves a cleaner footprint and it's going to benefit the house in the long term in terms of energy conservation and efficiency.
Glenn: Totally. So where are these people living right now? What part of Toronto would you say they're in right now?
David: I guess that's the question, because quite frankly, I can't answer that. I don't think I can give a very good, educated answer with that. I come across these individuals through some of my social networks, or meeting them, or when I'm doing a gig somewhere, I meet them by chance. I have some people in my social network that fit this profile, but I can't say for sure that they're all exclusively living in one area. I wouldn't call them the Forest Hill types – they're definitely not the Bridle Path types. That, to me, is more of a cookie cutter demographic. It's not the same. They're outside-the-box thinking people.
Glenn: Yeah. (And for those people who aren't from Toronto, the Bridle Path in Forest Hill is a very exclusive, upscale, luxury market in Toronto). I think the first thing would be to try to do some research on where those people are. I'm going to make a guess right now, that a lot of them are in this area in midtown Toronto called The Annex, living near the University of Toronto. And I'm going to guess that they're mostly professors, they could be in the liberal arts – they're that artsy, liberal, eco type of person. Does that ring a bell? Do you see that?
David: As soon as you said that, I thought of the $18,000,000 home that sold recently that's in the shape of a mathematical integral. It was built by a guy who's a mathematical professor who wrote textbooks. He made his money in textbooks. I can't think of his name, but that's an incredible place. That's on the high end. Very, very high end.
Glenn: Right. I know. Wouldn't it be great if they were all $18,000,000? But I would argue that maybe the buyers are sitting there, and I certainly know some of the sellers are sitting there, because if you can drive through some of those areas, you can certainly see the influence in the new construction of those types of homes.
David: Well in my neighbourhood, that's what I love. I see that kind of construction happening in the middle of very conventional neighbourhoods, and it stands out like a beacon, because to me, when I look at that, it's like, "That's what all these houses eventually are going to look like, when what is new becomes adopted by society as being typical." I look at every house that we live in: peaked roof. It's a box. To me, it's just a box, and it can be contemporized very quickly with big windows and totally changed, like do a makeover. And that's what these guys are doing. A lot of these designers that have that eye and that affinity, they're doing that to these homes.
Glenn: Right. And it's really a bigger statement. I'm sure we could talk about this for hours, but we're going to get into the solution in a second. I think it's a bigger movement towards mass production and more individualism, and I think that's what we're really seeing out there. So someone who's thinking about either buying one of those homes or building one of their homes, and they're lying in bed, what are they thinking about? What is their biggest fear? Because if we can plan our marketing from what their biggest concern is, and the way we approach it is based on the four or five fears or concerns they have, that when we approach them with this, they go, " Oh my God. That's what I've been thinking about. You get me." So what would that be? What's keeping them awake at night?
David: I think quality of construction (who they're going to hire to do this kind of work) is a big fear. That's what I hear immediately when people talk about build construction. And cost, obviously. Everybody's worried about the cost of doing this kind of project. "Is it out of reach? Is it irrational to engage in this kind of thing when nobody else is doing it? How's the market going to react if they want to sell it? Is there going to be a buyer out there for it, assuming they do want to sell it? Is it going to appeal to people to purchase it?" I know of one house a friend of mine, an interior designer, did on Scarborough Road, and it was diabolically different from everything out there. And while everything was selling within a week, she just sat and waited. And it sold in 18 months, and she got her price, which was significantly higher. She set the new standard in the neighbourhood. So I think that's what they're worried about: "Will I get my money back out of it after I do all of this?"
