text:
Release Notes
Installation Media
Summation & eDiscovery:
On all machines involved in your setup:
- Log into Windows using the credentials for your Summation/eDiscovery service account
- Open the Microsoft Services snap-in (services.msc)
- If any "AccessData" sevices are marked as Disabled, set their Startup Type to Automatic
- Copy the downloaded "Summation_6.0.1_SP5.exe" locally to the system
- Right-click on the Patch EXE and choose "Run as Administrator"
- Click "Great! Continue" to have all components on that machine patched automatically
- Follow the steps here to make sure the LawDrop temporary path is still set correctly
eDiscovery only:
- There is not a new Site Server for SP5 if you are coming from SP1 or later. Otherwise, follow the Site Server upgrade steps from here.
- Follow steps 3-14 here to make sure your Site Server and Work Manager certificates are still set correctly.
- Follow the steps here to make sure your Work Manager collection staging folder is still set correctly.
On any machines used to access the Summation/eDiscovery Web UI:
- Clear the IE cache
- Browse to the Summation/eDiscovery Web UI and log in
- Click the version information in the top right hand corner and confirm it matches the version numbers below:
When data is processed in Summation/eDiscovery, the @ symbol is now indexed as a space character like it is in FTK/LAB. Previously it was indexed as a regular character. As an example of this change, you can now search for names in email addresses without having to use wildcards (36047). This change will be in effect only for new cases created using Patch1.


text:
some with slight suture bulge, poor ground color
Orig. 1980, New Jersey Ag. Expt. Stn., New Brunswick, and Stark Brother's Nursery, Louisiana, MO. Plant Patent No. 4572. Very bud hardy. Heavy flower bud setter. Recommended when hardiness needed above that of Rio Oso Gem, but poor appearance limits its use in the South. Moderately resistant to bacterial spot.
The description of each variety of peach or nectarine fruit under each group is in different formats as this information is collected from varied sources and hence is not consistent

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fortinet Security Fabric Earns 100% Detection Scores Across Several Attack Vectors in NSS Labs' Latest Breach Detection Group Test
Fortinet Demonstrates Superior Breach Detection and Performance; Earns Two Recommended Ratings for Cloud and Appliance Advanced Threat Protection Solutions
SUNNYVALE, Calif., – Aug 2, 2016
John Maddison, senior vice president of products and solutions, Fortinet
"Cybercriminals are evolving new attack strategies at an alarming rate and creating a situation in which the time from breach to full compromise occurs in minutes. This makes rapid detection and automated response a key component for defense. We're honored to receive NSS Labs Recommendations for Breach Detection, which reinforce the effectiveness of our sandbox solutions. These new test results combined with additional NSS Labs Recommended components across our Security Fabric offerings complete the critical steps of converting rapid detection into automatic mitigation to protect against the most advanced threats facing organizations today."
News Summary:
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global leader in high-performance cyber security solutions, today announced their results in NSS Labs' latest Breach Detection Systems (BDS) Group Test. Fortinet submitted two of their industry leading sandboxing solutions, the FortiSandbox 3000D appliance and FortiSandbox Cloud service, earning NSS Labs' Recommended rating for both. These results further demonstrate the effectiveness of the Fortinet Security Fabric, combining global and local security to protect enterprises and mid-sized organizations against the most advanced cyber threats.
Superior Effectiveness, Flexible Deployment and Unmatched Performance
Whether deployed as a cloud service or on-premise appliance, integrated with FortiGate enterprise firewalls or FortiClient endpoint protection, Fortinet's Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) solutions detected 100% of exploits delivered by social media and drive-by downloads, while overcoming all evasion techniques such as SSL encrypted malware and communications commonly used to hide ransomware. Additionally, each solution was recognized for excellent overall value.
- FortiSandbox 3000D + FortiClient: Featuring 10Gbps enterprise performance, highest of any tested solution, the on-premise FortiSandbox 3000D appliance achieved an overall breach detection rate of 99% and detected 100% of the malware attacking offline devices that aren't protected within the boundaries of a corporate network.
- FortiGate 500D + FortiSandbox Cloud Service: For mid-sized businesses and smaller enterprise organizations, the FortiSandbox Cloud service working in conjunction with the FortiGate 500D enterprise firewall earned an overall breach detection score of 99.4% and demonstrated exceptional time to detection.
A Recommended Security Fabric Defends Against Advanced Threats
Unified within the Fortinet Security Fabric, Fortinet ATP solutions leverage the dynamic analysis and intelligence of FortiSandbox to protect against today's most advanced threats and zero-day exploits. Peer-to-peer communication between FortiSandbox solutions and multiple threat prevention sources – including FortiGate enterprise firewalls, FortiClient endpoint protection, FortiMail email gateways and FortiWeb web application firewalls – reduce the time from initial detection to security response. The open nature of Fortinet's Security Fabric also extends this intercommunication to third-party technology partners and their solutions. Only this Fabric approach can deliver rapid detection to automatic mitigation, for superior defenses against the newest and most advanced threats facing organizations today.
Fortinet's recent NSS Labs BDS recommendation is one of many, demonstrating Fortinet's commitment to stringent third party testing. Fortinet has also received NSS Labs recommendations for their FortiGate Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), FortiGate Data Center Intrusion Prevention System (DCIPS), FortiClient Endpoint Protection, and FortiWeb Web Application Firewalls (WAF), among others. All of these solutions have impressively demonstrated security effectiveness scores above 99% along with industry-leading performance.This ensures that Fortinet customers can implement the very best Security Fabric from IoT to the cloud and everywhere in between.
See What's Really Happening on Your Network
Fortinet's Cyber Threat Assessment Program (CTAP) has recently been expanded to include the intelligence of FortiSandbox. CTAP helps existing and potential Fortinet customers assess the effectiveness of their current security solutions, providing the visibility needed to understand their true security posture.
Supporting Quotes
Vikram Phatak, chief executive officer of NSS Labs
"Third-party testing from NSS Labs helps customers to evaluate product options based on real-world testing and the subsequent results. Fortinet has been a regular participant and exceptional performer during our various testing programs. This BDS test focused on the latest, most sophisticated threats so earning two recommendations is quite an accomplishment. As the only vendor with both a Recommended appliance and cloud service, tied to edge firewall and endpoint protection, it also demonstrates the capabilities of their Security Fabric."
About Fortinet
Fortinet (NASDAQ: FTNT) secures the largest enterprise, service provider, and government organizations around the world. Fortinet empowers its customers with intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface and the power to take on ever-increasing performance requirements of the borderless network - today and into the future. Only the Fortinet Security Fabric architecture can deliver security without compromise to address the most critical security challenges, whether in networked, application, cloud or mobile environments. More than 270,000 customers worldwide trust Fortinet to protect their businesses. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, or FortiGuard Labs.
Copyright © 2016 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and unregistered trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet's trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, FortiGate, FortiGuard, FortiManager, FortiMail, FortiClient, FortiCare, FortiCloud, FortiAnalyzer, FortiReporter, FortiOS, FortiASIC, FortiWiFi, FortiSwitch, FortiVoIP, FortiBIOS, FortiLog, FortiResponse, FortiCarrier, FortiScan, FortiAP, FortiDB, FortiVoice and FortiWeb. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve uncertainties and assumptions. Changes of circumstances, product release delays, or other risks as stated in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, located at www.sec.gov, may cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this press release. If the uncertainties materialize or the assumptions prove incorrect, results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements. Fortinet assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, and expressly disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.


