text:
SF/F/H Link Post for 2013-12-11
Interviews & Profiles
- 10 Questions with Sara Nelson, Editorial Director of Books and Kindle at Amazon.com
- Author Charles Stross answers questions about his latest release, Neptune's Brood, on io9
- The Functional Nerds Podcast welcomes Django Wexler, author of The Thousand Names.
- George R.R. Martin: I will not share Westeros
- Ginger Nuts of Horror interview Michael S. Collins of the Diabolic Tales III Anthology
- The Jeff Bezos interview–the story's big picture was more than drone delivery
- My Bookish Ways chats with Christina Henry, author of Black Heart (Black Wings)
- The Qwillery interviews Marlene Perez of Dark Descent, second book of the Nyx Fortuna sereis
- Sandra Bullock On The Challenges Of Gravity
- The Absurd Amazon Boycott In Britain
- Bryan Singer Will Direct X-Men: Apocalypse
- Doctor Who series 8 won't be split, says Steven Moffat
- London Falling has a TV Deal!
- Brom's KRAMPUS: THE YULE LORD is only $1.99 on the Amazon Kindle platform through December 30th.
Crowd Funding
- Athena's Daughters – a collection of short speculative fiction by the industry's best female authors.
- Big Bang Press – a small independent publisher located in the US and UK, representing emerging talent from the fan writing community.
- Steampunk World – A diverse steampunk anthology from your favorite award-winning authors, including Jay Lake, Nisi Shawl, Ken Liu, and Lucy A. Snyder.
- 5 Lessons Learned from Completing #NaNoWriMo
- The 14 Greatest Science Fiction Books Of The Year, as chosen by BuzzFeed
- 20 + Free Resources to Create a Simple Ebook
- Badass Digest explains that This Is How You Make INDIANA JONES 5
- Christopher J. Garcia reviews 100 Sci-Fi Classics.
- Comics & Graphic Novels Gifts For Him, Her, and Kids
- Do returns diminish on rereading and re-rereading?
- Fifteen Twisted Christmas Tales
- Forget Winning the Hunger Games — One of the Best YA Series Is a Story of Failure
- From Smaug to the Clangers: a brief history of dragons: As we finally come face to face with Tolkien's Smaug on the big screen, Philip Hoare sets off in search of the greatest of all mythical creatures – from the satanic lizards of the Bible to the Jungian monster within us all
- The Future of Digital Longform on Livestream: several heavy hitters in the world of longform digital publishing will make appearances at Columbia University's Tow Center for Digital Journalism to discuss the future of longer narratives online.
- Heaven Sent: Biblical Mythology and Fantasy
- I Hate Your Protagonist! Want to Know Why?
- In Which I (Jim C. Hines) Fanboy Over Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Legolas Will Be The Main Link Between 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings' Trilogies. Now the question is who will be the main Zelda.
- Making the Switch From Writing in a Game World to Writing a Novel
- New Study Uncovers Surprising Results of eBook & Printed Books Trends
- NY Women In Communications Panel: Where Is The Print Industry Going?
- Sir Ian McKellen v Damian Lewis: actors trade blows: Hobbit actor hits back at Homeland star, saying there's nothing wrong with playing wizards
- Six Scientist Myths That Books and Movies Love To Perpetuate
- Smugglivus 2013 Guest Author: Mary Robinette Kowal
- Snark is a Dead Scene: Why It's Time For Writers to Try Something New
- Spotlight on Steampunk: A Guest Post from Stefan Bachmann!
- STOP! What To Do Before Revising A Nano Novel
- Story Game: A Preview on Plotting
- Ten Things you might not know about Novelists
- Why Creative Writing Courses Need To Face Up To The Reality of Publishing
- What fanfic is and isn't
- Why Orwell's 1984 is a recipe for bad fiction
- The worst thing ever written: The terrible, wonderful weirdness of fake fanfiction.
Science and Technology
- Amazing Stories considers Robots for Home Care
- Mars Rover Finds Ancient Life-Supporting Lakebed
- Planetary Science Deserves Special Attention Because It Is Special
- I think every library needs a vintage-style Evil Dead poster.
- Mordor under glass Paper sculpture by Jackie Huang
- These Are Some of the Year's Best Images of Earth From Space
- What Anne McCaffrey's The White Dragon First Looked Like
More Fun Stuff
- Cover reveal: Kelsier Gets into an Axe Fight in New Brazilian Mistborn Cover
- Everything Wrong With The Two Towers from CinemaSins
- Honest Trailers does The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- Infographic: See Just How Popular The Most Popular Books Ever Written Are
- The New Poster for Godzilla is Released
- Read an excerpt of Sand, Hugh Howey's new series.
- Read an excerpt of Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson at Tor.com.
- Some of the Best from Tor.com 2013 is Free to Download Now!
- This is How Big the Words of Radiance Manuscript Is!
- Jeff Patterson is posting a Holiday story each weekday at my Twitter feed with the hashtag #BadDayStudio.
- New Journey Planet dedicated to WorldCon is up.

subset: commoncrawl


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With more and more businesses having taken the first key step towards automation (application generated PDF documents), it's time to discuss the next time-consuming, labour-intensive and error-prone element to overcome', writes Matthew Jones at Open ECX.
The easiest and most efficient way to send documents such as invoices and orders is via email as a PDF document. Billing systems create the PDF documents and email them directly to the recipient.
This process is now fairly commonplace but marks a major shift in approach from the old, manual processing to the new; automation. The next stumbling block standing between a business and fully-automated, e-invoicing is how to extract and integrate the data into their finance system.
Those businesses that carry out this task via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) may think that the technology is saving them time and increasing efficiencies, but in truth OCR can be just as labour intensive as manual processing. That's because OCR engines convert the 'photograph' – which sometimes has to be printed and scanned first – into data and a human check is required to rectify any mistakes made.
The mistakes are fairly easy to spot, with the example in the photo above showing how the OCR misread "26.19" as "2b.iy". However, correcting each and every one of these mistakes uses valuable resources and interrupts the automation process, thereby completely removing all the benefits.
The good news is this problem can be avoided through our unique PDF to e-Invoicing solution. Data can be taken straight from the PDF and automatically – with 100 per cent accuracy – mapped to an e-document structure, matched and validated against organisational documents of your choice, and delivered direct to your back-office systems (shown below) with minimal to no human intervention required; automation achieved.
As this approach is so simple and non-disruptive to any supply chain, supplier adoption rates are extremely high. In fact, 94% of your suppliers when asked will be able to send a machine generated PDF.
And this means benefits to businesses, including reduced costs, increased visibility, transparency and control and increased ability to pay on time.


text: %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% %% Amiga Report Maillist List, the WWW, and Aminet %% %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% AR Mailing List ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ No Official Amiga Report Distribution Site in your local calling area? Are you tired of waiting for your local BBS or online service to get Amiga Report each week? If so, have we got a deal for you! If you have an internet mailing address, you can receive Amiga Report in UUENCODED form each week as soon as the issue is released. To be put on the list, send Email to email@example.com. Your account must be able to handle mail of any size to ensure an intact copy. For example, many systems have a 100K limit on incoming messages. Many thanks to PORTAL Communications for setting this service up for us! P.S.: Please be sure to include your Email address in the text of your request message, it makes adding it to the list much easier. Thanks! ** IMPORTANT NOTICE: PLEASE be certain your host can accept mail over ** 100K! We have had a lot of bouncebacks recently from systems with a ** 100K size limit for incoming mail. If we get a bounceback with your ** address in it, it will be removed from the list. Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ World Wide Web ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AR can also be read with Mosaic (in either AmigaGuide or html form). Reading AmigaReport with Mosaic removes the necessity to download it. It can also be read using programs found in UNIX sites such as LYNX. Simply tell Mosaic to open the following URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu:8001/Web/People/mjw/Computer/Amiga/AR/MainPage.html Mosaic for the Amiga can be found on Aminet in directory comm/net, or (using anonymous ftp) on max.physics.sunysb.edu Mosaic for X, Macintosh(tm) and Microsoft Windows(tm) can be found on ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aminet ~~~~~~ To get Amiga Report from Aminet, simply FTP to any Aminet site, CD to docs/mags. All the back issues are located there as well. (ftp.cdrom.com or ftp.wustl.edu are two sites)


text:
At the end of 2020, the number of monthly active users was 345 million, a 27 percent increase compared with a year earlier.
Paying subscribers, the main source of revenue for the streaming service, stood at 155 million, a 24 percent increase.
Spotify, which is based in Stockholm but listed on the New York stock exchange, said in October that it hoped to reach between 340 and 345 million active users and 150 to 154 million paying subscribers.
"We believe the pandemic had little impact on our subscriber growth and may have actually contributed positively to pulling forward new signups," the company said in a statement.
Spotify's net loss tripled however, to 581 million euros ($698 million) from 186 million euros in 2019, mainly because of higher operating expenses.
In the fourth quarter, operating expenses grew by 17 percent from the same period a year earlier as social charges, such as payroll taxes and expenses related to share-based compensation, weighed on the company's bottom line.
Spotify reported sales of nearly 7.9 billion euros, up by 16.5 percent year-on-year and in line with estimates from analysts polled by Bloomberg.
In 2021, the company expects an operating loss of between 200 and 300 million euros, close to its equivalent loss last year of 293 million.
The music streaming company has invested heavily in podcasts, spending nearly $235 million to buy US publishing platform Megaphone, and signing a deal with popular podcast host Joe Rogan.
The Megaphone deal raised Spotify's investment in podcasts to more than 800 million dollars over the past two years.
Spotify has also shown interest in audio books, the only part of the publishing industry to post double-digit annual growth rates.
At the end of January, it put several such books on its platform, with classic works now in the public domain narrated by actors such as Hilary Swank and Forest Whitaker.


