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It may be a colourless, odourless and completely natural gas, but carbon dioxide is beginning to cause us a lot of problems. It only makes up a tiny fraction of the atmosphere (0.04% of all the gas by volume – or 395 parts per million) but it has a huge effect on the Earth's temperature. That's because unlike nitrogen or oxygen, carbon dioxide molecules absorb the Sun's heat rays even though they let light rays pass through, like a greenhouse.
Scientists are looking at ways to modulate the global temperature by removing some of this greenhouse gas from the air. If it works, it would be one of the few ways of geoengineering the planet with multiple benefits, beyond simply cooling the atmosphere.
Every time we breathe out, we emit carbon dioxide just like all other metabolic life forms. Meanwhile, photosynthetic organisms like plants and algae take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. This balance has kept the planet at a comfortably warm average temperature of 14C (57F), compared with a chilly -18C (0F) if there were no carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
In the Anthropocene (the Age of Man), we have shifted this balance by releasing more carbon dioxide than plants can absorb. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been burning increasing amounts of fossil fuels, releasing stored carbon from millions of years ago. Eventually the atmosphere will reach a new balance at a hotter temperature as a result of the additional carbon dioxide, but getting there is going to be difficult.
The carbon dioxide we are releasing is changing the climate, the wind and precipitation patterns, acidifying the oceans, warming the habitats for plants and animals, melting glaciers and ice sheets, increasing the frequency of wildfires and raising sea levels. And we are doing this at such a rapid pace that animals and plants may not have time to evolve to the new conditions. Humans won't have to rely on evolution, but we will have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on adapting or moving our cities and other infrastructure, and finding ways to grow our food crops under these unfamiliar conditions.
Even if we stopped burning fossil fuels today, there is enough carbon dioxide in the atmosphere - and it is such a persistent, lasting gas – that temperatures will continue to rise for a few hundred years. We won't stop emitting carbon dioxide today, of course, and it is now very likely that within the lifetime of people born today we will increase the temperature of the planet by at least 3C more than the average temperature before the industrial revolution.
Seek and capture
Hence, the idea of finding ways of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. One way to do this is to grow plants that absorb a lot of carbon dioxide and store it. But although we can certainly improve tree-planting, we also need land to grow food for an increasing global population, so there's a limit to how much forestry we can fit on the planet.
In recent years there have been attempts to remove the carbon dioxide from its source in power plants. Scrubber devices have been fitted to the chimneys in different pilot projects around the world so that the greenhouse gas produced during fossil fuel burning can be removed from the exhaust emissions. The carbon dioxide can then be cooled and pumped for storage in deep underground rock chambers, for example, replacing the fluid in saline aquifers. Another storage option is to use the collected gas to replace crude oil deposits, helping drilling companies to pump out oil from hard to reach places, in a process known as advanced oil recovery.
Removing this pollution from power plants – called carbon capture and storage – is a useful way of preventing additional carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere as we continue to burn fossil fuels. But what about the gas that is already out there?
The problem with removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is that it's present at such a low concentration. In a power plant chimney, for instance, carbon dioxide is present at concentrations of 4-12% within a relatively small amount of exhaust air. Removing the gas takes a lot of energy, so it is expensive, but it's feasible. To extract the 0.04% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would require enormous volumes of air to be processed. As a result, most scientists have baulked at the idea.
Fake plastic trees
Klaus Lackner, director of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy at Columbia University, has come up with a technique that he thinks could solve the problem. Lackner has designed an artificial tree that passively soaks up carbon dioxide from the air using "leaves" that are 1,000 times more efficient than true leaves that use photosynthesis.
"We don't need to expose the leaves to sunlight for photosynthesis like a real tree does," Lackner explains. "So our leaves can be much more closely spaced and overlapped – even configured in a honeycomb formation to make them more efficient."
The leaves look like sheets of papery plastic and are coated in a resin that contains sodium carbonate, which pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and stores it as a bicarbonate (baking soda) on the leaf. To remove the carbon dioxide, the leaves are rinsed in water vapour and can dry naturally in the wind, soaking up more carbon dioxide.
Lackner calculates that his tree can remove one tonne of carbon dioxide a day. Ten million of these trees could remove 3.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – equivalent to about 10% of our global annual carbon dioxide emissions. "Our total emissions could be removed with 100 million trees," he says, "whereas we would need 1,000 times that in real trees to have the same effect."
If the trees were mass produced they would each initially cost around $20,000 (then falling as production takes over), just below the price of the average family car in the United States, he says, pointing out that 70 million cars are produced each year. And each would fit on a truck to be positioned at sites around the world. "The great thing about the atmosphere is it's a good mixer, so carbon dioxide produced in an American city can be removed in Oman," he says.
Social cost
The carbon dioxide from the process can be cooled and stored; however, many scientists are concerned that even if we did remove all our carbon dioxide, there isn't enough space to store it securely in saline aquifers or oil wells. But geologists are coming up with alternatives. For example, peridotite, which is a mixture of serpentine and olivine rock, is a great sucker of carbon dioxide, sealing the absorbed gas as stable magnesium carbonate mineral. In Oman alone, there is a mountain that contains some 30,000 cubic km of peridotite.
Another option could be the basalt rock cliffs, which contain holes – solidified gas bubbles from the basalt's formation from volcanic lava flows millions of years ago. Pumping carbon dioxide into these ancient bubbles causes it to react to form stable limestone – calcium carbonate.
These carbon dioxide absorption processes occur naturally, but on geological timescales. To speed up the reaction, scientists are experimenting with dissolving the gas in water first and then injecting it into the rocks under high pressures.
However, Lackner thinks the gas is too useful to petrify. His idea is to use the carbon dioxide to make liquid fuels for transport vehicles. Carbon dioxide can react with water to produce carbon monoxide and hydrogen – a combination known as syngas because it can be readily turned into hydrocarbon fuels such as methanol or diesel. The process requires an energy input, but this could be provided by renewable sources, such as wind energy, Lackner suggests.
We have the technology to suck carbon dioxide out of the air – and keep it out – but whether it is economically viable is a different question. Lackner says his trees would do the job for around $200 per tonne of removed carbon dioxide, dropping to $30 a tonne as the project is scaled up. At that price – which has been criticised as wildly optimistic (the American Physical Society's most optimistic calculations for direct air capture are $600 per tonne of carbon dioxide removed, although the UK's Met Office is more favourable) – it starts to make economic sense for oil companies who would pay in the region of $100 per tonne to use the gas in enhanced oil recovery.
Ultimately, we have to decide whether the cost of the technology is socially worth the price, and that social price is likely to fall as climate change brings its own mounting costs. Economically too, if the price of carbon rises, then this could lead to two effects. Investing in air capture will likely be seen as an equivalent to "avoided emissions". And then it will become a worthy investment.
If you would like to comment on this article or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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Well it looks like a few sources are reporting that Nissan is going to reveal something EV related at the Paris Auto Show. The first I saw mentioned an EV concept, but this one is saying the new LEAF is to be debuted (the working is a bit ambiguous):
http://pushevs.com/2016/09/15/paris-mot ... 6-preview/
This kind of lines up with other hints of a December availability, and would be what is needed to compete with the Bolt, timeline wise.
I'm very curious to see what happens!