text:
The European Digital Learning Network – DLEARN – is a non-profit association aiming to embrace the challenges brought by the digital transformation in terms of digital skills mismatch and digital learning opportunities. The 47% of Europeans is not properly digitally skilled, yet in the near future, 90% of jobs will require some level of digital skills. We believe in the value of SHARING, CONNECTING, MULTIPLYING and ENHANCING the potential of our members, local territories, and people.
As part of our activities, at DLEARN we undertake research, surveys, studies, and more, with the aim of continuously boosting European education and enhancing the awareness of European citizens towards the impact of digitalisation in their daily life.
"Employment Perspective for Migrants and Refugees" is a new community of practice, that is addressed mainly to persons who provide support to migrants and refugees in relation to employment, education and training, as well as to stakeholders active in the topics of education and employment for migrants and refugees.
The CV Plus project aims to build a bridge between the world of business and education through Corporate Volunteering initiatives. It was designed to train managers from companies and educational centers, employees and teachers, in the development and management of this type of programs. CV PLUS is a Strategic Partnership, funded by the European Commission in the framework of the ERASMUS + Program.
Starting from the Education and Training 2020 strategy whose objective is the improvement of quality and efficiency in education and training among professional staffs, five organizations with valuable experience in the field of adult education from five different countries (Germany, Greece, Spain, Romania, Bulgaria), representing both private and public as also profit and non-profit sectors, have created a partnership to launch DEMAL project.
The "Designing, monitoring and evaluating adult learning classes – Supporting quality in adult learning" (acronym DEMAL) project is funded by the European Commission through the ERASMUS+ K2 Programme which enhances and promotes cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices. DEMAL intends to implement two key competences which, according to the 2010 "Key Competences for Adult Learning Professionals" framework, should advance adult training staffs and improve quality in adult learning. These two competences are:
EduTeach is an international, interdisciplinary and collaborative project funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program. The aim of the EduTeach project is to design, test and implement a modular training program adapted to the needs and interests of those responsible in education and care for young children (0-6 years) across Europe. To allow both flexible and individual learning, the training offers will be based on ICT and incorporate a fair balance between interactive and self-study learning activities. Using results from a user needs analysis and evaluations of the implementation of trainings, EduTeach further tends to forward research and development on models, methods, and didactic strategies for effective online training to educators, preschool teachers and education directors.
The "Combat Bullying: A Whole School Program" (ComBuS) project aims to promote learning (face-to-face plus online and mobile methodologies, tools and activities) on how to combat bullying and create healthy and safe school communities for students, teachers, school staff, school leaders and parents.
The eFinLit project (Developing Financial Competencies for EU Citizens Utilizing Online Learning and Digital Literacy) aims to promote the financial literacy of disadvantaged young EU adults (18-35), covering numeracy, language, reading, collaboration and communication skills.
Intrapreneurship and the intrapreneur have entered the business vocabulary quite recently, but in a short time they have managed to attract interest, especially in the leading sector and industry of ICT. Competition, the need for the development of new ideas, the ever changing business and corporate environment, leave no options to simply overlook creativity wherever it comes from. Companies and businesses need all too often to rely on the innovative entrepreneurial potential of their human resources. What organisations have to do is allow intrapreneurship to flourish, stimulating and supporting potential intrapreneurs.
InRuTou aims at developing and testing a set of tools and innovative models for facilitating the development of sustainable tourism in rural areas, specifically in mountainous regions, by fostering a community consultation process, and for training selected opinion leaders to act as multipliers in enhancing community tourism planning via training existing and new local tourism operators, with various degrees of experience, professional and educational background.
The TIM project develops an on-line collaborative learning environment to develop creativity among workers in the metal industry so that they will be the drivers of the introduction of innovation in the metalworking companies. The steel industry is one of the key sectors at European level, not only for being one of the main generators of employment, but also for being one of the most profitable of all European manufacturing industries. This is recognized by the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission in its publication "Spotlight on Europe's invisible sector", pointing to Germany followed by Italy, France, UK and Spain as the largest producers.


text:
DURHAM, N.C. – Jan. 8, 2014—Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center, a nationally ranked pediatric academic medical center, announced the launch of Duke Children's Community Partners, an all-inclusive giving program to benefit patients and families who rely on Duke Children's for hope and healing. Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Duke University Men's Basketball, will serve as Duke Children's Community Partners honorary chairman.
Duke Children's Community Partners officially kicks off 2014 fund-raising efforts for Duke Children's, leading up to the 20th annual MIX 101.5 Radiothon for Duke Children's on February 11-12, 2014. MIX 101.5 Radiothon is a lead example of community-wide fund-raising for Duke Children's.
"Duke Children's Community Partners Program offers children, families and organizations the opportunity to utilize their creativity, skills and talents through fund-raising to provide immediate support for patients and families at Duke Children's," said Coach Krzyzewski.
Through Duke Children's Community Partners Program, individuals and organizations are empowered to develop events and initiatives that meet their distinct interests and goals to fund-raise for MIX 101.5 Radiothon and for Duke Children's year-round. Community Partners events should complement Duke Children's mission to make life better for children.
"Duke Children's is engaging individuals and organizations in unprecedented ways to take ownership of fund-raising efforts that build on their unique strengths," Coach Krzyzewski said. "Community Partners offers endless possibilities and opportunities for communities to unite together in support of a loved one, neighbor, colleague or friend, both today and for future generations."
Proceeds raised through Duke Children's Community Partners directly support Duke Children's education, patient care and research.
Top level Community Partners will be invited to Coach Krzyzewski's annual Coach K Closed Practice Session for Duke Children's. To learn more about Duke Children's Community Partners Program, visit www.dukechildrens.org.
Coach Krzyzewski's will transfer his role from serving as the honorary chairman of the Duke Children's Holiday and All-Occasion Card Program to the new Duke Children's Community Partners Program. Duke Children's Card Program raised more than $1,500,000 in its 32 years to support research, education and care.
"Duke Children's Card Program legacy of children helping children will expand through Community Partners to engage a greater population of advocates and compassionate donors in support of Duke Children's," said Coach Krzyzewski.
Duke Children's Holiday and All-Occasion cards are available year-round on Duke Children's Card website, www.dukechildrenscards.org.
About Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center:
Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center, located in Durham, N.C., is nationally ranked among the best in pediatric health care programs. Caring for children is our number one priority, from routine check-ups and immunizations to the treatment of life-threatening injuries and illnesses. At Duke Children's, we provide hope and the most advanced health care available. We offer innovative procedures including stem cell and bone marrow transplants as well as a variety of support services for our patients and their families. For more information please visit www.dukechildrens.org.
Jenna Brown
Duke Children's Hospital & Health Center


text:
Money In Politics: Democratic Super PACs Are Top Spenders in 2013
Liberals may condemn the influence of outside spending in elections, but they have also embraced it as a strategy. The highest-spending super PACs in the first half of 2013 were on the Democratic side of the aisle.
It's unlikely that liberal groups will maintain this edge as the 2014 midterm cycle takes off in earnest next year, but liberals haven't been cautious about spending in the off-year elections so far in 2013, and super PACs dedicated to electing Democrats to the House and Senate seem to be buying the strategy that early investment pays off.
Four of the top five spenders thus far are expressly Democratic or support causes more likely to lead them to Democratic candidates, according to 2013 Federal Election Commission filings compiled by the Sunlight Foundation, which does not account for August and September spending numbers. These are Independence USA PAC ($2.2 million), New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's group, Democrats' Senate Majority PAC ($1.66 million), the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) super PAC ($1.6 million and NextGen Committee ($1 million), the group founded by hedge fund billionaire and climate change activist Tom Steyer.
The No. 4 spender, however, is a new super PAC, Americans for Progressive Action ($1.3 million), that despite its name backed Republican Gabriel Gomez against Democrat Edward Markey in the Massachusetts Senate race in June.
The top spending group, though technically nonpartisan, is Bloomberg's Independence USA PAC, a group supporting moderates who favor gun control, education reform and gay marriage. The group tops the list because of the $2 million it poured in to the Illinois House special election to replace U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., earlier this year.
Two other conservative groups ranked in the top 10, Kentuckians for Strong Leadership at $576,996 and Club for Growth Action at $334,755, with a runner up at No. 11, Senate Conservatives Action, with $319,796.
Some of the spending is indicative of the 2014 races that are heating up early, namely the Kentucky Senate race; super PACs on both sides of the aisle have already spent close to $1 million in the contest.
The party breakdown is a little more even when it comes to the top 10 spenders' cash on hand as of their last filing date. Democrats' House Majority PAC leads with $2.25 million, then SEIU with nearly $2 million, Senate Majority PAC at $980,849, Club for Growth at $885,968 and Kentuckians for Strong Leadership at $809,827. Again, honorable mention to Senate Conservatives Action, which has nearly $1 million in the bank right now to spend on conservative Senate candidates.
© Copyright IBTimes 2023. All rights reserved.