Glenn: Right. If I was going to build a cottage, I might go to the Cottage Show. They're going to be in this information-gathering stage, right? "Who's a good architect?" And they might go to speakers or go to house.com or Architectural Digest and learn. And I'm wondering what we could do right now that would almost create a bit of a bait, that we could use to get them to come out of their bedrooms right now and put up their hand and go, "You know what? I'm thinking about buying contemporary architecture." So I think there are two things I would probably recommend. One is: could you be the person who does Toronto's first tour of modern homes, where you find your Top 5 or 10 favourite homes, knock on the door, drop off a flyer (and it's kind of like a garden tour), but say, "I've always loved your home. I'm working with a bunch of people who are 'homies.' I'd love to do Toronto's first tour of modern homes, and all of the proceeds will go to charity." And then, what if we got five people out of the 10 or 15 homes you approach, who said, "You know what? I'd love to show off my house."
David: That's brilliant.
Glenn: Right. Because when you have a nice garden, you want to show it off, right? It's all your hard work. You don't want to keep it in your backyard. Some people are private, but other people are like, "Oh, I'd love my garden tour." So I just think that if we could target, (and you could use this talking to architects that you know,) "Who would have a great modern home or contemporary architecture that they would be willing to put on tour? It's on one Saturday. We're going to only allow 30 people to come on the tour. It's $100 for the tour," or $200 (whatever you want to charge). After the tour, you have the architect who designed those homes talking and answering questions. You have a cocktail bar. You're playing piano (but I would probably hire somebody at that point, because you want to be working that room).
David: Yeah. No, I don't always like to mix the two together. But I want to qualify one thing. When I say this demographic that I'm talking about (contemporary and modern), it doesn't always have to be necessarily reserved just for the people with a higher income. I also love homes that are rethought and redone. And laneway houses – or something that's unconventional and really works.
Glenn: Right.
David: Like a piece of art. Why do you have to live in something that's boring? Why can't you live in art?
Glenn: Exactly. Couldn't agree more. The challenge here, though, is we have to find those people, so we have to narrow it down to one type of home at first. Then we can go deeper with this, right? Think of where this could go. Every month, couldn't you rotate this tour in different areas of the city? Could you not duplicate this and have Buffalo's tour of Modern Homes? New York? I mean, you could expand this around the world if you really wanted to.
David: That's what we're talking about! A new television show. Now we've got a production company. I like where this is going.
Glenn: See? So the whole thing is, you've got to find the people, and then what kind of marketing you can do to them to get them to put up their hand and go, "Hey, I'm thinking about doing this." And I think the best way for you to do that would be to organize Toronto's first tour. And let's say you did it in April or May, when it was beautiful weather. You could get media. You could do all different types of things. Or you could just do a very quiet tour the first time. Because what you really want here, David, is you want to build a tribe of people who believe in the same things you believe in, and are just as passionate about art as you are, because they're your type of people. And that's exactly what agents are supposed to do. They bring their natural strengths and interests to a target market of people who they love and want to hang around with, and then they build a tribe of raving fans. And that's how the process works.
David: That very much resonates with the podcast that I heard you talking about with this gentleman, Dan, or somebody? You covered a lot of stuff about mindset.
Glenn: Oh, yeah. My coach, Dan Sullivan.
David: Yeah. So that really hit me hard because I thought, "Okay. That's who I've got to work with. I've got to find people of my mindset." Because I lost a couple of listings, and I was, to say the least, beyond a pale of angry. But then, after listening to that podcast, I thought, "Well, I should be grateful that I lost them, because they are nothing like me."
Glenn: Right.
David: Zero mindset. We had nothing in common.
Glenn: That's right. And the beautiful thing is, once you get into the group of like mindsets just like you, they refer people just like you to you. And then what happens is, your business becomes happy, faster, easier, simpler, and more lucrative, because it's like you're just hanging out with all your best friends now.
David: And that's what it's starting to go into. I've been swimming in this big ocean of real estate, being new to the game, and going off in all directions and drinking from a fire hose like everybody else. So now I'm calming down and saying, "Okay. That's the direction." I've done things that I don't like and it's like, "Okay, now I'm miserable. So we're not going to do that anymore." So I'm slowly picking off the pieces and finding the direction that I should be going in.
Glenn: That's right. Well it's kind of like a buffet, right? After you eat all the food once, you're like, "Okay, what do I really like here?"
David: Yeah.