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Wednesday, 13 April 2011
Brainstorming rules for broad jumping with Richard and David
See my J is for Jumping Post on the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide Rules
@ Richard & David - hope you guys are following by email
I think I'll have to dig unearthed arcana out and check out the acrobatic rules.
I think jumping needs a full new post and new rules. Ideally something simple and easy to remember. I like your suggestion about increasing the random factor.
Running jump
What about Str+Dex bonus (or penalty) + level + d6
Thieves add an extra d4 every 3rd level
Fighters add an extra d4 every 4th level
I just googled Under 13 long jump and got for girls 5.1 m = 16 feet (the first that came up)
So we need a range between 16 and 29 feet (world record adult male) - range 13 feet
That's the issue how to get the sweet spot.
That range is sort of like 2d6 or 3d4 or 1d12
How about...
Level + 2d6 + Str and Dex bonus
Max for 18 str 18 dex level 10, roll 6 = 22 feet (beats world record at level 17. I can live with that.)
[AHEM - that should be roll 12 making 28 feet at Level 10 and beating world record from Level 11 - maybe max name level? Or just go crouching tiger]
OK, got out unearthed arcana from behind the loft hatch
"Non-thief acrobats can perform a standing broad jump of up to 4' in distance and a running broad jump up to 8'.
That's pathetic.
Best for thief acrobat at level 23
Standing jump 12'
Running jump 22'
Strength adjustment
Str 17 1/4'
Str 18 1/2'
Str 16 1/2'
Str 17 1'
Str 18 2'
This table is someones extrapolation for higher ability scores
I think a level 23 acrobat should be able to break the world record and, why not some crouching tiger action.
So going back:
Running Broad Jump
Level + 2d6 + Str and Dex bonus
(With 7 as average roll and at Level 1, and no ability bonuses = 8 feet (same as Unearthed Arcana for non-acrobat characters and close to DSG max 9 feet.
Goes up with level, easy to remember, thieves and fighters benefit owing to their likely better ability scores in those two ability scores.
For variation thieves could be 3d4 (better average, min 3')
Magic Users 1d12 (worse average, min 1')
What about Standing Broad Jump
12' is the best for both DSG and unearthed arcana acrobat, UE suggest 4' for all non-acrobat characters
Level/3 (rounded down) + 1d4 + Str bonus
No dexterity because less about technique and more about leg power
Level 1, 18 str, roll 4 = 0+3+4 = 7feet (bit much)
Level 1, 10 Str roll 1 = 0+0+1 = 1 foot (bit low)
Level 10, 18 str, roll 4 = 10 feet
Umm, not quite
Level / 4 rounded down + Str bonus / 2 rounded down + d4?
(Level + 2d6 + Str bonus) /2
Range for 0 bonus strength at 1st level = 1.5(trip) - 6.5feet
Range for 18 str level 10 = 7.5 - 12.5 feet
[NO mistake here thankfully]
I can live with that = as it's simple and the formula is the same as running jump just divided in two with no dexterity.
The same alternative rules with MU (1d12) and thief (3d4 apply)
This site gives 12.3 feet as the male best and 5 feet as the female worst.
Running Broad Jump (in feet)
Level + 2d6 + Str and Dex bonus
(Alternative: Thieves 3d4 instead of 2d6, Magic Users 1d12 instead of 2d6)
Standing Broad Jump (in feet)
(Level + 2d6 + Str) / 2
(Alternative: Thieves 3d4 instead of 2d6, Magic Users 1d12 instead of 2d6)
What do you think?
3 comments:
It took me a few reads to finally get an idea of how you have things set up. On average, it looks like a standing broad jump for a 1st level character is in the 4-5 foot range, and 7-9 feet with the running start. A more heroic character (high STR, DEX and level) would be able to make more Olympian leaps.ReplyDelete
Looks good.
I made a slight maths error David - changed in the post. Still there I think.ReplyDelete
Looks good to me, a bit more crunchy that I would use, but in line with lots of other D&D rulings. I might keep str+dex bonus for standing jumps just because it's simpler to remember one rule and because I reckon dex is about applying your str resources well - bodily discipline and all that.ReplyDelete
I would, by direct fiat, demand a dex save for jumps that exactly make it or fail by 1-4: if you make your jump exactly but fail your save you're flailing unbalanced on the brink for 1 round unable to act - and have to make another save or be rescued by a friend. If you miss by 1-4 then you have to make a dex save to grab the ledge, with the amount you missed by as a penalty.


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Mercury moves into Leo from today and may coincide with a more confident and even theatrical approach to sharing our message or getting our point across.
The coming weeks can be a time of bold ideas. In fact, the bigger they are the more they may appeal. We might also be very persuasive when necessary. For your FREE Daily Horoscope Thursday 14th July 2016 please see below...
Horoscopes Thursday 14th July 2016
Aries 21 March - 20 April
As Mercury eases into Leo and joins Venus in your leisure sector, you may sense a lively shift that is very much in tune with the element of fire associated with your sign. Even so, with the Moon linking to Mars in Scorpio, you may also note a degree of conflict concerning whether to be creative or action orientated regarding a key situation in your life - or to sit tight.
Taurus 21 April - 21 May
With the Moon in Scorpio linking to Mars, Jupiter and Pluto, you may find you can achieve more by asking for assistance. Joining forces with others or another could alert you to possibilities that you might never have considered otherwise. The additional confidence that comes from a successful team effort can see you aiming higher in the future - or perhaps going solo.
Gemini 22 May - 21 June
Mercury, your personal planet, speeds into Leo and your sector of talk and thought from today and moves closer to lovely Venus. This can be an excellent time for negotiating, whether you need to liaise with a friend or family member, or you're attempting to close a major deal. If someone has seemed immune to your persuasion, a little charm could work wonders.
Cancer 22 June - 23 July
With the Sun in your sign aligning with Mars in your leisure sector, you may find it difficult to sit around. And with the Moon involved in the mix, you may be keen to involve yourself in activities that leave you feeling stretched and fulfilled. Nevertheless, if you can't achieve this by being in good company, then you may be tempted to shop for a few luxuries instead.
Leo 24 July - 23 August
With Venus, the planet of relationships, already in your sign and Mercury entering today, this is likely to rev you up and get you going. Your head and heart can combine in sync, and enable you to make progress with key plans and alliances. However, don't be in too much of a rush Leo, as an issue may need to be fully resolved before you pursue other interests.
Virgo 24 August - 23 September
The present line-up can see you reflecting on the benefits of a particular course of action. How will it feel? Is it really worth it? Some of these questions may only be answered by being bold. With the Moon making some sterling connections, your instincts could be telling you the time has come and, as a bonus Virgo, inspired ideas could speed the process along.
Libra 24 September - 23 October
Although Mercury joins Venus and spices up your social interactions, try not to sideline a plan or ambition that you've been working towards. It's possible you have put a lot of effort in recently and now feel justified in taking some time out. However, your horoscope suggests it may be just as well to keep the momentum going, as you could be closer to reaching your goals than it may seem.
Scorpio 24 October - 22 November
This can be an excellent time to promote your skills or services, as the presence of Mercury and Venus combining in the topmost sector of your chart from now can be a real support. And with Sun and Mars' angle spurring you on, you could find great satisfaction in learning skills that can boost your prospects even more. This could be through formal or informal study.
Sagittarius 23 November - 21 December
For every question there is usually an answer. If you are searching for one now perhaps the reason you haven't noticed it yet is because you're standing up close. If this resonates with you, it might help to get someone's objective viewpoint. The present picture suggests your instincts may also be crucial here, so if something feels right, then it very likely is, Archer.
Capricorn 22 December - 20 January
You may need to make a decision that could have life-changing consequences. However, with Mercury joining Venus in your sector of change and transformation, this would be of no surprise. The Moon in Scorpio and its penetrative connection to Pluto in your sign encourages you to do it soon. You don't like to rush things, rightly, but don't stall too long, Capricorn.
Aquarius 21 January - 19 February
It can help to attend to any details over coming days, so as not to leave yourself open to making mistakes. Activity at the top of your chart suggests that someone with a competitive streak may be waiting for you to falter so they can prove they're better. The current influence of Mars can make you very determined, so although they might inch ahead now, it won't be for long.
Pisces 20 February - 20 March
The stars suggest that one of the most important things you can do is to let someone know how much you appreciate them. Even if you have showered them with thoughtful gifts and gestures, they might need a little more reassurance. Indeed, the Moon's link with Mars hints that they may feel insecure, but you could easily help to dispel this if you've a mind to do so.


text:
The Bertrand Russell Murder Mysteries, Episode V
"Waiting for Gödel"
In the last episode, Bertrand Russell tried to cut through the barber's paradox. Alfred North Whitehead offered to lend Russell his expensive new safety razor. Russell contemptuously ignored the gesture, continuing to use Occam's razor. Whitehead was aghast. He felt that Russell's snub cut two ways.
Moments later, Russell came upon a masked genius hiding behind a giant sheet of used graph paper. Quietly he prepared to reveal the identity of the mastermind behind the plot.
"It's Gödel," Russell frowned. "He's behind it. The man is the arch enemy of every set that's axiomatic. He can take a small thing you say and twist it into something without class."
NEXT TIME: Fermat's Last Napkin
© Copyright 2003 Annals of Improbable Research (AIR)
This is a HotAIR feature. For a complete list of features,
see What's New.


text: Celebrity Jeff Daniels Over the Moon By People Staff Published on February 3, 1999 12:00 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Jeff Daniels bared his buns on the ninth hole to raise money for his Purple Rose Theater in Scio Township, Mich. Daniels wore a kilt and lifted it upon request Tuesday during the wacky Comedy Golf Jam, which raised $110,000 for the project in the actor's hometown of Chelsea. Not only did "The Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Dumb and Dumber" star bare his backside — he offered it up for photographs. The tournament also featured players in their underwear and the chance to putt through cow pies.