text:
Teach our leaders' children in small classes and invest in first-hand cultural experiences as you visit port cities around the world. Being a member of the on-board community you will receive spiritual input, while living in an international community and being involved in community activities both on-board and onshore. We are looking for qualified and flexible early years and primary teachers to join the school team, working with children within the 3-11 year age-range.
Job Content:
Working with the School on board you will be expected to:
Job Requirements:


text:
Can I get your help? We're moving our family to the heart of downtown Seattle
Posted by bryanzug - 2012/07/11
My beautiful bride and I are about to do something crazy and I'd like to ask for your help.
The short of it is this – We're moving our family to the heart of Seattle.
There is something incredible happening in our tech community right now and we are doing some major reconfiguring of our lives to be even more involved with it.
I will get into the backstory in a later post, but we could really use your help finding the right guys to rent the three remaining rooms in our place in Renton.
Can you join us and spread the word?
Here's the Facebook post to retweet and link to where Jen details the house and the sort of guys we need to find.
If you know any guys who'd be a good fit, please have them call or email Jen via the contact info in the Facebook post.
Thanks so much for the help.
What we are seeing really is an incredible development of community.
Barcamp 2012 Session: Where does "healthy maleness" end and "asshat brogrammer douchebaggery" begin?
Posted by bryanzug - 2012/04/27
When my friend @moniguzman tweeted this question yesterday, I thought, that'd be a great discussion to have at Barcamp Seattle 2012 this Saturday (2012-04-28)…
Now I'm curious: Does Seattle also have a 'brogrammer problem'? cc: @danshapiro @emilychen @emilypisright @jchenry motherjones.com/media/2012/04/…— Monica Guzman (@moniguzman) April 26, 2012
So – I'm proposing a session called: "Where does 'healthy maleness' end and 'asshat brogrammer douchebaggery' begin?"
So let's get all the smart ladies and gentlemen out to hash on this one with a lively discussion.
Whether we all agree or disagree, I'm pretty sure it will be entertaining.
Why animated web video? Brain science, cost effectiveness, and reach
Posted by bryanzug - 2011/02/12
Why is an animated web video such an effective way for a company to "explain what the hell [they] actually do"?
Three reasons – Brain science, cost effectiveness, and reach.
Brain Science
In his book "Brain Rules" developmental molecular biologist John Medina breaks it down like this:
"Vision trumps all other senses."
When you tell a story visually people remember it because human beings are creatures driven by sight. As Medina notes, recognition and recall soar when information is communicated visually.
Animation in particular gives us the ability to use kinetic illustrations to to crop out noise and focus the eye of the human mind on a very specific story.
As comic book artist Scott McCloud noted in his phenomenal TED talk, illustrations are very different from photographic images (such as video shot with a camera).
Illustrations tap into a deep iconic universal form of communication that is deeply embedded in the human brain.
Illustrations illuminate things.
And as they shed their light, as they spread their lumens – clarity, recognition, and recall all become increasingly possible.
Cost Effectiveness
Two important points on the cost effectiveness of animation.
Drawings are cheaper than photos
Some folks think animation is more expensive than shooting video with a camera. Nothing could be further from the truth.
A talented team can always draw sets and objects more cheaply than they can build, collect, and light them.
Interesting ideas and transitions that could never exist in the real world can be drawn quickly to illustrate problems and solutions.
A cheap crash course on attention scarcity, with a prize at the end!
Short web videos, in particular, also offer another important function.
They force you to keep things simple and clear.
Because you can't detail everything about a product, service, or concept in a few minutes, the script writing process forces a focus on only the most important things.
The cold reality is that web sites have siren songed us into the illusion that more is better.
Add another link, another bullet point. Tell them about that other feature. Make sure to put it all on the home page.
While the web may be infinite, the stark reality is that attention is not.
Short web videos force us to wrestle with the fact that attention is the only non-renewable resource of the information age.
Forcing your team through the process of distilling your message down to its essence is one of the most important activities any organization can do.
And when you do it while creating a web video, you have a great artifact at the end of the process.
The beauty of these videos is that they can go places no one in your organization ever will.
Those champions of your message inside that company you want to do business with can show them to the decisions makers you will never meet.
That fan of yours can pass it on to their friend who's never herd of you but who could use exactly what you've got.
These videos allow your champions and fans to pass your story along wherever it needs to go – all in a form that is consistent, kinetic, and compelling.
How cool is that?
Some bandwidth data points on video streaming live events: iOSDevCamp Seattle 2010
Posted by bryanzug - 2010/09/04
Great [question](http://twitter.com/skap5/status/22979885293) from Saul Kaplan came my way this AM via my pal [Josh Mauldin](http://twitter.com/joshuamauldin/statuses/22981073684). Looks like Saul is preparing a live stream for a [Mini Maker Faire](http://makerfaireri.com/home/an-evening-at-the-ri-mini-maker-faire-september-16-2010/) in Rhode Island on September 16th.
Saul asks:
> Anyone have benchmark data on live streaming events? Estimating peak # for how many might simultaneously watch live stream of
As they say Saul, ask and ye shall receive.
First to note, the upload bandwidth (1) has nothing to do with the (2) download bandwidth people need to watch it on most services like UStream.
As a producer, you upload to UStream via your (1) connection to the web and UStream streams it out to everyone via (2) the connection from their server farm(s) to the individual computers people are watching the stream on.
This is mostly limited by the viewers connection to the internet – so people with lower bandwidth connections just see a lower quality version of the video (e.g. lower frames per second, lower resolution).
On to the data…
Here's some data from our recent streaming of iOSDevCamp Seattle that we did at PinchZoom's meetup space (which we loving call The Watercooler at the Center of the Universe).
Here's the details of the setup:
- We used UStream Producer Pro to mix a live multicam stream for the event.
- For this event we used the Standard HD Quality 16:9 – 960×540 @ 30fps, 650kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo setting in UStream Producer Pro. I've listed all the options Producer Pro offers below, so you can get an idea about alternate bandwidths.
- Whatever setup you use, a good rule of thumb is to have enough upload bandwith to handle twice the amount of the average data rate.
- Also, the only way to monitor when the stream is up is to have someone watch and listen to it. So you are gonna need bandwidth for that. Usually this will adjust itself to the bandwidth available and you can use a very low bandwidth viewing stream to make sure everything is working OK.
Here are three session examples. I've included a few data points for each that give a good idea of the real world requirements. They are:
- Flash Video FLV File Size:
- UStream allows you to download a Flash Video FLV file of anything you session you record to the server when you are logged into your account. This size is what exactly was required to upload this video to UStream.
- You can view FLV's like these via VLC player pretty easily if you wanna see the quality outside of the browser of what UStream captured to their server.
- Length of each session
- Data rates of bandwidth required to broadcast each video in kbps (kilobits per second), KBps (kilobytes per second), MBps (megabytes per second), mbps (megabits per second) of bandwidth
- I'm not a network person, so I always get confused by MBps vs. mbps conversions.
- I "think" I know enough to say they are different and that I've calculated these correctly.
- If anyone sees any errors in these data conversions, please ping me via twitter (@bryanzug) let me know.
- I used this utility to help with the conversion and terminology here.
So here are the examples:
- Joe Marini: Windows Mobile Product Manager
- Brian Fling: Making Money in Mobile
- Lauren Isaacson: the State of the iOS Market
So it takes roughly a continuous 0.81 mbps connection to broadcast video of this quality via UStream. Doubling that to account for bursts means you should have a connection of roughly 1.5-1.6 mbps for an HD stream.
Doubling back through the UStream producer pro settings below, you should be able to calculate rough rates for whaterver quality of stream you want to produce.
UStream Producer Pro Settings
There are several settings you can select in UStream Producer Pro. They are:
- Lowest SD Quality 4:3
- 320×240 @ 20fps, 200kbps, AAC 32k Mono
- Lowest SD Quality 16:9
- 352×198 @ 20fps, 200kbps, AAC 32k Mono
- Basic SD Quality 4:3
- 320×240 @ 20fps, 350kbps, AAC 32k Mono
- Basic SD Quality 16:9
- 352×198 @ 20fps, 350kbps, AAC 32k Mono
- Standard SD Quality 4:3
- 320×240 @ 30fps, 350kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- Standard SD Quality 16:9
- 352×198 @ 30fps, 350kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- High SD Quality 4:3
- 640×480 @ 30fps, 500kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- High SD Quality 16:9
- 720×405 @ 30fps, 500kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- Best SD Quality 4:3
- 640×480 @ 30fps, 600kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- Best SD Quality 16:9
- 720×405 @ 30fps, 600kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- Standard HD Quality 16:9
- 960×540 @ 30fps, 650kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
- High HD Quality 16:9
- 960×540 @ 30fps, 800kbps, AAC 44.1k Stereo
DIY MBA discussion notes from BarCamp Seattle 2010
Posted by bryanzug - 2010/08/16
Here's my rough mind map notes from the DIY MBA discussion I lead this past weekend at barCamp Seattle (PDF | Mind Manager). Have also embedded an editable mind meister version below if there's some things other folks would like to add.
Thanks to everyone for a great discussion!
The first short film I ever did, an exercise in skeptic art
Posted by bryanzug - 2009/08/23
Unusual realities
That drove me straight down to my knees
Never thought I'd see things like these
If I had a dream
If I Had a Dream by Undercover
(from the album Branded, 1986)
Back in the late 80's and early 90's in Southern California (yes Seattle-ites, I am a Cali refugee, thank you for not closing your borders) – I worked with a non-profit music production agency that fostered the exploration of meaning through the creation of music.
Back then I would not have described it like that – we thought we were just making what we called, in naive retrospect, "Christian Rock".
But much of who I am today – my love for complex stories and conflicted characters, stems from deep things people in that community taught me about life, art, relationships, and critical thinking.
One of the pivotal bands I got to interact with at that time was Undercover and one of their leaders, Ojo Taylor.
Undercover's Branded album was, for me, one of the first pieces of spiritual art that wrestled honestly with faith, doubt, and skepticism.
Those of you who know me know that while I land on the Jesus side of things regarding The Question of God, I come to that conclusion after much wrestling of angels.
Like Jacob, my gait is informed by the limp of, and deep respect for, the skeptic's heart.
(Which is one of the many reasons my son is name Thomas.)
In the spring of 1991, I took footage from a summer 1990 Undercover concert I video-ed in Redlands, California, back to the Media Center at Pepperdine and made my first short film – A video of the song "Time" from their album Balance of Power.
I had abandoned the television and radio production major that I went to Pepperdine to originally study, believing that I could learn things faster than the instructors could teach me by just doing projects and facing real world challneges, while making things I wanted to make.
I spliced in a bunch of public domain footage I took from some cool laserdiscs the university had, in order to draw the themes of the song out.
Last week, Ojo from Undercover found me on facebook. Then, this AM, my friend Jason pointed me to the video I made nearly 20 years ago.
Just looked at it for the first time in a long time and I am really struck by how much it is reminding me of things I had forgotten of my own journey.
It's funny sometimes how much we don't remember about ourselves.
Anyway, I thought I'd post it so you could take a look if you have a moment and get a glimpse of how I ended up being, ummm, me ;)
Time by Undercover, 1990
I'm joining Lilipip as Director of Business Development
Posted by bryanzug - 2009/08/03
Most of the web sites I've worked on over the last 13 years face a small set of common challenges –
- How do you get the attention of an audience already fatigued with information overload?
- If you do manage to grab attention, how do you compellingly connect people with your product, service, or concept?
- Finally, how do you keep it simple enough to not lose folks along the way – all while avoiding the pitfalls of boring and forgettable?
If you've been in a strategic web session with me anytime in the last 24 months, you're probably sick of what I'm about to say.
But I'm gonna say it anyway.
Short, well-written, visually-memorable web videos are a stunningly smart thing to do on most web sites – they're an effective way to deal with every one of the strategic communication killers I've listed above.
A bit about how I became convinced of this (and where it's leading me).
Through my work producing Ignite Seattle video and capturing events like BarCamp, MindCamp, Presentation Camp, and Jackson Fish Market's Small and Special conference, I've seen, time and again, how web video is much more than "TV on the internet".
When done well, it enables people to teach things to other people – to spread knowledge and understanding where it needs to go – in ways that those of us who originate content rarely imagine as we create it.
Seeing friends like Lee and Sachi LeFever at Common Craft demonstrate how thoughtful visual explanations really can help people worlwide has been eye opening.
Beyond being all manner of cool, their "In Plain English" series has inspired me to examine how I can not only become a better "shedder of light" in my daily life – it's also inspired me to consider how I can help other people do the same.
Which leads me to the title announcement of this post – as of today, I am joining Lilipip Studios as Director of Business Development.
For those of you unfamiliar with Lilipip and its founder, Ksenia Oustiougova, they are a Seattle startup that specializes in creating animated web videos about your product, service, or concept.
The best way to explain what we do is to show you – so I've pasted a video Lilipip did for Zappos above. Take a look at it to get an idea of the kinds of things I'll be helping folks develop.
Also noteworthy is that Lilipip works with independent writers, illustrators, animators, voice-over artists, and musicians worldwide to produce this work.
As Ksenia and I became friends, it was clear that we share the same belief in the power of these sorts of videos. We also share a deep appreciation of small, special, sustainable approaches to business.
When Lilipip began to take off and it was obvious they needed to grow the team, my wife Jen and I began to seriously discuss re-configuring our lives to join a startup.
After much reflection, we decided to take a leap of faith and do it.
So, watch that Zappos video – And ping me if you know of anyone who could use one of these. We've got a great team and a proven process – with transparent pricing!
P.S. I'm not saying there's a direct correlation between Amazon's recent purchase of Zappos and the Lilipip video, because causal inference is hard – but casual inference, on the other hand, is quite easy.
Video: Scott Berkun on "Why Your Presentation Sucks (and what to do about it)"
Posted by bryanzug - 2009/04/13
The best presentation I saw at Presentation Camp Seattle a couple of weeks ago over at UW was Scott Berkun's "Why Your Presentation Sucks (and what to do about it).
Was able to grab some nice video of it — here's parts 1, 2, & 3. Enjoy!
Why Your Presentation Sucks (and what to do about it) – pt 1
by Scott Berkun from Bryan Zug on Vimeo.
Why Your Presentation Sucks (and what to do about it) pt 2
by Scott Berkun from Bryan Zug on Vimeo.
Why Your Presentation Sucks (and what to do about it) – pt 3
by Scott Berkun from Bryan Zug on Vimeo.
Fostering Cross Tribal Community in Seattle (parts 1 & 2) – Mind Camp 5
Posted by bryanzug - 2009/04/12
Here's video I produced of a great discussion my pal Brian Dorsey facilitated on "Fostering Cross Tribal Community in Seattle" at Mind Camp 5 on November 22, 2008. We were gathered at Synapse Product Development in downtown Seattle (an incredible location). I've embedded parts 1 & 2 below.
Fostering Cross Tribal Community in Seattle (part 1)
From Mind Camp 5 from Bryan Zug on Vimeo.
Fostering Cross Tribal Community in Seattle (part 2)
From Mind Camp 5 from Bryan Zug on Vimeo.
Join me at Presentation Camp on Saturday April 4th, 2009
Posted by bryanzug - 2009/04/03
Will be joining my pals Kathy Gill, Scott Berkun, Brady Forrest, and Buzz Brugeman (among others) for Presentation Camp Seattle on Saturday April 4th 2009 at the University of Washington.
Here's the schedule and the skinny —
PresentationCamp is an ad-hoc gathering of passionate folks who want to share, interact and spread the love around the topic of presentation design and delivery. It's for anyone interested in public speaking, pitching and presenting. Come to learn, come to share: everyone walks away knowing a little bit more.
Sign up now over on the Eventbrite page for the event. It's $15 until the day of, then it's $20.
It's an unconference which, if you've never been to one, is a blast. The main idea is that the best thing about most conferences are the hallway conversations, so why not make up a conference on the fly that has that feel to it.
So participants gather in the first hours of the conference and propose session ideas, then the popular ones are assigned slots. Looks from the schedule that this camp will have some good pre-planned sessions and some slots for real time session creation.
I'm proposing a session tentatively titled "Telling Ain't Persuading (or teaching, selling, or training)!!: Case studies in conversational/Socratic presentation methods".
It will be a discussion of presentation examples / methods that don't just give an answer, but that invite people into dialogue / experience — and how that often has much more staying power that just passing along information.
Will be touching on:
- The structure of the attention economy unconference talk I've presented a few times — "Starbuck vs. Samwise in a Fight (and what does that have to do with the Attention Economy?)" — and how the form of the talk is an effective design for learning.
- How the unstructured and question driven nature of the classic video game Myst is arguably more involving (and compelling) that most present day games.
- How books like Ken Bain's "What the Best College Teachers Do" and the American Society for Training and Development's "Telling Ain't Training" (by Harold Stolovitch) showcase proven ways to present more compellingly.
So, come join us!