Glenn: And I think that's what you're going to do. And it's part of the foundation of people learning this business. It's so crazy. This business looks so easy from the outside, but it's so difficult for so many on the inside. And so this is why I think this method of just bringing you to your target market is so appealing. So let's fast forward a little bit, okay? Let's say you have your first tour in April or in May – whenever you want to do it. You could do it in March. It doesn't matter. It just requires some organization. Could you talk to some of the key architects? Drive by and find homes (they usually have their architect's sign out front), and invite them to either come on the tour or just speak after the tour. And now, what you're doing is, to the architect, you're positioning them as the specialist in the area that they only deal in. So now, if a client approaches them and says, "Hey, we'd love to build this." They would say, "Hey David, can you go and find a house so that we can make this creation?" Or they're like, "Well we want to sell this and we want to move somewhere else." "Well, David specializes in only this." Now you start creating this allied referral resource team, where you're sending business to architects, and they're sending it back. Not only the architects – you have designers, too, don't you?
David: That's brilliant. I love it. And the reason I love it is I'm excited listening to you talk about this. And the fact that I'm getting excited means I'll be motivated to do it, because you're not talking about cold calling.
Glenn: That's right. Well, what you learn when you stay in your Unique Ability, doing what you love to do, is there's never any need to get motivated. It's only when you're doing stuff that you don't like that you procrastinate, right?
David: Yeah. I put myself through the cold calling misery program.
Glenn: That's right. You don't want to do that. It's kind of crazy. It's so old school, and I don't even know why they keep teaching it. So here's the thing, because we've only got a couple minutes left to wrap this up: first of all, I would print off every modern home that's sold in whatever area you want to focus in right now (could be even in complementary areas), and get your car and drive by them, so you have more confidence in understanding what the market and the market price is of those homes.
David: Okay.
Glenn: Then, every time you see a new home that you would love to work with, sell, or know, you have to go and inspect it and see it at the agent's Open House or get out and see it before the consumer does. I would create a Facebook page called "Toronto's Tour of Contemporary Architecture" or "Modern Homes."
David: "Homes for Homies."
Glenn: Yeah! There you go. Whatever you want to call it. But the thing is, once you go to a business page on Facebook, you can boost that page very inexpensively and target it just to architects in Toronto. You can target it just to people who like this magazine in Toronto, in this postal code only, or in this age group only. So now what you're really doing is basically taking content, putting it into your page, and broadcasting it out. And all they're going to be seeing from you is, "Boy, this guy just keeps posting on 'David's pick of the week.' This contemporary home is…" and you walk through it. And you can post that on your Facebook page. You can say, "This weekend, if you want, we're going to be doing this." So now we start working the back end – so general contractors, designers, architects, buyers and sellers – building a tribe and a group meeting around that. You're building an end of, "Here's the product, and I'm looking for more people who want to buy it." And in the meantime, you're actually going directly to people who already have those homes and asking them if you can put them on the tour. Because here's the other great secret: when it comes time to sell, and they see how passionate you are about their property, you are the one they're going to pick.
David: Yeah. It's a win-win. It's a really beautiful thing you've explained.
Glenn: Yeah. Isn't it fun?
David: It's awesome. Yeah, it's brilliant. I'm very excited about the prospect of doing that.
Glenn: Good! Well, we're at Minute 26, David. That means we've got to wrap it up.
David: I've got to bookend with a musical goodbye, you know?
Glenn: Okay, let's hear it!
David: Thanks, Glenn, for giving me direction. I was a lost real estate agent. Don't forget – you're in good hands with Johanns.
Glenn: I love it, David! You're the best. I'll say goodbye for now for our listeners, but just stay on the line for a second, David, okay?
David: Thank you.
Glenn: Thank you.
David: You're welcome.


text:
Horror transpired at a music festival in Las Vegas when shots fired out from the Mandalay Hotel, that led to the massacre of 59 people, also injuring over 500
During an approximately 10-minute period, shots fired onto the thick crowd listening to live country music on Monday night, October 2, leading to the worst mass shooting massacre that modern America has ever seen. Pandemonium ensued amongst the 22,000 people crammed into the stage area. However, the motives behind the mass killing remain completely unanswered.