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Avid Elixir CR Mag disc brake review
Top-of-the-range stoppersGBP £208.99 RRP | USD $401.36 Skip to view deals
Latest deals
We've long been fans of Avid's Elixir series brakes and there's now a new range topper to replace the Juicy Ultimate.
The Elixir CR Mag loses some weight thanks to a new magnesium lever body. Further grams are skimmed as the tool-free lever reach adjuster disappears in favour of a 2mm Allen bolt and the inline pad adjustment is downsized.
The perfectly profiled carbon lever remains the same as on the previous flagship CR, but now gets a hollow pivot. Weight is down to just 326g with 160mm rotors (plus mount plate).
The U-Clamp is also new. This is a single-bolt lever bar clamp which looks super-neat and removes knee-denting Allen bolt protrusions.
The clamp is a little more difficult to fit and doesn't lock the lever in place as solidly as the previous two-bolt split clamp.
This manifests itself more notably on carbon or painted bars, where the lever digs into the surface and rotates slightly around its bolt, losing a small amount of power and feel.
That said, Avid's Taperbore master cylinder still offers some of the most superbly modulated braking known to man. The power ramps up evenly from a tickle on the rotor to endo-inducing power with sublime feel.


text:
According to Cornell University, mowing one's lawn to a height of three inches prevents weed growth, as the grass is better able to develop a strong root system. When one chooses to keep their grass at this height, the lawn must be mowed every five to fifteen days, depending on the rate of growth. Many opt to turn to — Plowz and Mowz (plowzandmowz.com) for assistance with this standard household task.
Consumers love the on-demand lawn mowing service as it's like having a remote control for one's lawn. Consumers know they will receive a quality job as only top rated professionals are found on the service, and the customer obtains peace of mind when they receive a photo confirmation of the completed job. Customers appreciate the flexibility of the service, choosing the day the lawn is to be mowed, and every job comes with a 100 percent money back guarantee.
"Don't sweat in the summer sun or cut a vacation short due to worry of an overgrown lawn. With the help of the online service and the apps available on Google Play or the iPhone App Store, customers schedule a lawn service any time they wish, knowing the lawn will look great when they return home," Mahoney promises.
According to USA.com, Manlius, New York receives, on average, 97.34 inches of snow each year, leading to the need for one's driveway to be plowed on a regular basis. Some homeowners choose to handle this task on their own, yet others wish to have a service come out and do the work for them. Plowz and Mowz offers this service for those who don't want to spend a good portion of their time shoveling.
"As with the Plowz and Mowz on-demand lawn mowing service, clients schedule a plow at their convenience and receive a photo confirmation when the job is done. Clients know exactly how much they will be required to pay as the service comes with no hidden fees and this basic wintertime chore becomes much easier to manage. Don't hesitate to contact the company today. Plowz and Mowz bills the customer's credit card when the job is done, rather than sending an invoice, and tips are never a concern," Mahoney explains.
All customers enjoy concierge support around the clock, with each customer being assigned a dedicated Plowz/Mowz representative so they know who to turn to for special requests. All jobs come with real-time updates and photo confirmation when the job is done, and each client customizes the order to ensure his or her particular needs are met.
"Don't relay on a service only to find they didn't do the job right and the money is non-refundable. With Plows and Mowz, this will never be an issue. Try the Plowz and Mowz App today to see how it makes scheduling on-demand lawn mowing and on-demand snow plowing easy. You'll never want to mow your lawn or shovel your driveway again," Mahoney declares.
About Plowz and Mowz:
Plowz and Mowz connects consumers in need of mowing and snow plowing services with providers offering these services.
Contact Info:
Name: William Mahoney
Email: Send Email
Organization: Plowz & Mowz
Phone: 315.484.5098
Website: http://plowzandmowz.com/
Release ID: 52254


text:
Environmental Products
The Stanley M. Proctor Company supplies Slick Sleuth™ environmental products that remotely detect oil spills for marine and a variety of other industrial applications. These oil spill detection systems provide instant detection and notification in any area where the production, processing, storage or transport of oil occurs.
With Slick Sleuth™, you will be able to contain spills and avert environmental damage, costly cleanup and possible fines and regulatory penalties. The Slick Sleuth™ system is certified to meet U.S. EPA compliance standards, SPCC and NPDES compliance and is a Best Management Practice tool.
Detect Oil Spills in Real-Time
Monitoring and detecting oil spills as they occur in real-time can accelerate your response time. This can help limit damage to the environment and substantially reduce cleanup and remediation costs. The optical sensor detects small, micron-level amounts of oil and can be configured to automatically shut off pumps or valves, immediately limiting your spill potential. The Slick Sleuth™ system then activates audio and visual alarms and notifies selected personnel via computer display and/or telephone.
Cost Effective and Low Maintenance
Building on over 60 years of sensor systems innovation, InterOcean Systems, Inc. developed the highly-effective Slick Sleuth™ oil spill detection system to be easy to install and require no maintenance. Its sensors, communications and power are self-contained in a unit that is easily installed above the water, virtually eliminating marine fouling and additional problems inherent with other types of sensors that contact water/effluent directly. This system is also perfectly suited for spill monitoring over ground, concrete and wet or dry drainages, wherever spill detection is warranted.
Avoid environmental damage and costly mistakes by investing in a Slick Sleuth™ oil spill detection system for your business. Give us a call at 330-425-7814 or contact us online
Typical Users and Applications
Aquaculture & Fish Farms
Industrial & Manufacturing Facilities
Marinas & Fuel Docks
Oil Refineries & Blending Plants
Pipeline, Storage & Tank Farms
Platforms & Rigs
Ports & Harbors
Power Generators & Distributors
Storm Water & Inland Waterways
Wastewater Treatment & Desalination


text:
Tartu Hanseatic Days 2021
The Hanseatic fair taking place in summer in the city of Tartu is a tradition that many look forward to. The festivities will settle in on the banks of the beautiful symbol of the city, the Emajõgi River, and in the historic town centre on the third weekend of July this coming summer. The Hanseatic Days will take place on 17 & 18 July 2021.
Visitors young and old alike will enjoy the colourful fair atmosphere and cultural programme on Vabaduse Avenue and elsewhere in the city centre. Do some shopping in the town centre, savour some great food made from locally sourced ingredients, watch spontaneous (and some slightly less spontaneous) performances, be entertained in all sorts of ways and have a good time with friends of all ages.
Immediately after the first exhibition of retro vehicles and parade into Tartu last year, it was agreed that the event would return and be bigger than ever. The chatty and dedicated owners of the old vehicles from different countries will this time also be bringing old military vehicles with them to the city centre of Tartu.
In addition, on 17 & 18 July, part of the Kaarsild bridge will be turned into a river café where all the seats enjoy the best view available – overlooking the Emajõgi River. Over these two days, since Tartu is worthy of being called a river city, river and Viking ships of all sizes will again be giving rides along the waterway.
It is certainly worth bringing your whole family to the Hanseatic Days in Tartu! Children's area activities will be focused on the green space by the Emajõgi River next to the Shaté dance school (Atlantis) building. The packed programme on the children's stage, face painters, the Ranna Ranch mini-zoo and all the different kinds of entertainers will make the two summer days fun for even the littlest of fairgoers.
Naturally, the heart of the city will also be holding a fair attended by hundreds of traders. These merchants, from Estonia and neighbouring countries, are sure to have the sorts of things you have long been looking for and will be offering delicious fare over two summer days on Town Hall Square, the left bank of the Emajõgi River, on Küüni Street and in the Uue Turu and city centre parks.
The Hanseatic fair will be open from 10:00-20:00 on Saturday 17 July and from 10:00-16:00 on Sunday 18 July.
Dear traders,
Due to COVID-19 applications from traders can be submitted electronically hopefully in May 2021, that is later than normally.
A link to file the application will be provided via this website and in Facebook.


text:
There are lots of guys and a few gals on Youtube that do gun videos, mostly reviewing new firearms and ammunition. Many of them have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. One stands above the rest, literally and figuratively, and that is hickok45. He and his son have been doing videos since 2007 and have a combined 1.2 billion views. He currently sits at 4.2 million subscribers. I am one of those subscribers and usually watch every video. He combines self-deprecating humor with solid information and is a deadly shot for however old he is. He always starts his videos out thanking his sponsors and encouraging everyone to join the National Rifle Association. Then yesterday he posted this video and I hope Wayne LaPierre and the board at the NRA took notice.
The gist of the video is that they will no longer be actively promoting people joining the NRA. While they will remain members and are hoping the NRA straightens itself out, they are not linking their brand with the NRA.
The NRA has around 5 million members. Hickok45 has 4.2 million subscribers. I would bet half or likely much more than half of his subs are already NRA members.
This isn't sniping from the hostile Washington Post who wants to see the NRA fail. This is from a lifelong gun rights advocate who makes a living shooting guns and videoing it. There isn't a bigger advocate for the 2nd Amendment anywhere in public than hickok45. Sure he is "just" a Youtuber but he has a huge audience. As of this morning the video has over 111,000 views and climbing.
The blow-up at the NRA Annual Meeting was just the beginning. Now there are dueling lawsuits and the NRA just suspended their number two guy and chief lobbyist Chris Cox for allegedly being part of the "coup" against Wayne LaPierre.
Like many others, I am coming to the place where we need to clean house at the NRA and do it now. As it stands, Trump is going to have a very difficult path to re-election (see: Do The Math). Without the NRA to rally the troops, it is just going to be harder but it is looking like the NRA is going to be dealing with internal squabbles and fighting off lawsuits instead of advocating for 2A candidates in 2020. Wayne LaPierre has been at the head of the NRA since 1991, when I was a freshman in college. 28 years is a long time and with his compensation package in the millions annually, along with all of the perks he has been using/abusing, I wonder if Wayne is as focused on the mission of the NRA as he should be. He is turning 70 this year and it really is time for him to retire. The same is probably true for most of the NRA board. I understand the value of long-term lobbyists who have all the right contacts and phone numbers but this is approaching crisis mode and it is past time for the NRA to decide if it is in the business of defending the 2A and providing local gun events or is just a huge grift for top level executives and their cronies.
I still support the NRA because they are still the largest gun rights organization out there but I also support the Gun Owners of America. I have no idea who the head of GOA is and that is probably a good thing. If the NRA collapses it will be the greatest victory the Left has had in a very long time and losing an effective NRA would be devastating for gun owners. Every single Democrat running has the same draconian plans for gun ownership. Trump has been a mixed bag on gun rights but at least the NRA has his ear. If any Democrat wins you can expect executive orders immediately to make it harder and harder to buy and even to possess normal firearms. The NRA needs to wake up right now and get their house in order and it is pretty clear that the leadership of the NRA is more interested in defending their own turf and benefits than they are in defending my 2A rights.
The National Rifle Association is not Wayne LaPierre's organization. It isn't Christopher Cox's organization. It isn't the board of directors organization. It is our organization, the five million members who pay the dues that keep this organization running and who show up in November to vote for 2A rights. Somewhere along the way the leadership at the NRA forgot who the NRA is supposed to represent. They better figure it out or they will all be looking for new jobs.