text:
New Jeep, RAM, Chrysler, BMW, FIAT, Mazda, Subaru, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota, and Dodge Vehicles in Toledo, Ohio
Check out our full line of new cars from Yark Automotive Group in Toledo, Ohio. We carry all of the most popular 2019 and 2020 models from Jeep, RAM, Chrysler, BMW, Subaru, FIAT, Nissan, Dodge, Toyota including the BMW 3 Series, Jeep Wrangler, FIAT 500X, Subaru Outback, Ram 1500, Chrysler Pacifica, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, and many more. With numerous options and accessories to choose from, we are sure that we can provide the new car, truck, SUV, SAV, crossover or minivan that you have always dreamed of at our car dealer in Toledo. We can also help you locate your ideal vehicle if we don't have the exact make and model in stock at any of our Toledo car dealership locations. Simply fill out our CarFinder form and let our experts do the searching for you.
More About Buying a New Cherokee, 1500, Pacifica, Altima, Legacy, Camry, 500X or Journey in Toledo
We have all of the style and trim options available for your new Jeep, BMW, FIAT, Mazda, Chevrolet, Toyota, Subaru, RAM, Chrysler, Nissan, or Dodge vehicle. Whether you are looking for a coupe, sedan, SUV, truck or hatchback Yark Automotive Group has what you are looking for. Our finance specialists will work with your credit to get you the new car loan or lease that fits your financial constraints. Contact us to speak with an expert at Yark Automotive now! If a used car is what you are in the market for, check out our used vehicle inventory to see all of our available pre-owned vehicles. Get directions and visit our car dealership near Maumee, Bowling Green and Woodville OH, today!
DEPOSIT/PARTIAL PAYMENT: The cash Deposit/Partial Payment in not refundable, except as set forth in the purchase agreement. In the case of a Deposit, we will refrain from selling the vehicle for 3 days.
* Some used vehicles may be subject to unrepaired recalls for safety issues. You may check for open safety recalls by entering the VIN at https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin
All vehicles are sold with our "Yark Cares" package at an additional cost of $399. Contact Dealer for details.