subset: commoncrawl


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The relevance of distance-learning today
Distance-learning courses are becoming more and more popular. The increasing participant numbers demonstrate this.
Students must consider the time investment required for a distance-learning programme properly in advance. Even though most students know that there is time-consuming work involved in undertaking a distance-learning course, many people still decide to take advantage of this opportunity to gain further education.
Alongside opportunities for professional advancement and the associated higher earning prospects, there are several other good reasons for undertaking this kind of study. Today in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond, a good job and a high salary are becoming ever more important in order to sustain a high standard of living and to cover the rising costs of living.
In addition, a single salary within a marriage or a partnership is often no longer sufficient to feed your family without financial worries. This explains the increasing role of distance-learning, both in the German-speaking countries and internationally. Often people aiming for a higher salary and wanting to gain further education have no alternative to distance-learning. Distance-learning is also very important for professionally active people who want or need to change career paths.
On the other hand, it is not only older and professionally active people who choose to work towards a distance learning qualification. Young people too face the increasing demands from employers towards candidates for jobs. Employers look for young candidates who are nonetheless well qualified. So more and more young people are starting a course of study alongside school.


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Cookies by Design Has a Cookie Gift for Every Occasion
Cookies by Design has taken our love for cookies to a whole new level. We all love to enjoy a delicious, fresh-baked cookie, but how would you like to enjoy a cookie for literally every occasion? It's amazing how creative and talented the Designers at Cookies by Design are! The care and skill that are put into each cookie are something Cookies by Design takes pride in. They ensure all employees are properly trained to prepare each cookie gift, with the same impeccable standards that are so important to providing their customers with the most enjoyable experience. Each cookie is decorated by hand and their cookie arrangements are assembled by hand as well. They even offer hand delivery. Now that's really personalizing your cookie experience! Cookies by Design makes their customers feel like part of the family. This way of doing business will keep Cookies by Design around for many more years to come. Customers appreciate a personalized touch.
Homemade Goodness and Awesome Ideas from Cookies by Design
Homemade, quality ingredients make a cookie taste so much better! Cookies by Design has created their own unique cookie recipes and bake their cookies fresh daily. The quality and care put into baking their cookies is paired so brilliantly with their creative designs. Any holiday treat you can imagine, can be found on the Cookies by Design website.
They've got all of the major holidays covered! If you're looking for a special Christmas treat, you'll find cookie baskets and trays with that warm, cozy Christmas feel. They even have Christmas cookie decorating kits! Create an enchanting atmosphere with Christmas cookie characters like Santa, his reindeer, and adorable snowmen. Christmas trees, candy canes, and snowflakes add to that special touch.
How 'bout Halloween? Candy's great on Halloween, but some cookies from Cookies by Design make Halloween even more delicious! Choose from pumpkin cookies, ghosts, bats, witches, spider webs. You can even decorate some ghoulish characters yourself, with a Halloween cookie decorating kit.
Unique Holiday Gifts from Cookies by Design
Not only does Cookies by Design have a cookie gift for every major holiday, you'll find gifts for holidays it's tough to shop for elsewhere. Now you can find that perfect gift for holidays like Teacher Appreciation Week, Nurses Week, Veterans Day. Show how thankful you are for the meaningful people in your life.
Cookies by Design also has fun gifts you can send "just because". Brighten someone's day with some cute smiley face cookies or a cool beach-themed arrangement. It's so much fun to search through the site and come up with gift ideas for friends and family. There's so much to choose from, it's easy to find that perfect fit your loved one will enjoy.
Take a look around, have some fun. Check out all of the different, creative gift categories. Everything is well-organized, according to holiday and theme. You can tailor your gifts to fit your own specifications. You can select which size you'd like, how many cookies, which color. There's a wide variety of choices. Make your gift as special as you'd like. Check out Cookies by Design and start having some fun!
6/11/2015 07:43:26 pm
Nice blog with great ideas of making cookies.
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September 2020


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Mooncake Festival Celebration
>> Sunday, September 14, 2008
Venue: 6th aunt's house
Occasion: Mooncake Festival
Agenda: Just gather, fellowship, eat mooncake accompanied by Chinese tea, light lanterns!
"Mooncake festival, also known as Mid-Autumn Festival or Lantern Festival, is a time when children run around with colorful lanterns and families gather for some delicious mooncakes filled with sweet or savory fillings. It is the only time of the year when children are allowed to stay up late and play with colorful lanterns. Some carry colored lanterns in the shape of animals and their favorite cartoon character, while others carry traditional round paper lanterns that are usually used as decoration. Many children are also seen carrying battery operated plastic lanterns which many adults feel are safer." - taken from The History of Mooncake Festival
Here's what my family did....
Chocolate mooncake & Shanghai-style mooncake
This is the usual lotus paste mooncake...but with pandan essence :P
We call her Ting Ting...so cute right??
There's still 1 more photo to upload, but I don't have it in this laptop now :P I'll upload it soon! I had a great time with my cousins, uncles & aunts, & the kiddo...it's not very often that we get to come together for such quality fellowship. I'm very thankful for family!!
Make sure you treasure your families too no matter what happens!
- Ruth & Anne


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Inline Measuring Systems
Whether you need to do 100% testing or automated material analysis for random sampling in a running production line: Fischer has the right measurement instrument for your specific application. All of our instruments are designed for fast and accurate measurement directly in the production process. Fischer's X-ray fluorescence instruments allow seamless integration within a variety of production environments via different interfaces.
One instrument, three job descriptions: not only is the flexible XAN®500 a handheld XRF device, it also converts into a desktop unit and can be integrated into production lines.
Inline measurement system for strip electroplating or coil coatings. Seamless integration in the production process and quality management system.
X-ray fluorescence instrument as modular unit for integration in manufacturing plants, for example on a traversing beam. Ideally suited for the measurement of thin layers on large surfaces.
X-RAY XDV-µ SEMI
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Your contact to FISCHER
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Phone: +371 22304752
E-Mail: email@example.com
Online contact form


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Google is doing everything it can to photograph every last corner of the world for its Street View feature. But there are still some places its mapping fleet can't go, and you can fill in those holes yourself with your very own Street View camera kit.
Imagine being able to give total strangers an interactive tour of your spacious private property, or even the inside of your home. That's exactly what this camera kit allows since it can be strapped to the roof of your car, or carried around in a backpack for use in more restrictive locales. The heart of the kit is an elevated camera that uses six sensors to create a single 30 megapixel image that captures 90 percent of the world around it. Exposures are snapped every three seconds and are automatically leveled, stitched, and geo-tagged by an included image processing server software.
Now unfortunately you can't upload your own Street View captures and have them rolled in to the Google Maps' database. But you can embed your own views onto your website with the same navigation functionality that Google Maps offers, which makes this setup an ideal tool for real estate agents who want to give clients a virtual tour of a home, or museums who want to open their collection to the entire world.
[DIY Streetview via Notcot]