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Soldiers of the First World War database entry - R.E. Balders
Lieut. R.E. Balders (1912)
Capt. R.E. Balders (1918)
Capt. R.E. Balders (1919) (LAC)
Capt. R.E. Balders (1928)
SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 1 FEBRUARY, 1919; 31 January 1919, Issue number: 31158, Page number: 1705
Capt. Ralph Edward Balders, Royal Canadian Reg., Nova Scotia Reg. - For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty during an attack on Bois de Gart on 26th August, 1918. When the attack was held up he went through intense enemy fire to the front line to ascertain the situation, and returned to battalion headquarters with information causing the reserve company to be sent to fill a gap in time to meet an enemy counter-attack. On 28th, in answer to an urgent call for reinforcements, he saved a critical situation with his two companies on Artillery Hill, where the enemy was heavily attacking. He did excellent work.
"To Major R.E. Balders, M.C., and Mrs Balders, we offerour very best hope for many years of enjoyment of life. Major Balders has been an outstanding personality in the Regiment for so long and is so markedly the best type of the sound and efficient regimental officer, that his retirement will be a distinct loss. His rich sense of humour, his gift of impropmtu repartee, and his cheery laugh made him a favorite in the Mess and everywhere he went. The Regiment will not forget him, and we know he will not forget the Regiment. Good-bye and the very best of luck."
"Another bright spot in the wilderness. Major and Mrs R.E. Balders paid us [i.e., "D" Company, St John's P.Q.] a visit during their stay in Montreal. Ho different he looks now that he no longer carries the worries of Companies and Schools on his shoulders. Farming on the North West Arm [i.e. an extension of Halifax Harbour] apparently agrees with him."
Front row, left to right: Lieut. H.T. Cock, Lieut. K.M. Hollaway, Lieut. R.E. Balders. 2nd Row: Capt. A.P. Birchall (Royal Fusiliers), Capt. C.H. Hill, Maj. J.H. Kaye, Lieut.-Col. A.E. Carpenter, Col. S.J.A. Denison, C.M.G., Maj. J.D. Doull, Maj. A.C.B. Hamilton-Gray, Capt. D.B. Papineau, Capt. A.A.S. Law. 3rd Row: Capt. J.S. Brown, Lieut. C.R.E. Willets, Lieut. E.B. Costin, Lieut. M.K. Greene, Lieut. M.M.L. Garon, Lieut. M.E. Roscoe, Lieut. A.K. Hemming, Lieut. H.F.R. Griffith, Lieut. E.A. Seely-Smith. 4th Row: Lieut. R.J. Brook, Lieut. J.S.M.A.H. Lyne-Evans, Lieut. A.E. Willounby, Hon. Capt and Quartermaster A.J. Fowlie, Hon. Lieut. and Bandmaster Michael Ryan, Lieut. F.G. Macculloch.
This photo was published in the Vol. 1 of the regimental history of The RCR (Fetherstonaugh, 1936).
The recipent, D.V.M. Balders (possibly a brother of R.E. Balders), would later rise in rank to the Hon Rank of Brigadier (1942), having been awarded the O.B.E. and the M.C.
Date of Birth - 30 Oct 1888; Sandown, Isle of Wight; third son of Lieut.-Colonel Charles Morley Balders, The King's Dragoon Guards
Date of Death - 21 July 1943; at Boulderwood, Halifax, N.S.
The RCR in the Great War
War Diary
Battle Honours
Battle Bars and The RCR
The RCR Battle Bar Ledger (pdf)
Honours and Awards
Roll of Honour
Prisoners of War
Cemetery List
Cemetery Map
Courts Martial
RSMs of The RCR (1914-1919)
NCOs and Soldiers
An Officer's Diary (1914-1918)
Recollections of a Nonagenerian (R. England) (1916-1919)
On to Bermuda (1914-15)
England and France 1915-1916 (Hayes; 1931)
Overseas with The Royals (1915)
Regimental History Pamphlet (1917)
Amiens (1918)
Cambrai (1918)
Monchy-le-Preux (1918)
Under-aged Soldiers in The RCR
Not All Were Volunteers; The RCR and the Military Service Act
Sentenced to Death by Court Martial
The 7th Trench Mortar Battery
A Regimental Goat
Regiment and Family, Bermuda 1914-15
"March the Guilty Bastard In"
Surrendered as Stowaway
Re-Visiting the Great War Roll of Honour for The RCR
Canadian Corps Trench Standing Orders (1916)


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The Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage and the United Nations Development Programme Partnership for the Future have launched a tender for conservation works at Ayios Panteleimon monastery in Camlibel.
The monastery is one of four "Mega-Projects" that are fully funded by the EU's Cultural Heritage Programme. Along with with Apostolos Andreas monastery, Othello's Tower, and the Famagusta Walls Complex, these buildings are considered large-scale monuments of great historical and social value by the technical committee.
Thirty-three cultural heritage sites island-wide are currently protected by the programme. "Because of the large size of this important monument, this tender will cover only the first phase of the necessary restoration works," said a statement from Takis Hadjidemitriou and Ali Tuncay the respective Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot heads of the committee.
Based on the surveys and investigations carried out in 2014, they had agreed to focus the first phase on the conservation of the church and to carry out emergency stabilisation works to the most endangered monastic buildings.
Funds permitting, further work will be carried out in a future second phase.
"We hope that these works will mark a new beginning in the long-life of Ayios Panteleimonas," the statement said.
The first phase of the project is to ensure preservation of some parts of the monastic complex, visitor safety and access for the disabled.
Source Cyprus Mail


text: Hi I am new to this site, and in my 3rd month ttc #1. Have madly irregular cycles ranging recently from 32 - 56. Just wanted some opinions on this months goings on for me..... Clearblue gave me smiley ovulation face 13 days ago - cheapy ebay (fertility plan) didn't pick up any ovulation. Bd the day after smiley face. Been peeing on cheapy ebay sticks (again fertility plan) which always seems to give incredibly faints + if you squint and look at them in certain light. In the last couple days, the incredibly faint lines have been more obvious and with hint of pink. BUT, am not sure if checked too late, ie after 5 mins. Although, on previous days with these tests there was no pink ever. Today, back to a barely there line, can't tell if any pink. The wierdest thing is my temp. It went up fractionally after ov. and 3 days ago has gone up again, but much higher - a really clear difference and stayed up so far. I also had cramps and spotting yesterday, but no AF. Last thing, I have developed thrush over the last week which I haven't had for years. What do people think?! Am concerned I actually ovulated a couple of days ago, hence really clear temp change. But surely clearblue smiley 2 weeks ago was accurate? Have no idea when AF due cos of mad cycle. Never thought ttc would be sooooo hard emotionally. Hi and all the best to everyone!


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After gathering up my supplies the other day I was fully prepared to "mantel-scape". This year I came across what I think is a "find". These delicious velvet pumpkins by Plush Pumpkin. This is what I started with, my scaled down freshly dusted simple mantel. Then I added some love. The trompe l'oeil effect of the painting and the pumpkins is kind of fun. The newly decorated mantel ended up adding a cozy warmth to my living room, even from afar. Our contest to win a trio of Plush … [Read more...]
Decor - Inspiration for the home.
Vintage Door Made Into A Desk
While we were together in Baltimore this past August, Kristin and I put together this introduction video for our first LoveFeast Table project. The project involves taking an old reclaimed or vintage door and re-purposing it into a custom made desk or table. As Kristin shares in the video, vintage doors made into desks or tables are part of our LoveFeast Table history. So, here's a bit more of the vintage door story~enjoy a little of our story and the video highlights of our project! Here's a bit of a look at the finished … [Read more...]