text:
This sharp and funny mockumentary uses role reversal to illustrate the realities of overt and systemic racism in the workplace.
This film is part of the Work For All series, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, with the participation of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
Pedagogical evaluations and study guides are only available to CAMPUS subscribers.
Features designed specifically for teachers. Learn more
Already subscribed? Sign in
Jaded, Cal Garingan, provided by the National Film Board of Canada
It's a semi-comedic, completely over-the-top skit. But, it does reflect on our progression as humans. Equality needs to start with everyone. As my friend "Beast" would say: "If you prick us, will we not bleed?". In other words; melanin, gender, sexuality, mental ability and physical ability does not measure to the strength and value of our hearts.JeanGrey, 30 Apr 2014
Wow, I dont think things are done to this extreme but it does happen in in the work place When Jade felt she was noticed, I can relate to that even today. I work in large company and my VP walks pass me and speaks to the young lady right next to me. And the worst is when I am sitting there and my managers and coworkers will say "she has it or she does it, as if they don't know my name, Not saying this type of behavior is ok but I have tough skin so I usually don't show any emotions or reaction behind the rude things that go on in my office. I am strong believer that if you pay attention to this craziness, you allow it to grow.jstewa02, 14 Jun 2012
Really? Was the intention to be as ironic and pushing the "PC" envelope a la TV show "The Office"? If this production can get funding from you guys, I just don't know why I am not writing for $.mantis, 8 Feb 2012
I am a Caucasian who works at an HBCU. Unfortunately, reverse racism DOES happen in the workplace.Mufasa, 20 Sep 2011
I think some people are missing the point of the film. Yes..this film is rather over the top with some of the stereotyping, remarks and situations. The rapid fire occurrences are ridiculous. But, these things do occur to a lesser degree and sometimes unfortunately to a higher degree in the workplace. As to those who have not witnessed such behavior on the job, you are very fortunate. You really have to understand that these things happen to minorities on a whole. Not only because of the color of the characters skin, but it can be of their gender, their age, their country of origin or educational background. I have personally been treated in similar ways given in the examples of this film. Many of them are equally amusing. I say amusing because if you don't laugh at some of these circumstances..you damn near have to cry in disbelief. I have been told upon meeting a manager for a job interview that the he has a cousin that "married a black guy". I assume this was said to make me feel more comfortable with his acceptance of me. Recently, I applied for a position that clearly stated in the job description the payscale. The phone interview went great and the manager stated he liked my attitude. I was asked to come down and meet the staff. The manager hiring me could not attend, so I met with other staff members and enjoyed the meeting. The next day I called to speak with the manager and said that I could stop by and meet him personally because we missed the opportunity the day before. He said it was not necessary, and I misunderstood the job description. He said that I would not reach the payscale advertised for 5 years. He also stated he would call me if they needed me. The ad was changed that evening to negotiable payscale status. I still have a copy of the original ad with the original payscale. This is in my opinion, Systemic Racism. He was very happy with me and justified this by asking me to meet the staff. Once I was there in physical presence, things changed for him. I am clean cut, well dressed and well mannered. I got along great with the staff and felt they would be glad to have me on board. I felt very welcomed. But something changed his mind..and even the tone in which he addressed me. He never met me, but something he must have heard changed his mind to the point where he was somewhat disgusted to even have a conversation with me on the phone. This is very difficult subject, that does need discussion and films like this promotes such ideas. If you find this film offensive, GREAT! It is offensive to be treated like character in this film. It is equally offensive to be perceived as part of the a group that treats people this way. This is how we become more aware of things that are going on..sometimes just under the surface within the workplace. The more aware we are...the more opportunities we will have to one day abolish these beliefs and practices.AFJ, 23 Jul 2011
junx2 im happy for your excellent accomplishmentsmemories, 22 Apr 2011
I thought this showed too much of an extreme of racism. I do not have a lot of experience in the work place but I do not think there is much racism anymore.Brandon, 14 Feb 2011
I don't really understand the point of this video, I'm guessing they wanted to reverse the roles of predominantly white racism in the workplace. However, this didn't have any profound effect on my opinion, but it possibly be due to the fact that I do not have a lot of experience in the corporate world. Is this video supposed to help white people "understand how it feels?", if so then I find it a bit offensive. I don't understand what this video is supposed to accomplish.Stephen--Roy, 14 Feb 2011
I found that this video was a bit exagerrated. I don't have any experience in this type of work place but i doubt people go to these extremes. Although it was an odd video i think that people will be able to see a little better how "people of color" are treated.JasonST, 14 Feb 2011
There is still is a lot of racism in the workplace, a type of racism that most white people never notice or chose to not notice. But i believe its not their fault, because people of other races have adapted and acepted to be treated a certain way. Overall the idea of the video was quite good.Jessika, 14 Feb 2011
I don't really see this as a real issue. From my experience, at least, I have not seen racism in the work area. However, it was a decent video, and, I must admit, I laughed at a few areas, but overall I don't see much of a point to it.Gabe, 14 Feb 2011
I don't understand this film. How does it illustrate racism? Doesn't the idea of "reversing the roles" and "reverse racism" reify the notion of a white hegemony.lgadke, 17 Jun 2010