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Gene Kelly, one of the biggest stars and greatest innovators from Hollywood's golden age of musicals, would have been 100 years old this week. Kelly's signature turn (and turns) in the 1952 musical "Singin' in the Rain" have inspired everything from a creepy reimagining of his iconic performance in a Volkswagen commercial to a "Greatest Number of People Simultaneously Performing an Umbrella Dance at a Single Venue" attempt in honor of his centennial.
But his influence is most pervasive in the world of dance. From Broadway to music videos, R&B concerts to the big screen, choreographers of all stripes still draw on the work of Gene Kelly.
Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler was inspired by Kelly's "low-to-the-floor" and "athletic" style while working on "In the Heights," for instance, which won him a Tony. While the show's score was influenced by Latin music and hip hop, its dance routines were shaped, in part, by Gene Kelly.
Kelly called his own style a "hybrid" of various approaches to dance, including modern, ballet and tap. His work with choreographer Robert Alton on the original production of "Pal Joey" — Alton would innovatively break up the chorus line into soloists and small groups — was a source of inspiration throughout Kelly's career, as were his brief experiences watching and working with black dancers Frank Harrington and Dancing Dotson. This eclectic mix of styles can be seen in the way Kelly moves effortlessly between hoofing, lyrical steps, acrobatics and jazz dance — as in "Good Morning" from "Singin' in the Rain," or the 16-minute ballet sequence "An American in Paris."
Kelly's legacy can also be found all over music videos. The photographer Mike Salisbury shot Michael Jackson for the cover of "Off the Wall" in the "Gene Kelly white sox [sic] and loafers" — a signature look for the movie star, which would soon become the singer's own recognizable brand (with added sparkle). Just a few years later, Jackson and Paul McCartney paid homage to Kelly and "Singin' in the Rain" co-star Donald O'Connor in their video for "Say Say Say," which features outfits almost identical to the "Singin' " number "Fit as a Fiddle." Paula Abdul, first known primarily for her dancing and choreography, referenced Kelly's famous dance with Jerry the Mouse in her kitschy video for "Opposites Attract," which includes a final tap-dance breakdown.
Kelly also embraced stunts and acrobatics. One of his most physically demanding films, "The Pirate," included "Be a Clown," a performance with the renowned Nicholas Brothers — who, as black performers in a time of limited opportunity, never got their full artistic due — and a ballet that finds him swinging from the "sails" of a ship and dancing with a giant baton. Usher, who has paid explicit tribute to Kelly, and his direct descendant, Chris Brown, show Kelly's influence in their athletic displays, incorporating flips and leaps upon giant stage sets into their routines.
Director Kenny Ortega — who choreographed Kelly in Xanadu, his last big screen role — called Kelly his mentor at a 100th Birthday event for Kelly back in May. The star's influence shines in much of Ortega's work, from Patrick Swayze's macho moves in "Dirty Dancing" to his kid-friendly "High School Musical" franchise. In the second installment of that Disney trilogy, an energetic dance number on a baseball field draws a direct line to one of Kelly's greatest artistic crusades: to show that guys who play sports could and should enjoy dance, which is itself an athletic activity.
Kelly showcased this most notably in a 1958 television special called "Dancing is a Man's Game," which featured boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. While there will never be another like Kelly, his work continues to resonate with generation after generation of American dancers.


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Join me and discover the joy of authentic travel experiences. Subscribe here. Watch your inbox for an activation email.
"I truly want to thank you for helping to make our trip a joyous adventure. We will always be grateful to you for enhancing our experiences."
—N. Higgins, Black Mountain, NC
No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.
Click the map to find articles and travel tips about your favorite destinations.


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Why did Lindsay Lohan bail on her Barbara Walters interview? It wasn't the right time.
Check out Lindsay Lohan's top scandals
"The timing wasn't right, right now," Lohan told Jay Leno on Tuesday night. "I love her, I'm a big fan of Barbara Walters. When it's right she knows she'll be the first person I sit down with.
Photos: Everyone's posing nude!
Although Lohan was on Tonight Show to promote her upcoming television movie Liz & Dick, Leno wasted no time before asking about her personal life, including the canceled interview, if she regrets getting into acting at such a young age and the new half-sister of whom she just learned. Lohan had just one thing to say: "I could give her one word of advice: Good luck with my dad."
How similar are Lindsay Lohan and Elizabeth Taylor? See the parallels in their lives and careers
Watch the interview below:


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Shipping: Our shipping rate is a flat $9.99. We ship only to U.S. addresses.
Returns: Returns are accepted within 30 days so long as the returned goods are in new, resellable condition. For health reasons, we cannot accept open tea.
When will I get my package? Wait time is generally a week. We ship 95% of our packages by USPS Priority Mail (2-3 day service).
Special Orders: We order Special Order teas from the supplier immediately when you order them from us. It takes about 5-8 days to receive them here, then we ship them off immediately to you.
What about allergies? If you are concerned about allergens, please contact us prior to order. We can look up allergens in nearly every tea we carry. Be aware that most of our teas are processed in a facility with almond, coconut, hazelnut, walnut, dairy, soy lecithin, and sulfur dioxide/sulfites present. Additional allergens may be present in specific teas.
Who do I make my check or money order out to? Dreaming Gates, our parent company.
Is there an extra wait time for checks? Yes, we require all checks to clear before shipping off packages
How do I contact Coy o'Teas?
|1 x
|Genmaicha Chai Green Tea (medium)
|1 x
|Balinese Rainbow Jasmine (medium)
|1 x
|Crime of Passion Green Tea (medium)


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Visiting the Isle of Skye: The Old Man of Storr
Today is my last day on Skye. What an island, and what a people. The landscape is stunning, the whisky is tasty, and the people are kind. For one more time this trip, I woke up way before sunrise and started my daily routine. My body was feeling the long days and short nights, and I woke up half


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Advanced, yet easy to use, the PageWriter TC30 offers speed of operation in an attractive and affordable solution that can grow with you as your workflow evolves. Expect fast, efficient clinical workflow and reliable operation.
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By clicking on the link, you will be leaving the official Royal Philips Healthcare ("Philips") website. Any links to third-party websites that may appear on this site are provided only for your convenience and in no way represent any affiliation or endorsement of the information provided on those linked websites. Philips makes no representations or warranties of any kind with regard to any third-party websites or the information contained therein.