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Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire play a legendary dance team in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.
Awards: None
The Plot: Vaudeville second banana Vernon Castle (Astaire) meets stage-struck Irene Foote (Rogers). They fall in love and marry and soon they become world famous for their elegant ballroom dancing routines. Their perfect world is shattered when Vernon enlists in the Royal Air Force during World War I.
|Irene Castle supervised all of Ginger Rogers elaborate costumes for The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle.
Backstory: Vernon and Irene Castle are not well remembered today, but they were quite famous in the 1930s. The couple basically invented modern ballroom dancing in the 1910s, introducing steps like the foxtrot, Castle walk, and the tango. Astaire idolized Vernon Castle; in fact, the couple's silent films inspired Astaire to become a dancer. RKO bought the rights to Irene's memoirs as a vehicle for Astaire and Rogers, who were RKO's No. 1 box-office attraction.
|The real Vernon and Irene Castle.
Best Performance: Ginger Rogers as Irene Castle. The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle isn't exactly an acting masterclass: As in most Astaire and Rogers features the real draw is the duo's dancing and the excellent supporting cast ( in this case, Edna May Oliver and Walter Brennan). However, Rogers gives a fine performance in the film, bringing to life Irene Foote's fierce love and devotion to her husband and her iron-willed determination to make them a successful dancing team.
Best scene: Astaire performs a memorable tap dance while waiting for a train.
Best Line: "What does ham mean?" Irene asking Vernon about his assessment of her performance style.
Astaire and Rogers: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was Astaire and Rogers' last film together for RKO. The duo began their legendary partnership with supporting roles in Flying Down to Rio (1933) and they appeared in nine classic films throughout the 1930s, including The Gay Divorcee (1935), Roberta (1935), and Swing Time (1936). By 1939, both Astaire and Rogers were ready to go their separate ways: Astaire pursued a solo dancing career and Rogers focused on becoming a dramatic actress. Nevertheless, their final dance sequence in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle was poignant, attracting a large crowd of RKO staff and executives. Astaire and Rogers reunited one more time for MGM's The Barkleys of Broadway (1949).
Irene Castle: RKO hired Irene Castle as a consultant for the film. She had a large amount of input on the script and she oversaw Rogers' costumes and styling. Rogers resented Castle's interference and she pushed back when Castle asked that she dye her famous blonde locks -- Castle was a brunette-- and cut her short to match Castle's own hairstyle (the Castle bob was quite popular in the 1930s and many fashionable woman had their hair styled like Irene). RKO finally paid Castle an extra $5,000 to go away and Castle happily returned to her favorite cause of campaigning for animal rights.
Fun Fact: The Castles were huge celebrities in turn-of-the-century America, and, just like famous folks today, they endorsed a large line of products. The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle depicts some of these products including Castle candies, a line of hats, and Vernon Castle dancing shoes.
|Irene Castle (Ginger Rogers) waits for her husband, Vernon (Fred Astaire), to return from World War I in The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle. Walter Brennan and Edna May Oliver are seated with Rogers.
Why it's essential: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is not a typical Astaire and Rogers film. It's probably the weakest of the nine films they made with RKO. The pair's best films were screwball comedies that highlight their glorious dancing, and neither Astaire or Rogers seem entirely comfortable playing heavy dramatic scenes in period costumes. However, the film is still interesting to watch because of the Astaire and Roger's flawless interpretations of the Castles' intricate dances.
Availability: The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle is available on DVD and video on demand.
Go here, for more in our essentials series.
Next week, Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon wander the Yorkshire moors in Wuthering Heights.
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Adnan Malik
Adnan Malik is an Pakistani television actor, model, documentary filmmaker, video and music video producer, commercial and music video director, Visual storyteller and former VJ. His documentary Bijli earned him numerous awards including Best Short Film at Kara Film Festival in 2003. Adnan made his television debut as an actor in Sadqay Tumhare, which earned him a Hum Award for Best Actor Popular nomination at 3rd Hum Awards.
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- March 16, 2019
how to take care of hair naturallyBu etiket için henüz bir açıklama girilmemiş.
How to Take Care of Your Hair
Whether the hair care tips are for humidity, summer or winter, the idea is: Hair health will always show how healthy or unhealthy your life is. While you can allow to cover other body parts your hair is exposed to pollution, dirt and chemicals.
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The other week I went and had a sew day with Gerre.
I started to sew some drawstring bags to use as gift bags on the day I sewed with Gerre. I am trying to get the small gifts I purchase throughout the year wrapped as I buy them. As you know, I don't like wrapping gifts and wrapping 30+ small gifts right before I went to Portland was my own special kind of torture. These bags, using Jeni Baker's Drawstring bag pattern, are a start.
They have been laying around since the Sew Day with Gerre while I worked on other projects. The other day, I stitched a bit and finally finished one!!!! It turns out that I didn't have much left to sew and doing several in a row really helped the process.
The size I chose (pattern includes multiple sizes) is a tiny bit small for the gift on which I planned to use them, but it will be fine. I can't remember what I did with the drawstrings on the Juggling Balls bag, but I need to figure that out as the strings on this bag are definitely not acting like drawstrings.


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Booklet courtesy of David Hricik. Comments courtesy of Paul Jackson.
A Shakespearian Story of a Noble Mother
by George William Gerwig, 1929
This booklet measures 8" x 6" and has 19
pages. Volumnia by Gerwig is the same size and format as the paper Little
Journeys and uses the same initial cuts etc. It was copyrighted in 1929 by
Gerwig and printed by the Roycrofters. Ideals of Womanhood is the bound
version of all these 13 issues also published in 1929. The advertisement offers
illumined copies. Does anyone have or have seen any?
| Home | | 1929 | | Ephemera | | Shakespeare Ephemera |


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Okay, we know it may seem like an oxymoron: parents and teens having fun together? It has been known to happen. Whether its family activities, time just for you and your teen, special events and trips or just the everyday activities around the house, find ways to create fun and connections with your teens.
Hang Out Ideas
- Read the same book and then talk about it.
- Take a class together. Try dog obedience or cooking classes.
- Go out for lunch to celebrate the beginning of the school year.
- Celebrate half birthdays with a special family meal.
- Share a subscription to a favorite teen magazine and talk about one article. (add suggestions of articles)
- Cook a special meal together for someone who is ill.
- Go to a music store and listen to their favorite CDs. Then have them listen to our music. (Ignore the groans.)
- Take your teen to work with you.
- Build something together.
- Take a trip by car and visit places that were special to you when you were your teen's age.
- Go for a bike ride with one of their friends and the friend's parent.
- Have a favorite "breakfast diner" and eat there once a month.
- Schedule your lunch hour during your teen's lunch break – check them out of school and take your teen to lunch.
Books to Read with Your Teen
Do you remember when you use to read stories to your child before going to bed? Now is not impossible to keep enjoying this activity. Now you can both read and talk about the books you chose, and also use it as a teaching experience. You will enjoy it!
o Discussions about right and wrong:
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain.
o Kids encouragement and support:
- The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
- Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls, Moving Day by Meg Cabot
o Change in friendships:
- Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins
o Book series:
- Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix.
o Teen pregnancy:
- After by Amy Efaw
o Parent-teen relationship:
- How to Raise Your Parents by Sarah Burningham
It's so good for families to spend time together. We encourage you to create a calendar with fun activities!
All families are different. So, you can tailor your calendar to fit your family.
Your family can chose to do a week or month calendar. It all depends on parents work, after school activities, holidays and seasons. In a calendar write down all family activities, such as practices, games, concerts, homework time, parties, church, etc.
Here is an example of how a family could do it:


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What We Do
We help clients customize and apply multi-dimensional indexing for oral history recordings and other audio-video documentation. This provides fluid, meaningful interaction with precise passages of media within and across interviews. Customized to each collection or situation, such capacities create access for a wide variety of uses, from archival research to web-based exploration and a range of A/V presentation formats.
Grounded in oral history and utilizing an expanding range of technologies, we can help with any and all aspects of your project. From choosing and setting up a digital recorder, to conducting and organizing interviews, to designing comprehensive indexing and content management frameworks, we help you determine what you need and want to do with your audio and video, and then we work with you collaboratively to do it.
In-House Capabilities include:


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Assessing Diverse Employees - A multicultural quagmire - by Barbara Deane - free
"Assessing Diverse Employees: A Multicultural Quagmire" - 2 pages
Consultant Barabara Deane discusses how typical survey/feedback instruments are biased, based on white male norms, and are are generally ineffective for both white males and people of color...because they fail to include an important factor.
Rather than simply rating my boss on "How much of certain behavior she/he is expressing (on a traditional Likert scale - 1 being low to 10 being high)" the ODT PRIME Feedback instruments (all downloadable free for your review) use a unique 2x2 rating grid.
On the vertical is "How much emphasis does my boss place on this"?"
On the horizontal is "How much of a certain behaivior do I need from my boss"?"
The simple 2x2 Matrix provides an elegant and powerful way o give feedback to managers to see if they are "on target" or "off target" with meeting employees perceived needs.
These instruments can be licensed to organizational consultants doing training and/or coaching...
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com © 2021 Island Improv.
ODT began as consulting and training company in the field of Employee Empowerment and "Upward Influence", and soon developed a series of training modules on "How to Receive a Performance Appraisal", "How to Receive a Delegated Assignment", "How to Increase Your Personal Power", "Self-Directed Work Teams", as well as a series of instrumented feedback tools and workshops to help communication up (PRIME Match), downward (PRIME Search), and with peers (PRIME Peer). These tools are now digitized and will be available HERE


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And I suppose one more to help round the night out – this video is a graduation address that writer Neil Gaiman gave to the University of Arts (Philadelphia). I really enjoyed this talk because it was full of real life experiences and he had a lot of good takeaway inspirational quotes. My favorites below the video…
"If you don't know it's impossible, it's easier to do."
"I learned to write by writing."
"It's been an amazing ride, but there were parts of the ride that I missed because I was too worried about things going wrong."
"Often you will discover that the harder you work, and the more wisely you work, the luckier you will get."
"Be wise, because the world needs more wisdom, and if you cannot be wise, pretend to be someone who is wise and then just behave like they would."
"Go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes, break rules, leave the world more interesting for your being here … make good art."