text:
First Nate Silver. Now Jacqueline Stevens! Stevens is the Northwestern political scientist whose op ed piece in Sunday's New York Times sparked more than a little debate regarding the role of government efforts through National Science Foundation grants to fund political science research, and the quality of that research more generally. Stevens leaves no doubt that she considers most NSF funding to have been wasted; as she writes, "It's an open secret in my discipline: in terms of accurate political predictions (the field's benchmark for what counts as science), my colleagues have failed spectacularly and wasted colossal amounts of time and money."
Not surprisingly, that rather sweeping statement generated a lot of pushback, much of it from political scientists (see here and here and here, for starters.) As the critics point out, her overly-broad generalization and cherry-picked examples misreads much of what political science tries to do, and how well it has done it, and in the process manages to distort Phil Tetlock's argument in his recent book regarding when and why political "experts" often miss the mark in their predictions. (Hint: Stevens' op ed piece show evidence of falling prey to some of the cognitive biases Tetlock cites in his book.)
Rather than belabor these points, I want to focus on another claim she makes as a way of explaining more generally why her criticism misses its mark by such a wide margin. In pointing out forecasting flaws in the discipline, Stevens' writes, "Political prognosticators fare just as poorly on domestic politics. In a peer-reviewed journal, the political scientist Morris P. Fiorina wrote that 'we seem to have settled into a persistent pattern of divided government' — of Republican presidents and Democratic Congresses. Professor Fiorina's ideas, which synced nicely with the conventional wisdom at the time, appeared in an article in 1992 — just before the Democrat Bill Clinton's presidential victory and the Republican 1994 takeover of the House."
The problem with Stevens' assertion is that it completely mischaracterizes Fiorina's published research on divided government. (Full disclosure: Fiorina sat on my dissertation committee [something he rues to this day, no doubt], and was later a colleague of mine [again, not necessarily by his choice!]). In fact, Fiorina's research laid out a model that sought to explain the persistence of divided government in the post-World War II era despite on-going claims by pundits (and some political scientists) that it lead to policy gridlock and political stalemate. And yet Americans more often than not voted in a way that maintained divided government. Why did they so frequently act against their own presumed self-interest, and in favor of gridlock and stalemate? For Fiorina, the answer was rooted in part by the (not always fully articulated) desire among a subset of Americans to achieve a modicum of ideological moderation by "balancing" the parties in the face of increasingly partisan polarization. In short, as the parties become more extreme, voters are more likely to split their tickets. Now, he does not claim this desire for "balance" is the only factor contributing to divided government. Other structural factors, such as the increasing professionalization of state legislatures, which serve as a crucial breeding ground for individuals who eventually run for Congress, certainly influenced the long period of Democratic control of Congress, since that professionalization disproportionally advantaged Democrats. That meant voters who sought to balance the two parties at the national level usually focused on voting in a Republican president. He acknowledges as well that his balancing model is but one of several possible ways that voters' choices might produce divided government.
The crucial point, however, is that contrary to Stevens' assertion, the transition to a Democrat president and Republican-controlled Congress in 1994 after the Republican midterm wave is perfectly consistent with his explanatory model! Indeed, in looking at state governments, Fiorina explicitly lays out a model that explains when states might choose a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled legislature. That model is applicable to the national level. In her op ed piece, Stevens would have us believe that Fiorina's model predicted that under divided government Democrats would control Congress and Republicans the presidency indefinitely. But that is not what he predicted – he laid out a more general model of divided control which encompassed different political permutations that included varying patterns of Republican and Democrat presidents and Congresses. The key to evaluating his model, then, is whether the change in the composition of divided government from 1990 to 1994 is consistent with his premises. That's the proper test of his forecast – one Stevens ignores.
More generally, Stevens' mischaracterizes the nature of political science forecasting. Thus, Fiorina's forecast model is not designed to say that in 1994, because we had a Democratic president, Republicans would reclaim control of the House and the Senate. (In fact, I know of very few political scientists who saw this happening!) Instead, as with most forecast models, Fiorina constructed a probabilistic explanatory framework premised on some clearly articulated assumptions. That is, he suggested that when certain factors were in place – extremely polarized parties, a difference in the perceived strength of the presidency and Congress – many voters would act in a particular way that would often lead to divided government. The results in 1994 are consistent with his argument.
And this gets back to my debate with Nate Silver, and to the importance of theory more generally. Anyone, looking back on national elections dating to the Truman presidency, can predict that the odds are good that we are going to see divided government again in 2012. But without a theory, we don't know why, which renders the prediction essentially useless. What if, in fact, Republicans sweep to power and control all three branches come November? That might not mean our model of divided government is wrong – in fact, it might be fully consistent with that model. It all depends on the underlying theory – did we actually have the conditions that the theory says must be in place for divided government to occur? For political scientists, then, it matters why a prediction is right or wrong.
And this leads to my second point: when outcomes do not comport with theory, we learn something that, hopefully, allows us to make the theory better. (Of course, this doesn't mean a post hoc readjustment of the theory to fit the latest data point.) Forecasting is a way to test whether our understanding of an event is correct. In making that forecast, however, political scientists try as well to signal how specific the likelihood of an outcome is. We might not be able to state that the Soviet Union will collapse in 1992 anymore than the medical doctor can tell you if and when you will get cancer. But perhaps we can make some general statements about the conditions under which authoritarian regimes are more likely to collapse, and with what probability, just as the doctor can recommend some dietary and environmental factors that medical science suggests are likely to decrease your chances of getting cancer.
The reality is that because of political science, we know a lot more about politics than would otherwise be the case. In some areas – such as forecasting presidential elections – we actually know quite a bit (more than Nate Silver's criticisms about election forecasting indicate, I would argue.) Moreover, the best political scientists – because they rely on clearly articulated theories and have a method for testing that theory – are less prone to making the types of errors that Tetlock associates with "experts". This is not to say we don't make mistakes. But even when our forecasts prove wrong, learning can still occur.
For all these reasons, I disagree with Stevens' assessment of the state of the discipline, at least that portion of the discipline with which I am most familiar. Given the limits of what can be expected in a probabilistic world, political scientists are, in fact, pretty good forecasters, and they are getting better.


text:
Phone: +1 (701) 297-9999 | AOG Line: +1 (701) 478-9114 TALK WITH AN EXPERT
COVID-19 NOTICE: We are open for business! Please click here for more information!
Once signed up, you will begin receiving our newsletter. We will not sell or distribute your email address to any third party at any time.
*After clicking subscribe you will receive a confirmation email. Select "It was me, sign me up" to confirm your subscription. Note: This email may go to your spam folder.


text:
Mini Vial of Pacific Sapphire Crushed Opal
Why choose a Vial?
The glass vial makes it easy to hold and handle. Allowing you to have more control of how much crushed opal is being used at a time.
PRIMARY COLOR: Blue
SECONDARY COLORS: Blue, Purple, Green
Pacific Sapphire Crushed Opal resembles the precious birthstone Sapphire that can be found in many corners of the world. This beautiful material pulls influences from the Pacific Ocean. The Opal is washed with soft blues from the water, blending earth's greatest virtues and the oceans mysterious depths into one perfect stone.
What is Pacific Sapphire Crushed Opal?
Pacific Sapphire Crushed Opal is a synthetic lab-made material that consists of Silica and Polymer rather than hydrated silica (natural opal). The polymer stabilizes our opal which in turn makes it easier for jewelry making. You will experience less cracking and crazing that can be detrimental when using natural opal in jewelry. By using a polymer it also creates a slightly softer product making it superior for turning and cabbing. Our crushed opal does not fall victim to color fading and is resistant to chemicals such as acetone and alcohol.
Crushed Opal takes around one year to grow in a controlled environment. This is a complex process of layering to create the unique color patterns. The first form of synthetic opal is a rough cut of stone. This rough cut synthetic stone is then crushed down and sifted into the desired stone sizes. After our testing we determined the perfect stone sizes to offer; Large, Medium, Fine, and Powder forms.
Our crushed opal is weighted to be like natural stone, unlike a lot of glitters. Glitter is almost weightless, where our products are of a much higher quality than glitter.
Our photos are representing our crushed opal by what it will look like "wet" or when added to your project. Adding an adhesive, glue, resin, nail polish, and/or etc. to our opal brings it to life. Opal will look best in natural lighting or once added to your project. The crushing process may make the stone pieces appear less colorful to the naked human eye but do not be fouled; this product comes to life once in use. Fine sized can look lighter in color due to the crushing process, but once again will brighten up with use. Our Crushed Opal may not be as vibrant until in use. Please try our products in your project for best color results. *Color on your screen can appear differently from device to device, please keep this in mind.
Sizing and Quantities:
AVAILABLE in 1G, 3G, and 5G options
One gram of crushed opal roughly fills a space of 1.5" X 1.5" X 0.5-1mm
Medium Size: 0.5mm to 2mm Stones
Fine Size: 1.5mm and smaller (recommended for ring inlays)
1 Gram Vial of Medium Starting at USD $10.00
3 Gram Vial of Medium Starting at USD $23.60 - 21% Off Single Gram Pricing
5 Gram Vial of Medium Starting at USD $36.00 - 27% Off Single Gram Pricing
1 Gram Vial of Fine Starting at USD $11.00
3 Gram Vial of Fine Starting at USD $26.30 - 20% Off Single Gram Pricing
5 Gram Vial of Fine Starting at USD $40.25 - 26% Off Single Gram Pricing
The Uses For a Vial of Crushed Opal:
Add water to the vial for display
Cabinet of Curiosities
Wire wrap the vial and create a necklace
The Uses Of Crushed Opal:
Casting Projects
Jewelry/Ring Making
Nail Art
Other Inlay Projects
Pen Turning
Resin Art
Our Shipping Offers:
US orders over $35 are eligible for Free First Class USPS Shipping (estimated 3-5 business days)
US orders over $100 are eligible for Free Priority Flat Rate Shipping (estimated 1-3 business days)
Read our FAQ
Check out our other products and deals! 10G Pacific Sapphire or Turquoise Crushed Opal
Want to see some of our customers work? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Contact Us:
Please reach out to our support email with any questions (email@example.com)