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IntroductionThis beautiful natural area of valleys, peaks and glaciers is a good day trip from Bishkek. If you want to stay longer, be prepared to camp. The easy-to-reach areas near the base camp are filled with picnickers on Sunday—farther up there's nothing but waterfalls and breathtaking mountain views. There are many posted hiking and climbing routes, and there's also a ski base on the nearby glacier (the season is December-April, although skiing is often allowed in summer because of the abundance of snow). For 10 days in May, hundreds of mountaineers compete in a climbing competition. Wildlife is abundant and, with luck, you might spot a snow leopard. 30 mi/50 km south of Bishkek.
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Because look at it. Just. Look at it. Those lovable inky eyes. Those comically proportioned (yet somehow still adorable) legs. It's hard to imagine it could it be anything BUT an enchanted critter from a mystical woodland. But it is. It's a short-eared elephant shrew, recently born at the National Zoo in D.C., and it is very real. Via the squee-factory better known as ZooBorns:
Elephant Shrews are small insectivorous mammals whose name comes from their noses' resemblance to the trunk of an elephant. They are in fact more closely related to elephants than they are to shrews! Elephant Shrews are one of only a handful of monogamous mammals and are a model group for the study of monogamy.
"Small, insectivorous mammals," huh? We're still not convinced. As further evidence these things are enchanted, here's what some of them grow up to look like:
Like we said. Magical.


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The Acer Aspire 7600U-UR308 is an impressive-looking system, with a large, 27-inch touchscreen, edge-to-edge glass bezel, and clear glass base. However, its also got a mobile processor, which means its less powerful than its desktop-processor-sporting counterparts.
Our review model, which costs $1899.99 as configured, sports a third-generation Intel Core i5-3210M processor, 8GB of RAM, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT640M graphics card. The Aspire 7600U also has 1TB of hard drive space, a 27-inch touchscreen, built-in Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, and a Blu-ray optical drive. The 7600U runs Windows 8.
In PCWorld's WorldBench 8 benchmark tests, the Aspire 7600U scores a less-than-impressive 51 out of 100, which means that the system is 49 percent slower than our testing model. This score isnt really a surprise in order to maintain the 7600Us slim profile, Acer has placed a mobile processor, instead of a desktop processor, inside the all-in-one. The similarly-slim Vizio CA24T-A4 desktop has the same processor as the 7600U and, subsequently, the same WB8 score of 51.
Comparing office productivity results to the somewhat similar Sony Tap 20, the Acer scores 907 versus the lower 730 score of the Sony, although the Sony has a slower Intel mobile Core i5 3317u processor.
The Aspire 7600U doesn't do terribly well in individual tests. In the PCMark 8 productivity test, the system scores 907 just a little behind the Vizio CA24T-A4s score of 999. In our video and audio encoding tests, the 7600U took 213 seconds and 255.4 seconds, respectively, to encode the same video and audio clips that took the Vizio 187 seconds and 254.6 seconds.
Graphics performance on the Aspire 7600U is acceptable, thanks to the systems discrete Nvidia graphics card. In our Dirt Showdown graphics test (maximum quality settings, 1366 by 768 pixel resolution), the 7600U managed a frame rate of 71.6 frames per second. This is significantly higher than the Vizio's frame rate of 41.7 frames per second (on the same test), but the Vizio has no discrete graphics card.
Acer says its Aspire 7600U has an airy design though the desktop itself is anything but airy in terms of weight. The all-in-one features an edge-to-edge glass display across a slim black bezel. The glass actually extends below the display to form the desktops base, giving the computer the illusion of floating on air. All of this glass (and its a lot of heavy, heavy glass) is supported by a flexible, silver plastic kickstand.
The kickstand doesn't feel very sturdy. It is flexible, however: it bends backward so you can use the 7600U at different angles anywhere from 30 degrees to 80 degrees. The all-in-one also comes with an integrated VESA mount for mounting the screen on the wall, though Im not sure how useful this will be considering its a touchscreen computer. Maybe attaching it to one of those articulated arm stands would be useful, but watch out for weight limits.
Port-wise, the Aspire 7600U is set. On the right side of the screen there's a slim, slot-loading Blu-ray optical drive; on the left side you'll find two USB 3.0 ports, microphone and headphone jacks, and a 6-in-1 card reader. The rest of the ports are located on the back of the screen: four USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI inputs, one HDMI output, one S/PDIF, Gigabit Ethernet, and a Kensington lock slot.
The power button is a touch-sensitive button on the upper right corner of the 7600Us bezel, and the power cord plugs into the end of the desktops kickstand.
There are four different ways to interact with the Aspire 7600U: with its two wireless peripherals (the traditional keyboard and mouse), its touchscreen, and its webcam.
The first way to interact with the 7600U is through its keyboard, which connects to the desktop via a USB dongle. Its black and simple, with large island-style keys. The keys are large and flat, and offer a soft-touch feel (typing is very quiet) and good tactile feedback. Typing on the keyboard is easy and comfortable.
The second way is through its mouse, which is also comfortable to use, though its a little big for my admittedly small hands. It has a sort of artsy look the front part is solid black, while the back is transparent plastic which complements the desktops overall aesthetic. The mouse is a standard two-button, scroll-wheel, optical affair.
You can also interact with the Aspire 7600U through its 27-inch, 10-point touchscreen display, which has a native resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. As a display, this is actually a little disappointing perhaps because it's just so big, and I expect it to look, well, spectacular. Images and text are crisp, but the pixel density is a little unimpressive, especially when youre sitting just a couple of feet away from the screen. That said, the screen is a little large to be sitting just a couple of feet away from, and this is one of those all-in-one desktops that easily doubles as an HDTV.
Colors tend to look a little washed out at higher brightness settings, but off-axis viewing angles are excellent perfect if you're viewing the screen from a few feet to either side, which you are likely to do if you have it set up as a TV. Video looks and sounds good on the 7600U, with little to no artifacting in high-motion scenes, and full-sounding audio. The speakers, which are located along the top of the screen, sound great until you get to the highest volume settings, during which time they can start to sound a little fuzzy.
As a touchscreen, the 7600Us display is very good. Its accurate and smooth, though multi-touch gestures can be a little shaky.
Finally, you can interact with the 7600U through its webcam, which is built into the top bezel of the display. Using PointGrab's hand gesture control software, which comes installed on the 7600U, you can use your hand as a mouse. This is pretty simple it involves opening up the software, which also opens up a little window that displays what the webcam sees, and showing the webcam the palm of your hand.
When the software recognizes your hand, an X appears over your palm in the window. You can then use your hand to move the mouse cursor across the screen, and left-click by making a grabbing motion. This type of gesture control takes a little getting used to, but once youve used it for a few minutes its quite intuitive. This would be especially helpful if you happen to set up the 7600U as an HDTV, since PointGrab's software allows you to interact with the system from across a room.
The Bottom Line
Acer's Aspire 7600U is certainly an eye-catching system, but don't be fooled by its initially mesmerizing appearance. This all-in-one has a big, attractive screen, a slim profile, and a modern glass form-factor, but its not quite as powerful as it looks or as the price tag might suggest.
If you don't mind paying for looks, a big screen, and bells and whistle such as gesture controls, then the Aspire 7600U might be the system for you. Otherwise, you may want to hold out for a system with a better processor or a nicer (higher-res) screen.