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Note: This post was originally published on OPEN Forum.
In these times of slow sales, chances are at least some of your customers are paying late—or not at all. And that probably includes a healthy smattering of long-time, valued accounts.
But, while it's always tricky collecting from deadbeats, the task involves a particular sleight-of-hand when you're dealing with important, long-standing customers. The company, for example, may simply be going through a rough patch—and by using a too-tough approach, you could risk permanently damaging the relationship. "I see many small businesses facing this dilemma," says Josh Turner, who heads Gateway CFO Solutions, a St. Louis-based consulting firm. "They're concerned these valued customers will leave them if they take too hard a stance."
Here's how to tread lightly—and successfully—when approaching such customers.
Decide just how valuable the customer is
Before you do anything else, you need to determine whether it's worth bending over backwards for the client. You may discover, for example, that, while some customers have done business with you for many years, they've had a long record of late payment. On the other hand, someone who's been a consistent source of referrals is probably worth keeping.
Most important is figuring out the lifetime value of the customer. That means taking into account everything from how long you've been doing business to the amount of their average order.
Talk about it face-to-face
Your best move is arranging a time to discuss the situation in-person. But don't pose it as a threat; instead, "offer to have a conversation where you can provide input into their business and see how you can be of assistance," says Issamar Ginzberg, a small-business consultant with Monetize Intellect in New York.
Your response should vary based on the reason behind the late payments
Once you get together, you can try to pinpoint the reason for the late payment. Then, your response should depend on the nature of the problem.
For example, if it's because their own clients have been stiffing them, then you might suggest a team approach, where you both work together to get the ultimate customer to pay up. "If you apply joint pressure, you might have better success," says Turner.
He points to a 50-employee cabinet maker that recently had trouble getting paid by a construction company it had worked with for many years. When they discussed the matter, it became clear the problem was that several home owners—the builder's ultimate customers—weren't paying their bills.
So, with the company's permission, the cabinet maker wrote the clients, threatening to file a claim. They paid the bill.
Be flexible
If the problem is more a matter of poor cash flow, then you'll need to try other steps, anything from offering extended payment over a certain period of time, to taking a lien on a piece of equipment.
You can also offer to let them pay with a credit card if it's not something you usually allow. Another option: offering quarterly, rather than monthly, payment for, say, a 5 percent discount.
Offer taking payment in the form of something other than cash
You can accept in-kind payment.
Take Amy Krakow, president of Propaganda Marketing Communications, a four-employee marketing firm in New York. When a long-time client, a maker of gourmet food products, had trouble paying, she offered to let them provide Christmas presents for all her clients. "They sell very expensive treats that I couldn't have given away otherwise," she says.
Propose multiple options
Whatever you come up with, however, it's best to propose at least two approaches to payment.
"Getting your customer to pay you is much easier when you give them options," says Ginzberg.


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In the past, there has been much debate about the existence of the g-spot. Loosely defined, it is a place inside the vagina that, when stimulated, feels better than any other spot. This spot is said to be found between one and three inches inside the vagina, located on the front vaginal wall. Previously unexplained, sexologists now think the g-spot may be an internal continuation of the clitoris.
Stimulation of this spot during masturbation and intercourse is said to cause women to have more intense orgasms, sometimes resulting in female ejaculation, or "squirting". Finding your g-spot is made simple with bulbous sex toys that allow you to adjust the amount of pressure used and focus stimulation on specific parts of your vaginal walls.
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The Yarrow Eco Village released photos and other details on the loss of salmon spawning grounds in the Upper Fraser. The issues are well set out in the Huffington Post article. The pipeline croossing of a local salmon bearing stream had gravel beds 're-installed', but they have been eroded quickly, leaving no suitable terrain for the fish to lay eggs. .
Yarrow Eco Village (a CCEC member) was one of several intervenors at the National Energy Board, and this environmental damage was just one of the issues raised as a concern in the review process. The review process that was found to be inadequate by the courts subsequently.
Control is a complex subject. In our increasingly centralized and corporate world, control is concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer people. In this era of globalism we have some very large companies that have enormous influence. Unfortunately, we then are confronted with how we can hold these billionaires and financiers accountable. Governments even start to look small by comparison. Voting in our elections may provide leverage but big money is at play in elections too. But beyond government, communities may assume 'ownership' directly.
Co-operative democratic ownership is a radical alternative model for organizing commerce, as is the democratic non-profit association. It is through these models real 'DEMOCRACY' is achieved. But these models rely on people to step up and participate, in pursuit of the common good. The crux is for individuals to realize that a vote, every few years, is a bare minimum. Responsible citizenship requires more of us.
Corporate capitalism asserts that 'markets' will hold commercial enterprises accountable. However, this has not proven to be the case; government regulation is needed to ensure transparency, safety, equitable treatment, and reasonable choice. And regulation is a constant field of struggle. In addition, the dominant corporate model has two major shortcomings - the tendency to consolidate (create monopolies) and the tendency to place higher costs on those on the lower rungs of the socioeconomic ladder (e.g. payday lenders).
The co-operative model, like the one we have at CCEC, gives consumer members the ownership responsibilities. Ordinary people (though their representatives) assume control. In this community ownership model 'profit maximization' is not the primary objective.
In BC and in Canada the co-operative model is in some stress. While some large co-ops and credit unions appear to be successful, the role of the members-owners has been eroded. Democracy has been diminished. Small co-ops and projects become even more important. Participation is key - as directors, on advisory committees, and as volunteers - that ensures 'control' rests with the people, but also generates debate, innovation and social change.
Democracy relies on ordinary people taking part, stepping up, and 'seizing' control in service of the common good.


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An Italian researcher with a penchant for retro games — or perhaps just looking for an excuse to play games in the name of science! — has used computational complexity theory to decide, once and for all, just how hard video games are.
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Watsonville , Calif. — Photoflex Inc. has introduced a Small-Product-Photography Lighting Kit to provide a complete lighting system and lessons for taking properly lighted digital photographs of many kinds of small products, President Sharon Reeves announced today.
Photoflex's new kit includes two each of the Starlite 3200™ lighting system, SilverDome nxt ™ softbox , and four-section Litestand ™, plus an instructional CD-ROM featuring assembly information and lessons that help users maximize kit capabilities right away so they can take excellent photographs of small products such as ceramics, crystal, arts and crafts items, coins, stamps, models, paintings, gems, and jewelry.
"Our Small-Product-Photography Lighting Kit offers an all-in-one solution that makes it easy for digital-camera users to take well-lighted photos right away," says Reeves. "Users learn not only about how to light a wide variety of items, but also displaying of digital photos on a website, in online auctions, CDs, DVDs, and print ads; showing them effectively at stores, exhibitions, and shows; and sending them by email."
The Starlite 3200 tungsten light has been designed specifically for use with a softbox to provide soft, even, natural-looking light at a fraction of the cost of studio lights. It permits continuous lighting with an innovative housing design that allows air to flow through the unit and prevent overheating. Each Starlite comes with a 500-watt (120v) tungsten lamp that produces even, brilliant lighting.
The SilverDome nxt ™ extra-small softbox bathes subjects in soft, diffused light while ensuring maximum output from any light source. When used with the Starlite 3200, the softbox's silver-lined interior offers maximum light output, creating soft highlights and even, natural lighting while eliminating hotspots. A removable diffusion face quickly switches lighting output from soft to high contrast. Side vents, rear flaps, and Photoflex's proprietary Brimstone™ fabric make the SilverDome heat resistant and durable. Steel support rods provide extra strength compared to the aluminum or fiberglass rods of competitors. Carry bags ensure easy transport and storage of the softboxes . The SilverDome's size is 12x16x9 inches (30x41x23 cm).
Firm, steady softbox and light support is provided by a Litestand ™ 2205, which extends to seven feet (213 cm) and holds up to six pounds of lighting equipment. Thick, oversized aluminum tubing helps ensure maximum strength and stability, and bolted rather than riveted joints can be replaced quickly and easily.
A Starlite Connector FV™ is also included to fit the light with each softbox . The rugged, all-metal connector will not break, melt, or warp.
Although the Small-Product-Photography Lighting Kit is designed for use with hot lights, it can also be used with strobes. Strobe connectors can be purchased at additional cost, depending on the kind of lighting equipment used.
The CD contains lessons produced by Web Photo School , an operating unit of Photoflex. Text and photos provide kit assembly instructions, initial digital-camera set up, digital-imaging basics, photography of small products using the kit's one or two lights, and other commercial techniques. Photoflex's annual product catalog also is provided as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.
In addition, a University of Photoflex CD is provided, featuring mini-lessons that provide new strategies and techniques for taking better digital photographs.
Retail price for the Small-Product-Photography Lighting Kit (Item # FV-IG2BASICJK) is $774.95, a savings of 22 percent over purchasing the components separately.
Photoflex Inc. (www.photoflex.com) manufactures and distributes high-quality, versatile lighting equipment for the worldwide photography, video, film, and digital-imaging industries. Based in Watsonville , Calif. , it also offers the Web Photo School as the largest online resource for photography and digital-imaging lessons for all levels of photographers, taught by leading professional photographers.