text:
In the wintertime my thoughts usually turn to the rich dark flavors of maduro cigars, but I've been meaning to review this blend for so long that I'm going to make an exception to my cold weather routine and fire up a Connecticut shade. Maybe I'm trying to turn the weather with my cigar. Let's see if it works.
San Cristobal has been made by the crew at My Father Cigars since 2007, around the time when Don Pepin Garcia went from being the world's premier boutique cigar maker to a major manufacturer. The cigar is made for Ashton Cigars, who began the series with a bolder blend more typical of Garcia's stock-in-trade. In 2011 Ashton released the Elegancia extension, a much milder blend, in an attempt to satisfy the large number of cigar enthusiasts who opt for less aggressive smokes.
Beneath the suave Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper leaf of the Elegancia lies a blend of Nicaraguan filler leaves, including a Nicaraguan binder. Six sizes are currently in production:
- Robusto – 5 x 50
- Corona – 5.5 x 46
- Grandioso – 6 x 60
- Imperial – 6 x 52
- Pyramid – 6.125 x 52
- Churchill – 7 x 50
Construction Notes
The wrapper of the San Cristobal Elegancia is smooth and a light golden brown, fairly typical of Ecuadorian Connecticut. The roll is excellent, the cap is perfectly applied in an even spiral, and the cigar draws effortlessly yet yields a voluminous quanitity of creamy smoke. It burns evenly and builds a solid ash. There are a lot of things to like about Connecticut shade, and one of them is its predictably even burn. The Elegancia is no exception in that regard.
Overall construction: Excellent
Tasting Notes
The Elegancia pyramid opens with its defining feature: a mild flavor combined with a very creamy texture. Many cigar smokers use the term "body" to refer to a cigar's strength (which in turn can mean a few different things), but when I say "body" I mean the viscosity of the smoke. The Elegancia is a great example of a cigar with mild strength but full body. This smoke is like butter.
The opening flavors are nuanced and pleasant: a dry woody flavor with a smattering of black pepper, accompanied by a floral aroma. The aftertaste is tea-like, though this tea is a lot spicier than most.
As the cigar progresses it picks up a bready aroma, while soft baking spices replace the pepper on the palate.
Toward the band, the pepper returns and the base flavor becomes earthier, tannic with a citric edge. Smoking slowly, the aroma remains delicious to the end.
The San Cristobal Elegancia lives up to its name. This is indeed an elegant cigar. It has enough body to stand up as an after-dinner smoke, but it is probably best enjoyed after breakfast with coffee or tea. If it were just a tad less tannic in the last inch I would say it's close to being the perfect morning smoke. As it is, it's just damn good. Which is about what we expect from My Family and Ashton.
The Pyramid runs around $7 USD per stick, which is a good value given the quality of the cigar. Highly recommended.
Final Score: 90


text:
Two new reviews of "Poe" are up. Paul di Filippo in The Speculator and Norm Rubenstein in Horror World. I'm nearly finished reading the book myself, allowing one story a night to stretch it out.
I spoke to a class of Year 12 students today about inspiration, ideas and research. Most of them hadn't heard of Poe. I think all of them, actually; a couple put their hands up but they were just being polite. I described "The Tell-Tale Heart" a most passionate way, and they were interested. I talked about how, on visiting Poe's house in Philidelphia, the floor board squeaked and I thought, "He stood here! He made that floorboard squeak!"
I talked to them about trying to inject themselves into the sootry they were writing, to make it different. One said, "B ut I'm writing in the third person, so there's no I in it." So I spoke about having passion about the story, how writing yourself into means writing with passion, and working to make sure you come up with a story no one else would come up with. They were shocked to hear I do ten or fifteen drafts of my stories, but pleased at the same time that what they had to start with could be worked with.
I hope at least a couple of them seek out the writings of Poe.


text:
Some things are best left alone. Other things work better with just a little help from a friend. Mini's friend, John Cooper, hots up cars that, on the surface at least, have no business being hotted up.
The Clubman was never envisioned as the "sports car" in Mini's lineup. With a third door and split rear hatch, it's more in line with a traditional shooting brake than a sports coupe. And yet with a 208-bhp turbocharged direct-injected inline-4 and quick-shifting 6-speed transmission, the little-big Clubman changes perceptions. Thanks to 207 lb.-ft. of torque while in overboost (normally 192 lb.-ft.), it changes that view in a hurry.
Compared to its length-challenged counterpart, the Clubman's longer wheelbase adds a noticeable amount of stability, especially on choppier pavement, but still retains a playful front-end feel. Dual exhaust tips burble and pop during deceleration, making heel-toe downshifts a full sensory experience. Get on the 4-piston Brembos hard while trail-braking into a corner, and the back end comes around predictably and controllably.
On-throttle, an electronic limited-slip differential uses brake application to control wheelspin; it's helpful when driving hard out of tight turns. While we'd prefer a mechanical or clutch-type diff, this is about as good as an electronic system will get.
Pricing is a bit steep (base price, $31,300, while our tester rang out at $35,350), but you're definitely getting more than just plain ol' badge engineering. It's an enthusiasts' take on an already enthusiast-friendly car, one that will bring a smile to your face.


text:
Hamlin says 'we will win' tweet wasn't a guarantee
LOUDON — Denny Hamlin will be more careful the next time he spouts off on Twitter.
And that's a guarantee.
Hamlin sent out a tweet after a disappointing finish in Chicago last week that was widely seen as a guarantee he would win this Sunday's race in New Hampshire. But he said Friday that the comments — "This is week 1 of 10. We will win next week." — were nothing more than his usual confidence in his next race.
"I said it as basically another way to say, `We'll get them next week,"' Hamlin said before qualifying at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I feel like I can go win each and every one of them. Really it's nothing more than that. ... People were just taking it a little further than that, but I'm racing — doing the best I can — and that's all I'm going to do."
Hamlin then went out onto the track and qualified 32nd in the 43-car field after his Joe Gibbs Racing crew made its second costly mistake of the Chase, incorrectly setting the tire pressure to race level.
It comes five days after the gas man failed to fill Hamlin's tank on the final pit stop at Chicago. Hamlin wound up finishing 16th in the Chase opener, and fell from the points leader to fourth.
"I knew something was wrong," Hamlin said about the mistake that will force him to start near the back of the pack in New Hampshire. "I knew something was really, really wrong because the car was bobbing down real bad. But, simple mistake. We'll rebound from it. We're quick enough. We'll get them, but that's frustrating. "
Jeff Gordon earned the pole Friday with a qualifying lap of 134.911 mph, with Kyle Busch joining him on the front row. Brad Keselowski, who won at Chicagoland and leads the Chase for the Sprint Cup, qualified 15th.
Hamlin enters the race No. 4 in the Sprint Cup. The deepest starting spot for a race winner in New Hampshire was 38th by Jeff Burton in 1999.
Hamlin won at New Hampshire in 2007 and finished in the top three in four of the previous six races, including this July. He was the fastest in practice Friday.
"That obviously gives you a ton of confidence," Hamlin said. "By the stats, it's one of my best race tracks. I know that everyone talks about all the wins they could have, but I just (have) handfuls of wins I feel like we should have that we don't for simple, little mistakes.
"When we come back here, we know that we did have the best car here in July. We didn't finish it off, but those are mistakes that we all learn from. So as long as we don't have that flub again there's no reason why we still won't be in contention with 50 laps to go again."
Between practice and qualifying, Hamlin tried to quiet the hubbub with another tweet, saying: "Not really sure what all the buzz in the media is about my tweet last week. I didn't guarantee, didn't promise, just made a statement.
"If each driver in the chase didn't think he could win each week, he would be lacking the confidence that it takes to actually make it happen."
But some of his competitors thought the confidence could hurt him in the end.
"I guess he enjoys pressure, because that certainly places a lot of pressure on you," Clint Bowyer said. "I'm going to call his bluff."


text:
The stats: The Crazy Things Girls Do For LoveConfessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
is the next book by Dyan Sheldon, the author of It is available in stores now!
The gist: Maya and Sicilee are the most popular girls in school... and each other's arch enemies. Maya loves wearing uber-hip vintage clothing and talking about causes, while Sicilee loves to shop and would never dream about wearing the same outfit more than once. Then, Cody Lightfoot, possible the most georgeous guy on the face of the planet, moves to town and joins the Environmental Club, which is easily the nerdiest club at school. Both determined to make Cody fall in love with them, Maya and Sicilee find themselves reading labels, walking to school, and even making fliers for Earth Day! But will their huge sacrifices be enough to get the guy?
Our favorite part: We love Dyan's witty, sarcastic style of writing. The whole story is hilarious and totally relatable. Every girl has done something a little insane to attract the attention of acute guy, but we love that Maya and Sicilee accidentally end up doing some good for the world in the process!
More From Seventeen
You'll love it if... you loved Mean Girls or Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen or any other funny story about how ridiculous girls in high school can be! It's definitely a fun, easy read that's perfect to curl up with this winter break.
There are so many awesome characters in Crazy Things Girls Do — who was your favorite? Sound off in the comments after you've read it!