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This mixed phase chemistry, in which two primary modes of attraction are present, allows for a more efficient and selective extraction compared to traditional reversed phase techniques. Neutral and ionized analytes can be simultaneously extracted from a complex mixture and eluted as separate fractions.
A mixed phase sorbent offers the following advantages:
Manufacturer 3M Bioanalytical
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CLASSICS 145: Early Christian Gospels (RELIGST 132D)
An exploration of Christian gospels of the first and second century. Emphasis on the variety of images and interpretations of Jesus and the good news, the broader Hellenistic and Jewish contexts of the gospels, the processes of developing and transmitting gospels, and the creation of the canon. Readings include the Gospel of John, the Gospel of Mark, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and other canonical and non-canonical gospels.
Last offered: Winter 2015 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
CLASSICS 146: Winged Bulls and Sun Disks: Religion and Politics in the Persian Empire (CLASSICS 246, RELIGST 229, RELIGST 329)
Stretching from India to Ethiopia, the Persian Empire the largest empire before Rome has been represented as the exemplar of oriental despotism and imperial arrogance, a looming presence and worthy foil for the West and Greek democracy. This course will provide a general introduction to the Persian Empire, beginning in the 6th century BCE to the fall of Persia to Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. We shall not only examine the originality of the first world empire of antiquity, but the course will also attempt to present a broad picture of the diverse cultural institutions and religious practices found within the empire. Readings in translation from the royal edicts and the inscriptions of Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes will allow us to better appreciate the subtle ways in which these Persian kings used religion to justify and propagate the most ambitious imperial agenda the world had ever seen. In concluding the quarter, students will evaluate contemporary representations of Persia and the Persians in politics and popular culture in a wide array of media, such as the recent film 300 and the graphic novel on which it is based, in an attempt to better appreciate the enduring legacy of the Greco-Persian wars.
Last offered: Autumn 2016 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum
CLASSICS 147: Priests, Prophets, and Kings: Religion and Society in Late Antique Iran (CLASSICS 247, RELIGST 209, RELIGST 309)
This course is designed as a broad introduction to the religious and social history of the Sasanian Empire, encompassing the period from 224-651 CE as well as the early years of Islamic rule in Iran. Among the topics we will discuss are: the lives and deeds of the powerful Iranian emperors such as Shapur I and II in relation to the the Roman emperors Diocletian and Constantine; the transformation of Zoroastrianism into a powerful official religion of the state and its subsequent orthodoxy; the emergence of the prophet Mani and the confrontation of Manicheism with the Zoroastrian priesthood; the conversion of Constantine to Christianity and its political and social ramifications in Iran; the establishment of an independent Iranian Christian church; the importance of Armenia in the Sasanian- Roman conflict; and a brief discussion of the history of the Jewish community under the Sasanians. We will end the quarter by examining the Arab¿Islamic¿conquests of Iran and the profound social changes experienced by the Zoroastrian communities in the early centuries of Islam in Iran.
Last offered: Autumn 2015 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-SI
CLASSICS 148: Imperishable Heroes and Unblemished Goddesses: Myth, Ritual, and Epic in Ancient Iran (CLASSICS 248, RELIGST 209E, RELIGST 309E)
Designed as a broad introduction to the world of ancient Iran, students will be introduced to the Indo-European inheritance in ancient Iranian culture; the shared world of ritual, religion, and mythology between Zoroastrianism in Iran and Vedic Hinduism in India; and to the contours of early Zoroastrian religious thought. We will also survey mythoepic literature in translation from the archaic Avesta through the late antique Zoroastrian Middle Persian corpus to the early medieval national epic of Iran, the Book of Kings of Ferdowsi.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-SI
CLASSICS 150: Majors Seminar
(Formerly CLASSGEN 176.) Required of Classics majors and minors in junior or senior year; students contemplating honors should take this course in junior year. Advanced skills course involving close reading, critical thinking, editing, and writing. In-class and take-home writing and revising exercises. Final paper topic may be on any subject related to Classics. Fulfills WIM requirement for Classics.nnWinter Quarter topic: investigating a wide range of ethical dilemmas raised by the ownership of the classical past in the 21st centurynSpring Quarter topic: Why study Classics? The uses and abuses of classical studies.
Terms: Win, Spr | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum
Instructors: Rehm, R. (PI) ; Trimble, J. (PI) ; Erny, G. (TA) ; Walsh, V. (TA)
2017-2018 Winter
5 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| Students enrolled: 14
01/08/2018 - 03/16/2018 Wed 3:00 PM - 5:50 PM at 110-112 with Rehm, R. (PI); Walsh, V. (TA)
Instructors: Rehm, R. (PI); Walsh, V. (TA)
Additional Resources: (Login to view additional resources)
2017-2018 Spring
5 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| Students enrolled: 11 / 20
04/02/2018 - 06/06/2018 Tue, Thu 12:00 PM - 1:20 PM at 110-112 with Trimble, J. (PI); Erny, G. (TA)
Instructors: Trimble, J. (PI); Erny, G. (TA)
Additional Resources: (Login to view additional resources)
CLASSICS 154: Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Maritime Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean (ARCHLGY 145)
(Formerly CLASSART 145.) Why do we care about shipwrecks? What can sunken sites and abandoned ports tell us about our past? Focusing primarily on the archaeological record of shipwrecks and harbors, along with literary evidence and contemporary theory, this course examines how and why ancient mariners ventured across the "wine-dark seas" of the Mediterranean for travel, warfare, pilgrimage, and especially commerce. We will explore interdisciplinary approaches to the development of maritime contacts and communication from the Bronze Age through the end of Roman era. At the same time, we will engage with practical techniques of maritime archaeology, which allows us to explore the material record first hand.
Last offered: Winter 2017 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, GER:EC-GlobalCom, WAY-SI
CLASSICS 161: Introduction to Greek Art I: The Archaic Period (ARTHIST 101)
This lecture course explores Greek art and culture from 1000-480. In the beginning archaic art forms are more abstract than life-like, closer to Calder than Michelangelo. While Homer describes the rippling muscles (and egos) of his heroes, vase-painters and sculptors prefer abstraction. This changes in the 7th C. as a result of commerce with the Near East and Egypt. Imported Near Eastern bronzes and ivories awaken the Greeks to a wider range of subjects, techniques and ambitions. Later in the century, Greeks in Egypt learn to carve hard stone from Egyptian masters. Throughout the 6th C. Greek artists assimilate what they had borrowed, compete with one another, defy their teachers, test the tolerance of the gods and eventually produce works of art that speak with a Greek accent. When the Persians invade the Acropolis in 480, they find artifacts with little trace of alien influence or imprint - omens of the defiant Greek military that would prevail at Salamis and Plataea.
Terms: Aut | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
2017-2018 Autumn
4 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| In Person
| Students enrolled: 1
09/25/2017 - 12/08/2017 Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM at McMurtry Building rm 360 with Maxmin, J. (PI)
Exam Date/Time: 2017-12-12 8:30am - 11:30am (Exam Schedule)
Instructors: Maxmin, J. (PI)
CLASSICS 162: Introduction to Greek Art II: The Classical Period (ARTHIST 102)
The class begins with the art, architecture and political ideals of Periclean Athens, from the emergence of the city as the political and cultural center of Greece in 450 to its defeat in the Peloponnesian War in 404. It then considers how Athens and the rest of Greece proceed in the fourth century to rebuild their lives and the monuments that define them. Earlier artistic traditions endure, with subtle changes, in the work of sculptors such as Kephisodotos. Less subtle are the outlook and output of his son Praxiteles. In collaboration with Phryne, his muse and mistress, Praxiteles challenged the canons and constraints of the past with the first female nude in the history of Greek sculpture. His gender-bending depictions of gods and men were equally audacious, their shiny surfaces reflecting Plato¿s discussion of Eros and androgyny. Scopas was also a man of his time but pursued different interests. Drawn to the inner lives of men and woman, his tormented Trojan War heroes and victims are still scarred by memories of the Peloponnesian War, and a world away from the serene faces of the Parthenon. His famous Maenad, a devotee of Dionysos who has left this world for another, belongs to the same years as Euripides' Bacchae and, at the same time, anticipates the torsion and turbulence of Bernini and the Italian Baroque. In the work of these and other fourth century personalities, the stage is set for Alexander the Great and his conquest of a kingdom extending from Greece to the Indus River. (Formerly CLASSART 102)
Terms: Win | Units: 4 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
2017-2018 Winter
4 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| In Person
01/08/2018 - 03/16/2018 Mon, Wed, Fri 9:30 AM - 10:50 AM at McMurtry Building rm 360 with Maxmin, J. (PI)
Exam Date/Time: 2018-03-20 8:30am - 11:30am (Exam Schedule)
Instructors: Maxmin, J. (PI)
CLASSICS 163: Artists, Athletes, Courtesans and Crooks (ARTHIST 203)
The seminar covers a range of topics devoted to the makers of Greek art and artifacts, the ancient Greeks who used them in life and the afterlife, and the miscreants - from Lord Elgin to contemporary tomb-looters and dealers- whose deeds have damaged, deracinated and desecrated temples, sculptures and grave goods. Readings include ancient texts in translation, books and articles by eloquent experts, legal texts and lively page-turners. Classes meet in the seminar room and the Cantor Center.
Terms: Aut | Units: 5 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II
2017-2018 Autumn
5 units |
UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II |
Class #
Section 01 |
Grading: Letter (ABCD/NP) |
| In Person
| Students enrolled: 2 / 3
09/25/2017 - 12/08/2017 Mon 1:30 PM - 4:20 PM at McMurtry Building rm 360 with Maxmin, J. (PI)
Exam Date/Time: 2017-12-13 3:30pm - 6:30pm (Exam Schedule)
Instructors: Maxmin, J. (PI)
CLASSICS 166: The Body in Roman Art (ARCHLGY 166)
(Formerly CLASSART 105.) Ancient and modern ideas about the body as ideal and site of lived experience. Themes include representation, portrayal, power, metamorphosis, and replication. Works that exemplify Roman ideas of heroism and power versus works portraying nude women, erotic youth, preserved corpses, and suffering enemies. Recommended: background in ancient Mediterranean art, archaeology, history, or literature. May be repeated for credit.
Last offered: Spring 2016 | UG Reqs: GER:DB-Hum, WAY-A-II | Repeatable for credit
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Game Boards Clipart (Starter Pack)
Have fun! This set includes the following images on 300dpi.
Here are the details:
– 28 game boards in various levels (Little Game Boards - Big Game Boards).
– 2 styles, square and circle version (28 in square version and 28 in circle version).
– Blackline version for all.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Enjoy and be happy :).
TERMS OF USE: This resource is for limited educational and commercial use. Please make sure the images are flattened and/or protected. You can use it to create your own products as long as there is educational content included. This product can be used to create décor items or stationery. You can't use any images from this clipart set for apps or videogames. If you have additional question please contact me. Thanks.
© Copyright 2019 Art with Adolfo Núñez ® ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Permission is granted to copy pages specifically designed for student or teacher use by original purchaser or licensee. The reproduction of any part of this product is strictly prohibited. Copying any part of this product and/or placing it on the Internet in any form (even a personal/classroom website) is strictly forbidden. Doing so is a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).