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Take a tour of Hallam Lake!
Follow the on-site markers and see what we have seen
of this marvelous place!
To learn more about ACES, please click
on their main URL HERE!
Ann and I Welcome you to Aspen,
Colorado and ACES!
Ann and I have fallen in love with Aspen in the summer! Sure, we all know this is a great place for skiing in the winter, but what about the summer? Since I was a boy, we have traveled through Aspen en route to Coulter Lake Guest Ranch in the White River National Forest about 19 miles north of Rifle, Colorado. After a long trip from my hometown of Pampa, Texas, and an exhilirating auto trip over Independence Pass (12,093 feet about sea level), we would always go through Aspen. In those days (1948), Aspen was a very small town, but the scenery was magnificent. To make a long story short, these boyhood memories have never left me, and we usually now spend at least one week each summer in Aspen.
What is so unusual about this, is in spite of our seemingly pretty good knowledge of Aspen and surrounds, we never knew about ACES until the summer of 1999! Just 3 blocks from the Molly Gibson Lodge where we usually stay, is this fantastic lake and environmental studies center known by the acronym, ACES (Aspen Center for Environmental Studies). Well, by now if you have visited my webpages, you know that I always take my camera with me, and a visit to ACES has been no exception!
For the past 3 years, I have been meaning to get a story about ACES on my website, so here goes! No one should ever visit Aspen without visiting ACES.
Here is the front entrance for ACES
At the front entrance, we are welcomed to the Center with this beautiful sign.
This is the entrance to the main building which houses the welcome desk, the lab, the library, the lecture hall, and the store. Very very beautiful, believe me. Who would have believed this to be in the center of Aspen?
At the welcome desk inside, we can pick up brochures for the trail tour (left of photo)
Here is the store where you can purchase books on environmental science, t-shirts, and other interesting things. Ann is buying a stuffed animal for our grandson!
Here is the laboratory which is very well equipped with microscopes, dissecting tools, and everything one needs to get started in observing nature up close!
ACES has a well equipped reference library. What better way for a young child to be introduced to mother nature?
Here children are learning about aquatic life and how to preserve native rainbow trout! Young minds have a unique opportunity to learn so much here under the tutlege of the excellent staff of ACES.
Here's the organic garden that is maintained on the property!
This is the road leading to the rear entrance of ACES not far from Main street, in fact only 2 blocks north! As you walk down this lovely path, you will come across the following sign , then walk along the beautiful trail below.
This lovely trail takes you to the back entrance (below)
Now be sure to take this trail! It is delightful. Even bears roam on this trail in the center of town!
Ok, it is time for the trail tour!
Click on the image above to start the trail tour!


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How Little Big Town Created a Perfect Storm With 'Tornado' – Premiere
Always paved with critical praise, Little Big Town's long road to success was also littered with radio roadblocks and label detours. Together since 1998, the country quartet shuffled between four different record labels and released five albums before they achieved validation in the form of their first Number One song ("Pontoon") and their first Grammy and Country Music Association award wins. The secret to reaching such sweet success after almost 15 years together ultimately came down to banning perfectionism from the studio while making their latest album, Tornado.
Who Still Buys CDs? Country Fans
"Tornado shows a lot of growth," the band's Karen Fairchild tells Rolling Stone. "We wanted to shake it up, and we knew we had to be uncomfortable – trying to push ourselves and not putting so many boundaries on ourselves. Just being free to go with our gut feeling. The days that we were recording, it was about having an instinct on a song and rolling with it instead of second-guessing or overanalyzing the music. It just happened in the moment."
In this exclusive video, Little Big Town take fans behind the scenes of the making of Tornado and their travels to several renowned concert venues in support of the album. We see the band, under the guidance of producer Jay Joyce, treat recording sessions more like jams, and we hear candid conversations about their musical transformation.
"This band has always been about perseverance," says Fairchild. "Back when the bottom fell out and we went back to working jobs, we kept making music together because we felt it was important. We just kept pushing through. It was years and years in the making, but it was worth it and makes us appreciate so much where we are now."
More News
Sigur Rós Celebrate 20th Anniversary of '( )' With Expanded Reissue
- More Untitled Songs!
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Beast Armor Grilling Gloves
Iron Man hands become Aramid Fabric hands for grilling season. Beast Armor gloves have recruited this tough, heat-resistant synthetic fabric typically used in aerospace and military applications for your own personal BBQ applications. No one likes burnt fingers and arms any more than they like burnt meat, and the grill gloves guarantee they'll save you at least from the agony of the latter as they allow you to set, grab, flip, and baste amongst temperatures of up to 662 degrees F without incident.
Use Beast Armor in the scorching flames firing in the backyard or the hot box of heat circulating in the oven to protect yourself from fingertip to midway up your forearm. In addition to their Aramid base, the gloves are coated in silicone strips for grip traction and control, and to allow cooks to hold hot items for longer periods of time.
Note: Jazz hands are encouraged, but not required during Beast Armor use.
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CHSE - +2 Arts, Commerce, Voc 2017 Annual Exam Online Result @chseodisha.nic.in
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Class 1 to 10 All School eText Book, 80s-90s Old School Books, College Text Books, 250+ Janhamamu Magazine, Nijukti Khabar, Sishulekha Magazines Now Available on our new "Odia Pathagara" App.
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Council of Higher Secondary Education, Odisha or CHSE, Odisha has announced Annual Intermediate or Plus 2 (+2) Examination Results for Arts & Science Stream. Students can check their results at orissaresults.nic.in & chseodisha.nic.in.
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Only human
The turmoil in financial markets has posed hard questions for central banks. Their reputations are now staked on their answers
"THIS is manna. I am blown away. These guys get it." All decibels and splutters, Jim Cramer, CNBC's markets pundit, was cheering the Federal Reserve's decision on September 18th to cut short-term interest rates by half a percentage point. That bold stroke would bring the credit markets back to life after the nastiest shock in at least a decade. It would, he shrieked, get people to start selling, shopping and hiring. "I could hug these guys," he yelled. "This is what we wanted."
Mr Cramer makes a career out of exaggeration. But he is not alone in concluding that the financial world can at last begin to put a miserable summer behind it; and that the turning-point came when the rich economies' central banks showed that they would use interest rates to keep the economic engines roaring. Since the Fed's cut, equity markets have scaled new records, and even junk debt is starting to find a few buyers. Hallelujah! Good job! Lesson learnt! as Mr Cramer might say. The whole ghastly episode was proof that central banks are blessed with great power and that they should use it if need be.
If only life were so simple. In reality, the credit crisis has presented central banks with their greatest challenge since they won the battle against inflation a generation ago. It has cast doubt on how well they have discharged their twin duties as the guardians of financial stability and as the defenders of price stability. It poses questions about whether the almost mystical status that they have acquired over the past two decades can endure—and whether it would be a good thing if it did.
A great deal rests on those questions. A brilliantly inventive generation has harnessed computing power and financial theory to transform the world of finance. Trillion-dollar global markets have sprung up on the back of techniques for converting loans, interest payments, default risk and who knows what else into new securities that could be chopped up and repackaged in mind-boggling combinations, sold and resold. Much good has come of that—and not only fat bonuses on Wall Street and in the City. The most valuable result of the new finance is that more people and businesses have gained access to credit on better terms.
But this summer has shown how far invention has raced ahead of intervention. Vital parts of the new finance take place in lightly supervised markets, as far from the glare of regulators as its practitioners can profitably get. That should be no surprise: regulation imposes costs, restricts innovation and slows people down. Yet, with devastating speed, the crisis spread back into the heart of the most regulated parts of the financial system, the interbank markets and the market for central-bank reserves, which obliged the central banks to provide liquidity. It even caused scares about the stability of banking systems.
Fixing this will not be easy. At one extreme, to ignore regulatory lessons and just bail out the financiers would be to invite an even more severe crisis next time round. At the other, an over-zealous tightening of regulation would extract a vast cost in lost opportunities for the wise use of the new techniques to make people better off. Regulation spawns innovation to avoid it. Perversely, some of what happened this summer was the unintended consequence of previous regulation.
As for financiers, so for the economy as a whole. As chart 1 shows, the Great Inflation of the late 1970s gave way to an age of low, steady inflation thanks in large part to the skill with which central banks learnt to steer policy. The anchoring of inflationary expectations at moderate levels in turn combined with technological change and globalisation to support strong, steady economic growth. And in both America and Europe unemployment fell below the rates at which economists used to think inflation would start to rise.
A question of credibility
Central banks' success in controlling inflation has won them credibility as economic managers. But that credibility is now at risk in two ways. First, those banks, and in particular the Fed, must take some of the blame for their part in stoking the appetite for risk. Monetary policy was too loose for too long, helping to pump up housing markets in America and elsewhere.
The second threat to credibility rests on how central banks use monetary policy to help clear up the credit mess. In America, where growth and jobs are most at risk, Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Fed until last year, has put the chance of recession at more than one in three. Amid the anxiety, interest-rate increases in Canada, Europe and Japan have been shelved.
The central banks have a difficult balance to strike. If policy is too tight, they will be held responsible for creating recessions. If it is too loose, their grip on inflation could slip, as markets and the public cease to believe that prices will remain stable.
The great paradox is that the central banks' mastery of inflation has made the task of keeping financial markets safe all the harder. When people are confident that inflation is low and will remain so, they may be more prepared to take on debt. That leads to an expansion of credit and the pursuit of more exotic rewards by lenders. It feeds price rises in assets such as housing and securities. It encourages excessive risk-taking. If so, how can you contain inflation without sparking occasional but dangerous bouts of insanity in asset markets? That is a riddle likely to test central bankers for a long time to come.
The central banks' unprecedented public standing, which helped them in the fight against inflation, has also proved a double-edged sword. Blind faith that the Fed will always save the day encourages people to take even greater risks. Greed, unless it is reined in by fear, reaches out towards the calamitous moment when the central bankers' defences fail.
Central bankers themselves are realistic about their knowledge and their powers. Donald Kohn, a Fed governor, put it with admirable honesty in December last year: "In informal terms, we are uncertain about where the economy has been, where it is now and where it is going." But many financial speculators cling to the idea that central banks are omnipotent. For the sake of everyone else, they should be disabused before they venture into even greater excess.
This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline "Only human"
From the October 20th 2007 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition


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Coldwood Interactive
Unravel is an Indie title from a small developer Coldwood Interactive and then published and distributed by EA. Unravel is a side scrolling platform adventure. The game harkens back to the classics like Pitfall, Sonic, Mario and Adventure Island (look it up, a fantastic NES title starring a skateboarding islander). However, this particular adventure has a slight twist. Instead of hopping over or on many enemies to avoid being harmed the world is more exploratory and obstacle driven. The main protagonist, Yarney, uses physics and resources to solve puzzles and progress through the worlds..
Yarney is a red bipedal cat looking creature made of yarn. He uses this yarn to lasso, swing, slingshot, and bridge over obstacles in the environment. As Yarney progresses through each level he uses up his yarn and if too much is wasted he'll be too skinny to progress any further. Luckily within each level each checkpoint Yarney can tie off and add more yarn. Sometimes leaving very little wiggle room to complete each level.
The plot of Unravel hinges around Yarney restoring the faded/damaged memories and photographs from a scrapbook by returning to the locations of those memories. These locations are rich, vibrant, and alive; the music which accompanies them is extremely gorgeous evoking a wide range of emotions happy, sad, nostalgic, and pure excitement. Yarney a silent protagonist reacts to his environment with wonder and amazement as if he's seeing it for the first time right along with you. Beyond being beautiful the environment has its own dangers falling objects, animal life, and deep waters all providing different elements for solving the puzzles which you encounter.
If video games are truly considered a creative artform, Unravel is a masters class. The storytelling through visual and musical mediums is in my opinion extremely successful and carries a great deal of emotional weight. The one criticism I have for this game is the ending doesn't completely wrap up and totally resolve; I fell there are still remaining questions left that have been left unanswered about Yarney's family. I look forward to see what will come out of Coldwood studios in the future. They definitely had a huge success with this title.
I've recommended this game to everyone even remotely interested in gaming. I've gotten my wife to play along with me, she is quite good at collecting some of the secret buttons I've missed. It is extremely enjoyable to pass the controller back and forth completing all the different levels together trying to piece together the story of this family. Yarney's puzzle solving adventure is very enjoyable, heartwarming, and visually beautiful. I highly recommend it. At the time this article was written, the game is available on Xbox One and Playstation 4 for $19.99, and PC via EA Origins for $11.99. This prices are from the Uravel game website, but if you look around, or wait you can pick it up on sale.
Leave Comments and or Questions Below!
Decent Game Play
Amazing Graphics
Great Music
Good Family Fun
Was hoping for a more complete ending.


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Korn Bring the House Down in New Jersey With Help From Device + Love and Death
Whether you're an old-school or new-school Korn fan, it's always a treat when the band comes to town. Last night's show at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, N.J., was even more special since the band is back with original guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch.
Drummer Ray Luzier graced the stage first as he took his seat atop his caged percussive throne. Looking like a gang from 'The Warriors,' Munky, Fieldy and Head came out together as frontman Jonathan Davis belted out those three words every Korn fan wants to hear "Are you ready?!"
They kicked off their mind blowing set with older favorites such as 'Blind,' 'Ball Tongue' and 'Twist.' Fans exploded to 'Falling Away From Me,' 'Did My Time,' 'Shoots and Ladders,' 'Here To Stay' and numerous others.
As a long time Korn fan, seeing Head onstage with the rest of Korn was both nostalgic and revitalizing. The band's entire set was filled with relentless energy and the chemistry between the old friends was unmatched.
Korn's encore included 'Get Up!' off of their latest album, 'The Path of Totality,' and classics 'Got the Life' and 'Freak on a Leash.'
Disturbed may be on hiatus but frontman Dave Draiman has been very busy with his project Device and the band's self-titled album. The three-piece outfit had a forceful set and had fans fist pumping to songs such as 'You Think You Know' and 'Out of Line.' Draiman showed off his vocal chops on the band's rendition of the track 'Close My Eyes Forever' and welcomed Russell Allen of Symphony X and Adrenaline Mob for a duet on 'Haze.' Device closed out the set with their chart-topping single 'Vilify' and a rousing cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Wish.'
Brian 'Head' Welch was doing double duty last night as both the guitarist of Korn and the very energetic frontman of his own band Love and Death. Their set featured songs from their debut full length disc, 'Between Here & Lost,' including 'I W8 4 U,' 'Chemicals' and their rocking cover of Devo's 'Whip It.'
Check Out Photos of Korn, Device + Love and Death Performing in New Jersey:
Love and Death:


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It's been an extraordinary year for Ezra Letra. When I met the rapper/photographer/author/poet at Cafe Passe last week for an interview, it was hardly surprising that he was memorizing lines for his first acting role in the play "Octagon," which opens Friday, Dec.13 in The Temple Lounge at the Arizona Theatre Company.
In the past 12 months, he's issued two incredible records—"The Nobody" in January and "Time Bomb First Aid Kit" in September, and has seen his literature published in "Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Fiction Based on the Works of Bruce Springsteen" (Gutter Books), among almost 30 other writers with Springsteen's blessings.
Letra, born Allan Holguin, is currently working on a new album of music.
Let's talk about your background a little bit—I think it informs a lot of your art.
I'm 27 years old. I was born in Queens, New York. I came out here to Arizona in 2008 to finish my bachelor's at the U of A. I was studying English literature and creative writing, with a focus in poetry. I kind of had an inkling when I moved out here that I was gonna be an artist—I wanted the credentials that I needed and learned what I needed to learn about. I graduated in 2010.
When did you start making music?
2009, a year after I came here. Which is interesting because I was in New York for 21 years and didn't do any music—I mean, I absorbed that—but coming out here, I was reinventing myself. Nobody knew me; I built up the courage. I went through this transformation—leaving home gave me a sense of confidence. In my teen years I was very shy, quiet and reserved. But being away from my parents and being independent gave me courage. I've been an artist only in Arizona, really.
Was there a catalyst or a single event that took place here where you realized that this was something you were gonna pursue?
It was a creative writing workshop that I took, and the poetry classes, where I saw that people were kind of digging what I was doing and encouraging me to perform. While I was at the U of A, I had to go read in front of all these people, which is something I'd never done and people really responded positively. It was a boost for me to keep trying. Before that, I was so shy...I'd just write in my journals.
How did you transition from reciting your poetry to making hip-hop music? Was it gradual?
It was really gradual. I'd write these poems and try to rap over beats—I was writing rhyming poetry so it kind of sounded like raps and I never rapped before, so at the time I was just finding my voice, finding my presence on the mic. I worked really hard.
Music was always huge for me when I was growing up. I'm Colombian so it was either Spanish music at home or hip-hop that my older brother listened to. In the neighborhood in Queens, hip-hop was the soundtrack of our youth...we were really biased, so everything was New York hip-hop, and that had its own flavor and style. When I came out here, I discovered what they called "backpack" hip-hop—it was more emotional, more heartfelt stuff. That didn't have the tough-guy persona (associated with the New York style) that maybe had intimidated me. I discovered Atmosphere, Living Legends...I found myself going with that boom-bap sound I grew up on, but with backpack content—introspection and showing vulnerability. And I found strength in that: These guys were not afraid to say what they felt, to say they got their heart broken, or that they're broke. They're not trying to present this image that I can't relate to. It changed my perception of what hip-hop was.
It took until this year for me to (make music to my liking). When I made "The Nobody" I felt really confident. I had mixed in music that I had heard as a child—I catered it to me. It was the first time that it was like, "This is who I am."
You moved from Tucson to Phoenix in 2013. What happened during that period that led to you writing "The Nobody" EP?
(About a year before that) my girlfriend got pregnant. She's from New York too so we both decided to go back there and be with our families. I had a college degree; I was feeling confident that I'd find work out there. I couldn't find anything—no interviews, nothing.
My son was born in April 2013, and come August, I still didn't have a job and I had to do something about it. I made a rash decision and came back to Tucson to get a job. I was homeless (part of the time)—sleeping in my car certain nights. Sometimes I'd stay on friends' couches. But my main motivation was getting some money and stability for my son and so I could be with my son. ... At the time, people were telling me that I'm talented and going places, but here I am without a job and broke. My college degree doesn't seem to mean anything and I'm miserable. It was a do or die situation, and I decided to just "do." I tried to switch the whole narrative of feeling like a nobody—we're all nobodies—into a positive and that led to a lot of other things.
I wrote the song "The Nobody" at River and Swan, at that Quik-Trip (when I was staying in my car) out of this moment of deep frustration and that was the definitive moment for me. I reinvented myself; I changed my name to Ezra Letra and everything changed. I then wrote all of the other songs.
I finally landed a job at Intel in Phoenix while I was in Tucson and lived with Beatsmith Medore up there while I got my money together—he did all the beats on my project and we had known each other for a long time before that. I still had my recording equipment that I brought from New York when I finally got my job and my own place, and I recorded my whole project there. I finished it around the holidays in November and December last year and then went and got my girlfriend and my son. (Note: the family returned to live in Tucson recently.)
I'm always talking about "the muses."' In everything I do, I hear voices in my head and the art that I produce...sometimes I just feel like it's a spiritual possession. If I don't do it, I feel like...I feel anxious. For the longest time, I fought it, but now I trust it. I go with it. Things started going well when I listened. I don't really do anything except create or spend time with my family.
So you have this music that came from a very dark place, but you seem to be extremely positive now—and I've noticed that in conversations we've had before. How did that come about?
Well, it was so dark, that place, that there was light on the other side. I kind of broke away from that. "The Nobody" was the end of that. I learned to trust and love. There's so many things (going on) to make you sad or angry and I'd rather just (be the opposite of that). ... I feel like love is the only truth, and that's the truth I've accepted.