Victims describe how the experience felt like World War 3. According to one audience member, Robyn Webb the gunfire "just kept coming. It was relentless." Indeed, footage from attendees shows people rushing for cover, confused, and the sounds of rapid fire.
It would appear as though the gunman would pause, the crowds would assume they have time to run or tend to the wounded, and he would start up shooting again. The scenes so horrifyingly surreal to those involved, and also those witnessing via media.
Inevitably, baseless assumptions started to roll out on social media, and through the news networks
Instant speculation as to the motives of the culprit, despite no evidence being available. There were the conservative "armchair experts" assuming it was Islamic fundamentalists and others claiming it was Antifa. More similar in their arguments than they realize were the liberals assuming that it was a crime of the stereotypical white man.
Debates based only on speculation ensued, individuals then taking the horrific events as a callous opportunity to push their respective political agendas. Are any of them on the right track? Does it matter? All are arguing for the sake of feeling like they are superior in their respective "correctness."
Eventually, news broke about who was the culprit behind the massacre
The authorities revealed it was an individual whom no one can quite understand what would possess him to commit such a heinous crime. His demographic did not fit any stereotype that usually commits such atrocities. He was a 64-year-old millionaire, who had managed to amass an arsenal of almost 50 guns, and also explosives. And obviously, the immediate public discussion turned to US gun laws.
The US public now wants to know how to keep themselves safe. Nations with similar lax gun ownership laws never see mass shootings on the scale that the US does. This problem seems to be something more than guns. It appears to be indeed unique to US culture. However, what that could be appears to be always poorly explored, the reasoning always shallow and naively generalized.
Nevertheless, there is no such thing on Earth as guaranteed safety
Humans attempt to create little pockets of safe havens from the inevitable unpredictability of life. However, the reality has always been, since the dawn of time, that life is wrought with dangers and difficulties. Finding reasons is moot. Why does anyone justify taking the lives of others? Humanity has never solved this in order to create prevention on a guaranteed level. What we take from this latest horrific event is a humility that we all truly know nothing.
You will find more statistics at Statista
Safety is something we create. We construct boundaries, assess risks involved in crossing those boundaries. Laws and punishments are drawn up in an attempt to ward off whatever dangerous motives that potentially lurk within the human condition. However, all these things are fallible. Humankind is diverse, billions of perspectives, billions of unique neural networks.
And all in all, the universe is way beyond anything any human mind can comprehend. Our own minds are beyond our comprehension. Why this man decided to commit this unthinkable crime against hundreds of people may never be known – and even if it was, would it be enough to prevent such a thing from happening again?
References: Vox, NPR, CBS News
Image collage credit: freegreatpicture.com


text:
By Christopher Noel, April 2019.
The celebration of Easter on April 21, 2019 will be remembered as a historical event in the Indian Church of Christ, Bangalore as three elders were appointed before a congregation of 1,400! Ben D'souza, Joseph and Santhosh were appointed as elders with the support of their wives, Jessy D'souza, Kumari Joseph and Shanthi Santhosh respectively.
The need for elders has been increasingly felt over the past few years in the Bangalore Church. The church has completed 30 years of its planting in India by a handful of mission members from London and has grown to a congregation of nearly 1,400 today. The church has witnessed the service of the team of evangelists and other full time staff in identifying and trying to meet the myriad needs of the church, but it became evident in the last two years that the church needed elders to rise from amongst the mature parts of the body of Christ to co-partner in the stewardship and the shepherding of the church along with the team of evangelists. The team of evangelists had to select by prayer and fasting a few couples from the congregation to be trained as shepherds for a period of two years. With constant teaching, discipling, openness times and spiritual insights by the couples in training and also from visiting elders and evangelists from other congregations within and outside of India, a decision was made to present three couples as elder-nominees before the local body of leadership first and then to the congregation on the 24th of March 2019.