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Becoming slender has never been easier!
Get a new revolutionary product and enjoy a new slender-you!
No matter how heavy and sick you are at the moment, irrespective of the fact if you can switch to useful food or not,
despite the fact you are too lazy to workout you+will+lose 0,5-1 pound-daily!
99.9% of overweight_patients also enjoy better mood, normalized+appetite and boosted libido in addition to becoming smaller.


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ZK is a framework for building web applications. It was developed by Potix (www.potix.com) and distributed under both GNU and commercial licenses. The main idea behind ZK is to introduce event-handling programmingbacked by an AJAX engineto web applications. This lets you focus on designing forms and programming reactions on possible events. Low-level HTTP communication between the browser and server is therefore the exclusive duty of the framework.
Another ZK feature is the use of the XML User Interface Language (XUL) as a description language of graphical forms. (ZK refers to the description language as "ZUL.") XUL lets you define forms as XML documents where individual tags correspond to controls on a form, simplifying the process of designing web interfaces. You can also create forms in Java using a dedicated API, somewhat like using the Swing library. ZK refers to this method as using"richlets."
Using the Framework
To use the framework, copy libraries from the ZK distribution (directories dist/lib and dist/zkforge) into a directory WEB-INF/lib in your project. Then configure file web.xml by defining:
- A servlet for handling requests for displaying new pages.
- A servlet for intercepting events that happened on the pages.
- A listener for performing cleanup work after session timeout.
The servlets zkLoader and auEngine (Listing One) are responsible for "double-track" service of HTTP requests arriving from a browser. A program configured this way is available online; it also collects all samples from the article (see code at http://www.ddj.com/code/).
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <web-app id="ZKdemo" version="2.4" xmlns="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee http://java.sun.com/xml/ns/j2ee/web-app_2_4.xsd"> <display-name>ZKdemo</display-name> <welcome-file-list> <welcome-file>index.html</welcome-file> <welcome-file>index.zul</welcome-file> </welcome-file-list> <servlet> <description>ZK loader for evaluating ZK pages</description> <servlet-name>zkLoader</servlet-name> <servlet-class>org.zkoss.zk.ui.http.DHtmlLayoutServlet</servlet-class> <! Must. Specifies URI of the update engine (DHtmlUpdateServlet). > <init-param> <param-name>update-uri</param-name> <param-value>/zkau</param-value> </init-param> <load-on-startup>1</load-on-startup><! MUST > </servlet> <servlet> <description>The asynchronous update engine for ZK</description> <servlet-name>auEngine</servlet-name> <servlet-class>org.zkoss.zk.au.http.DHtmlUpdateServlet </servlet-class> </servlet> <servlet-mapping> <servlet-name>zkLoader</servlet-name> <url-pattern>*.zul</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping> <servlet-mapping> <servlet-name>zkLoader</servlet-name> <url-pattern>*.zhtml</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping> <servlet-mapping> <servlet-name>auEngine</servlet-name> <url-pattern>/zkau/*</url-pattern> </servlet-mapping> <listener> <description>Used to cleanup when a session is destroyed</description> <display-name>ZK Session Cleaner</display-name> <listener-class>org.zkoss.zk.ui.http.HttpSessionListener</listener-class> </listener> </web-app>
Figure 1 is the typical flow control in ZK-based applications. To start, users initiate connection with a server by entering the address of a requested page in a browser. On the server side, the ZK engine loads the ZUL or ZHTML page (or passes control to a richlet, if it is responsible for rendering the page). A method from your page controller is called for handling the pageinit event. This method collects data from a database for visualizing to users. Next, on the basis of the page definition, the framework creates a tree of components describing the page, which displays the data collected in the previous stage. The tree of components is responsible for recursively rendering HTML code that ZK sends to the browser.


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If you guessed that it was a training center for top-notch American table tennis players, then you are correct and congratulations for not thinking "drugs." The New York Times reported that this warehouse—the India Community Center Table Tennis Center—is a hotspot for Olympic talent and has trained three out of the four athletes that will represent the United States in table tennis at the London Olympics. The chosen three have apparently been playing table tennis with their families from a very young age. Timothy Wang, the oldest player (at 20 years old) and only male representative for the United States, said that his parents even "propped him up on a cardboard box and placed him at one end of the table, while a machine spat out balls from the other end" at the tender age of 4.
The Center was started by Indian immigrants and imports its coaches from all over the world. Most of their young trainees have their sights set on future Olympics. What's their secret for producing top-notch athletes, though? This answer is once again not "drugs." Take a look at their intense training regimen: [NY Times, video via India Community Center]


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The epic conflict between mankind and the extraterrestrial Mytrans is reaching its peak. Enormously heavy battle robots have been amassed on the planet Phytar to win this battle once and for all.
Only you have the power to determine the outcome of the battle. Pick a side, research new weapons systems and equip your units. Control your army in varied missions in a merciless war that will seal the fate of the universe.
Battle of the planets
Fans of turn-based strategy games with a science fiction twist are in for a hugely enjoyable and deep experience with Mytran Wars, Deep Silver's exclusive PSP offering from Stormregion, the development team behind the addictive and award-winning Codename: Panzers series.
The futuristic tactical adventure takes place in the middle of the 23rd century where the people of Earth stand united under the rule of a series of mighty multinational corporations. All of its natural resources including fossil fuels and drinking water have been all but depleted save for a few minute traces scattered across the globe. Soon, there will be nothing left.
Planet crackers
With each of these mega corporations having invested vast amounts of money in space exploration there is no option left but to venture way out into the stars and beyond the solar system in search of new planets to extract the precious resources that mankind needs desperately if it is to survive.
One of these planets is Pythar, the sole target of your mission into outer space. Primed for a wealth of extractions that can possibly save mankind from extinction, your goal is to dock on Pythar and begin crucial research and development under orders from The Kondor Corporation.
Assisting you in your quest are hi-tech military armoured Mechs that will protect you as you traverse this strange and potentially dangerous new world. Naturally, you encounter resistance on Pythar and soon you find yourself thrown into a battle with the planet's inhabitants, the Mytra, all the while continuously pressed to sate the growing need of mankind back on Earth, its resources at zero level.
Mytran Wars' epic story unfolds through a gripping narrative told via a series of graphic novel styled panels between its main characters Eli, Loki and Rachel, playing out with riveting plot turns and twists at every corner as you discover more and more about Pythar and its advanced race of beings.
Tactical action
Each of the stages features various maps of differing terrain for you to move around, and once you've located your next position using the directional buttons, you can then highlight your Mech and move to that location to attack your enemy. When attacking, you have the option to select which kind of weapon to use on an enemy, which is crucial to the amount of damage you can inflict on your opponent with each hit.
Throughout each stage you'll also have allies by your side, playing an extremely important part in tactical approaches to destroying enemies. For example, you can use an ally to gain the attention of your opponent and attack it from behind or from the side, inflicting much greater amounts of damage than a front-on attack.
Plus, if you manage to keep your Mech units close to each other in battle, you gain a defence bonus, and if you can pull off a flank attack from two opposite sides your enemy's damage reduction decreases, greatly increasing your chances of a quick takedown in battle.
Multiple Mechs
Once you've completed a mission you're awarded a certain number of credits and research points depending on your performance on the battlefield, which can then be spent later on back at your base on upgrades and customisation. Besides each stage's main objective there are also optional and hidden ones to complete too. If you successfully finish all three you're awarded even more credit and research points to spend.
There are also a number of multiplayer modes too which can be played Ad Hoc or using Infrastructure Mode including Last Mech Standing which drops you on a map with a limited number of Hotspots between each player. The goal is to ensure that you're standing in one of these Hotspots at every third turn otherwise you'll be destroyed. Other multiplayer modes include co-operative play where you can work with a friend to take down enemies while escorting team members to safety, and Deathmatch, which pits two teams of three against each other in a duel.
For anyone looking for a hugely engrossing science fiction story as well as a deeply layered control system, Mytran Wars is one turn-based strategy game you won't want to miss out on.
See it in action