After having debated and addressed issues of objections raised by some members, the elders were appointed on April 21 by Mike Fontenot and Dinesh George (lead evangelists) along with the other evangelists Mark Pichamuthu, Shaijus Philip and Roger Matthew.
Ben D'souza and his wife Jessy have been disciples since 1992. They were both government employees and one of their children Kevin D'Souza was also baptised in 1994 as a teen in the Bangalore Church. Since then they both have been passionate about serving God and his kingdom. They have moved from Bangalore to other parts of India to serve and support the mission. Ben is known for his active role in the work of HOPE worldwide and how he continuously serves the mission work. They have four grandchildren and are very active in balancing time for their family, while not neglecting the ministry of the word. Their son Kevin and his wife Shwetha serve the singles ministry and their daughter Remita and her husband Twain Taylor serve the campus while holding secular jobs.
Joseph became a disciple in 1993 while his wife Kumari has been a disciple since 1989. Joseph has been instrumental in many of his family members accepting the Lord as their Savior. They have a daughter, Sarah, who is active in the campus ministry. Joseph has stood strong and faithful in the Lord and as a couple both are strong examples of perseverance and they continue to serve and co-lead a sector. They both are known for their humility and passion to care for people. They both work for HOPE foundation India.
Santhosh and his wife Shanthi are synonymous with their names. Santhosh means joy and Shanthi means peace. They have a great reputation not just within the church but also with their employees and within their neighborhood as servant leaders and as peacemakers. Their two daughters Sandra and Susan serve in their respective singles and campus ministries. Santhosh and Shanthi became disciples in 1994. Santhosh has grown to be a man of conviction and faith. Despite the fact that Santhosh has a very successful construction business, he makes time to serve the church by leading a zone of over 70 and overseeing one of the language worship services on Sundays. Their passion for the lost continues to inspire many around them.
The elders, along with the evangelists and many in church realize the importance of their role in being a great example. The church needs more such elders and those who have this calling will be looking upon these pioneers for inspiration.
The team of elders and evangelists have chalked out an intentional and clear plan of co-operation and partnership in shepherding the church.
They will be as a team involved in the following things:
Elders appointed and prayed upon
Santosh and Shanthi truly deserve for this hobourable post.
Santosh the most generous and humble is the right pick from the odd.
Thanks for the Church n ech n everyone who made this good choice.


text:
Alice Keefe
Updated: February 21, 2020 05:59 PM
Created: February 21, 2020 05:46 PM
(ABC 6 News) - Friday marked a new chapter for families and kids in Rochester.
"We're really trying to build on what we established over the last eight years as the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester," said Spark's Director, Beth Sherden.
Now, in a space almost twice the size located in the Apache Mall, there is room for so much more.
"We're going to have a dramatic play area that's called 'Our World Bazaar' that will have a café and a market and a bookstore and a tailor shop, but it's going to be infused with representation from many of the cultures here in Rochester," Sherden said.
"It's great to have a place to come, especially if the weather's not that great, you come out here, the kids can burn off some energy, they can learn quite a bit," said Mike Benike of Benike Construction, which is building Spark.
Benike brought his six-year-old son, Nathan, to Friday's groundbreaking, because he's looking forward to the new space, too.
"When Nathan found out that we were going to be starting the construction, he asked 'Is it done yet? I want to play in the water area,'" Benike said.
There will also be a 16-foot vertical maze, a workshop where visitors can create, and a green screen production area, where kids and families can pretend to be ABC 6 News anchors and meteorologists.
"It's meant to be a very rich and engaging experience. It's also meant to be experienced together, and it's meant to have people come in and learn together, find out new things about each other, be inspired," Sherden said.
Spark is expected to open to the community in July.
So far, it has raised almost $2.2 million of its $2.6 million goal, of which ABC 6 News and the Hubbard Foundation donated $50,000.
Spark will have updates on construction on its website and Facebook page.
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