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Guiding countless artists and musicians through the live broadcast experience, you learn a tip or two regarding the science of a successful broadcast. There are a few elements involved that really contribute to a successful music broadcast: content, interactivity, promotion, and most importantly, distribution (aka embed syndication). Half of my job entails that our featured broadcasters hit on as many of those criteria as possible.
Enter Amalgam Digital. The indie online record label with a penchant for innovative online initiatives put together a pitch perfect broadcast event for their newly acquired star talent, rapper Joe Budden. Once upon a time, Joe Budden was a Grammy-nominated, major-label artist with a monster single in heavy rotation.
Half a decade later, Joe Budden and the Amalgam Digital team organized a broadcast event that far outperformed most of the bigger name, currently "hot" artists that have passed through the broadband walls of Ustream.TV.
Here's how they did it…
The concept was simple but effective: Joe Budden would start the broadcast with a Q-and-A webchat, then segway into the final studio session as he worked on the finishing touches of his upcoming "Padded Room" album. This works on several levels:
1.) Interactivity: Live video allows for real-time interactions — take advantage of it. Viewers can watch recorded content anytime they want and leave one-off comments, but there's only one chance to BE a part of the content. Give your fans that in-the-moment excuse to show up on time.
2.) Exclusive peak at the creative process: Watching two hours of someone's workday can be boring if it's pre-recorded. But there's a certain magic to hearing snippets of an anticipated album for the first time, especially AS it's being created. Give your fans a chance to say "I was there when…"
3.) Stamina: Broadcast events are like real-world music events; sometimes folks show up late. Joe Budden planned on going 3+ hours, giving his fans plenty of time to gather around and build viewership momentum. Too often, artists shut off a broadcast after chatting for 30 minutes, leaving their fans hanging at the peak of their interest. Give your broadcast a breathing chance to go viral… go for the distance!
While the Budden event was clearly a one-off, I should also mention that regularly scheduled programming also plays well over live video.
And that's content for 'ya… let that marinate as you cook up some creative inspiration.
If a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound?
Amalgam Digital did a great job making sure that forest was full of people. Two days before the broadcast, Amalgam sent out a press release announcement to their network of bloggers and online pubs. Pitching it as an innovative live broadcast event that it was, several online publications bit:
Myspace, Myspace, Myspace…
… and Purevolume and Facebook and Virb and blogs and websites and label sites. Make blasts, embed onto your profile.
Get creative. Ask your fans to take embeds and throw it up wherever they can. Give out an autographed CD to the fan that embeds and blasts on the most amount of websites, blogs and landing pages.
Embed Syndication:
But more than just getting the word out, Amalgam took the next critical leap and hooked uber hip-hop blog Nahright.com to syndicate/embed the entire experience from it's own eyeball-heavy domain:
Once it hit Nahright.com, a trail of copycat blogs picked up the syndication embeds, effectively creating an instantaneous viral trail on a LIVE event! Check out some of the stops on the trail:
Sometimes broadcasters get protective over their content and their own destination sites. Indeed, 90% of the Budden studiocast was viewed via embeds outside of the Amalgam/Ustream domain.
Ask team Budden yourself, and they'll tell you that embedded distribution via Nahright was directly responsible for their record-smashing traffic on AmalgamDigital.com. Taking advantage of Ustream's hyperlinkable text overlays (see below), Amalgam brought Joe Budden front and center to where the eyeballs were already glued. The in-video hyperlink overlay effectively converted those viewers who were already hooked:
Lesson being, be very open about your content. Don't have access to uber-bloggers? Start with the sites you have control of. Post and embed on your Myspace and Purevolume accounts, your blogs, your sites, etc. Give your fanclub or street team the embed codes, and let them go wild tagging up the clean white walls of the internets. Send out text message blasts to your friends.
Point being, go directly to where the eyeballs are at. Attenion spans are short these days, so fid ways to reduce the amoun of clicks it takes to get to your show, and you're golden.
The Aftermath:
Digital Amalgam smashed their previous single-day traffic numbers, translating into a spike in pre-order sales for their digital music storefront. With an ounce of creative vision and a dash of inspired execution, Jay and Felix over at Amalgam Digital took advantage of Ustream's gratis platform to the fullest, garnering the type of Buzz and PR normally reserved for big budget marketing campaign.
Do you have the next killer idea for your artist or music event? I'd love to hear it out and help you execute. Shoot your idea and contact on over to music


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Welcome to the Ellel Resources Online Store
Welcome to our online store. On this site you can investigate and purchase life-changing books, CDs and DVDs from Ellel Ministries, and take advantage of all our special offers.
As an extra bonus, you have access to a wide selection of Christian books from Sovereign World, the publisher of our books.
See a short clip from Founder and International Director, Peter Horrobin:
Delivering Worldwide
We deliver our products worldwide at reasonable costs. Simply select your country on the shopping basket page to see the delivery cost for the items you have selected.
If you are interested in a particular subject, the Product Search tab allows you to search by topic or by name. You can also use the author list on the left of the Home page or the Product Map tab to search alphabetically.
Enjoy browsing our site!


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Just a few observations I want to make before the close going into the weekend...
Sentiment is very, very bearish on the dollar, and an important development just transpired when Lazard just moved to change their funds from trading in dollars to Pounds Sterling. A move that throws the middle finger to Bernanke and to the U.S. dollar, more funds may follow.
Lazard Asset Management Fund Dumps The Dollar
This is a pretty hazardous gambit, actually, when you consider that just this morning Britain saw further deterioration in growth and admit that more quantitative easing (printing) may (will) be necessary (foolishly).
The technicals for the dollar are in an important place. The dollar has been forming a normally bullish descending wedge that concurs with the bearish rising wedge in the equity indices. Those patterns are all near completion:
Note that on the SPX that the rising wedge is terminal right on the bear market downtrend line. That line has so far proved to be resistance.
Odds are very high that those wedges will break in the traditional, opposite trend direction, meaning dollar higher and equities down. The next highest odds would be to see the very worst case and that would be a falling dollar alongside falling equities – that would not be good, it would be a disaster, and moves like Lazard's make it a higher probability than before. The lowest odds are that they would both break in the opposite direction expected, something that concerns me for no other reason than they are so obvious and that so many people see them. Truly a place to be careful.
Another pattern to watch is a rising wedge in long term bonds. The long end of the curve is forming a rising wedge and /ZB is now challenging the bottom of that wedge as I charted in this morning's update.
Oil broke out above $80 causing the Point & Figure diagram to issue a $115 a barrel price target! Again, we all better hope that doesn't really happen. These charts are often right and should not be ignored, however, they are not always right and I would be very careful being long commodities here, especially if the dollar does rise and break that upper wedge boundary.
Today's action by the wave count is close to ending the middle stroke of an abc move. There should be one more wave higher by the most likely count (with small subwaves). However, there are HUGE cracks and divergences developing in the markets. The divergences are historic in size, volume being the most noticeable.
Another standout are the Transports. They have retreated strongly from their recent intraday highs after BARELY making new highs. Unless there is a very strong bounce this afternoon, the weekly candle on the Transports is going to be a bearish engulfing candle. Below is a 3 month weekly and one month daily chart of the Transports.
You can see in the Transports that we have a fresh sell signal on the daily and are likely to close below the 50dma, just above the rising wedge bottom boundary, again, unless a late day large bounce occurs.
Of course the entire market is dramatically overbought and overpriced. Earnings are touted as being strong and "much better than expected." That is mostly hype and ignores the historic collapse in revenues across the board. There are many signs indicating that credit is still tightening, another credit freeze is certainly NOT off the table and is, in fact, a high odds likelihood from my perspective.
Bottom line is that by the wave count there is likely to be another push higher, but the cracks are mounting and that last wave does not have to occur… that is why we use other indicators such as trendlines to tell us when direction has changed.
I hope everyone has a great weekend, it's looking like the media and financial industry are selling a bunch of pretty maids, all lined up in a row…
The Eagles – Pretty Maids all in a Row:
Schedule for Week of December 6, 2020
2 hours ago


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UN Security Council Resolution 446, Israel
The resolution declares Israeli settlements in Gaza and West Bank to be illegal.
Published March 22, 1979
UN Security Council Resolution 446, Israel
The resolution declares Israeli settlements in Gaza and West Bank to be illegal.
The definitive account of the secret war in Laos, which forever changed the CIA from a relatively small spying agency into an organization with vast paramilitary powers. More
CFR President Haass argues for an updated global operating system to address challenges from terrorism to climate change. More
Alden provides an enlightening history of the last four decades of U.S. trade policies and a blueprint for how to keep the United States competitive in a globalized economy. More
The Task Force finds that Alaska and the Arctic are of growing economic and geostrategic importance and recommends actions to improve the United States' strategic presence in the Arctic region.
The Task Force recommends revising U.S. policy toward North Korea to break the cycle of North Korean provocation and promote stability in Northeast Asia.
India now matters to U.S. interests in virtually every dimension. This Independent Task Force report assesses the current situation in India and the U.S.-India relationship, and suggests a new model for partnership with a rising India.
Rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in low- and middle-income countries are increasing faster than in wealthier countries. The report outlines a plan for collective action on this growing epidemic.