text:
Bri, Tolkienselskabet i København
Bri, Tolkienselskabet i København ("Bree, the Copenhagen Tolkien Society") is a Danish Tolkien Society.
Bri was founded in 1996 as members of the Imladris and the now extinct Tolkiens Følge felt that Denmark lacked a society where members came together for various Tolkien-related activities such as banquets, discussions and guilds.
Bri has several guilds for its members:
The Arda Guild: For litterary discussions on Tolkien's work
The Archery Guild: For archers, mainly in order to beat the Swedish Tolkien Societies in an annual competition
Bri by Night: Very secret, so nothing can be revealed here.
The Gamers Guild: They play games. Any games.
The Drinking Guild: Visits beer festivals, wine testing, cider testing etc. (min. age limit of 18)
The Hobbit Guild: Meet at least quarterly and eat at least five courses. Hobbits only.
The Elder Races Food Guild: Everyone but the Hobbits meet and eat. Quality, not quantity.
The Craft Guild: Makes costumes, flags, banners, decorations etc.
The Town Guild: The board of Bri.
Bri regularly publishes a magazine in Danish called [Pipeurten] ("Pipeweed").
External links[edit]
Press: [email protected]
New membership: [email protected]


text:
Too much stress, "bad" stress, can weaken you, deplete your resources and waste scarce time if you are not dealing with your lifestyle well. Everybody endures stress.
Getting older, I believe that lifestyles of Generation Z are significantly common, but I am from a small town. It is important to obey the Biblical commandment, to honor thy mother and father. As the father did before you, if you are of a certain age, you too need to heed that you are following appropriately in his steps.
That being said, there is lightness. I think with a touch of envy of the comparative ease of the generation of young people often collectively referred to as Generation Z. That doesn't mean that I can compete with the energy of the young and of the attitudes which characterize them, different than for someone my age.
Someone like me, I feel, is part of a culture that values stress, that putting a great deal of work into a lifetime is a necessity. There's nothing wrong with that.
However, it means fulltime people endure an enormous amount of stress. The more hours of work we take on, to make ends meet, the more stress we cope with.
I believe stress can easily bend one to its will rather than the other way round. It is all very hard to manage.
In the film sequence preceding the climax of the 1978 feature film Superman, Lex Luthor conquers Superman with a chain of Kryptonite, until Superman makes a personal promise to Luthor's beautiful assistant in order that she remove the powerful amulet–but a promise that puts at risk the woman who has his heart, Lois Lane. All in all, it is an excellent film.
What I did, in my life, is an irregular passage through the years. In 2008 when my employer closed its doors, I went on to work a part-time job while reflecting on what to do with my future Then I went full time on government disability, as it was felt that I'd been "compromised" enough to give up on making a living through the avenue of work.
I had been reading some books on self-management and I didn't think the stress of a new workplace was going to benefit me enough to do it.
A few years later, my father, perhaps frustrated by my reluctance, had an idea. He was retiring from many years with a municipal cemetery, where he'd helped manage it from its offices.
A small cemetery in our town was searching for new operators. It attracted him, and the trustees of that property were pleased to turn it over to him, so that he could direct it, pleased to have a focus in his retirement.
To my surprise, my dad invited me to help handle the operation of the cemetery. We commenced in 2011. The church at the cemetery, formerly of the United Church of Canada, had disbanded in 2006.
We maintain the property ourselves, and work in the interior of the church in dire weather, setting our sights on attending to the cemetery once a week. We made a not-for-profit out of it. While I am junior, and there is no certainty how matters will proceed, in the seven years or so, lucky seven, that we've handled the cemetery, it has been a luxury of time and experience for me and an opportunity to enjoy the company of my father in his golden years.
We have had outside help from brothers of my father, my uncles. On a few brief occasions we have talked about growth, but I don't know if I can turn this venture into something in which I can continue in the long-term. This post is intended to be expository writing, but working for a not-for-profit, when financial gains are generally hard-won, can lead to burnout, and to a minor degree that is what I am experiencing.
You see, I contribute several hours a week of work to the cemetery, and as my dad has spoken reassuringly of the flexibility to set our own hours, I have lately started to reduce my workload to a four-day week rather than a five-day.
I can't help, for example, but want to relax on Saturday. I think the decision to work less on Fridays is somewhat deleterious in that if you want to get ahead, you should probably be hustling with the same energy on a Friday that you do on a Monday.
I couldn't help, in the past several weeks, to admit that the stress of putting nonprofit work at the center of my life, was making me feel a touch sick, by which I mean I was experiencing burnout. I am sure this is common.
Whether this transition, to four days of focus on the cemetery rather than on each and every business day, will contribute to a soul-searching decision by my dad to relieve me of my work, I don't know. I think what will determine my chances of staying on are the quality of work I can produce in the time I devote to the not-for-profit.
How this has me feeling, perhaps, "sick," is that I do care about working and I do feel some prestige enjoying the privilege of doing work that is shaped by our own efforts. This is in contrast to working for a firm that is structured in predictable ways, with employee equity and positions and demands which could easily contribute to a high-stress load.
I am taking this risk because I believe I can do better work if I make strategies to cope with the burnout before there are related consequences. I am counting on my own experience and abilities to do the same quality of work in a four-day structure than I would be getting done by committing the entirety of the work week to headway and progress.
I am sick to think of losing what I have worked for, and I am sick to think of bringing shame onto my father if the quality of my work does suffer because I am having trouble being afield of all that we do. I feel like I should write something about feeling troubled by what I have to do to manage my role as operator, and maybe even think on how I could express an appropriate apology for how I am feeling.
Writing is the act of discovery. – Natalie Goldberg
If my father does finally decide, which I know he won't do lightly, that I should be dismissed, it will be a sad day and for that, I will pay a price, of having the failure on my shoulders. If that scenario comes to pass I will take time to mend. It may be a self-centered attitude, but the best that can be done in the face of failure is to learn from what happened.
Everyone has experienced failure, and usually many, many times, sometimes with adverse consequences.
If you have never failed, you have stayed well inside your comfort zone. Life needs to change and grow.
If my role in the not-for-profit does end in failure, I will at least have work experience. I think I can draw on the time spent at this to draw conclusions that will inform my life in the future. The situation that I think could result, however, is not going to be completely ideal.
It will be back to being "sick," resorting to making ends meet with the help of a pension for disability, and with the support of my mom and dad. Ain't no one got time for that. I will have then have the opportunity to look for a job if I feel I can weather the stress, or return to freelancing and try to find my niche doing that.
Many members of Generation Z work as freelancers in the digital economy, and I would be competing with all of those people, which is daunting. That being said, there are a few paths ahead for me to take and I will have to ask for guidance from fate and the intentions of The Lord. I know I shouldn't emphasize feeling sick about all this and I know I shouldn't take on a job post that gives me more additional stress than I can handle.
For now, I will bide my time–for as much clarity as I can muster.
You are welcome to like, follow, and/or comment if you have feedback. Lately, the blog has been fairly quiet, in terms of visits it receives, but you never know when some I've published here will pique the interest of a reader.
I appreciate the time of those who are visitors. I have been tying my blog to the not-for-profit, and also trying to be jovial as I know it is as yet an amateur effort. I feel blogging will continue to play a role in the time I have to write, as it is a splendid little spot of fun that has a pragmatic purpose.


text:
Archive for February 7th, 2013
passages beneath
"follow" me on Twitter at @newtownpentacle
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Confession is offered, lords and ladies, that your humble narrator has been experimenting all over the neighborhood. Trick shooting, long exposure times, specialized equipment- the whole shameful arrangement has been employed in a vainglorious attempt to alleviate tedium. It has literally been months since I've had anything but ground under my feet, and I can't even remember the last time I was on a boat by gum.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A desire to just go and ride the Staten Island Ferry, braving the cold and weather, forms in me. Too timid to actuate even such a mundane plan as this, instead retreat is made to the usual and familiar, so a scuttling across the frozen concrete and urban desolations go I. An attempt has been underway to utilize some of the older cameras which have accumulated on the shelf, as well as to grow practiced with some newer gear. I've also been try and "slow it down" a bit, process wise.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
During the summer, at whatever adventure I happen to be participating in, things pop up fast and furious- photo wise- and speed is essential for the successful capture of a quality image. A dolphin or giant snapping turtle isn't going to just hold a pose while you fumble around with settings on your dslr after all. Problem is that the speed you develop becomes a habit, a shortcut to the shot. At the moment, I've actually got some time to experiment, and I plan on using it.
Remember that event in the fall which got cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy?
The "Up the Creek" Magic Lantern Show presented by the Obscura Society NYC is back on at Observatory.
Click here or the image below for more information and tickets.


text:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson has announced the availability of an estimated $1.8 million in grants to help Georgia clean up its brownfields sites.
The grants, which include $400,000 from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and $1.4 million from the EPA brownfields general program funding, will help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites.
The applicant selected to receive Recovery Act funds is Valdosta—$400,000 in community wide assessment funds.
Applicants selected to receive brownfields general program funds are Atlanta—$1 million in Revolving Loan Funds, which may be used in the Beltline project or other revitalization projects, and Grady County—$400,000 in community-wide assessment funds.
The grants will help to assess, clean and redevelop abandoned, contaminated properties known as brownfields. Brownfields are sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In addition, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002 expanded the definition of a brownfield to include mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture of illegal drugs. Grant recipients are selected through a national competition. The Brownfields Program encourages development of America's estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites.
This free webinar will inform attendees on the most significant updates and modifications in the new standard, known as E1527-21 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.


text:
Darron Daily - 2012
It's been almost four years since I did the daily photo challenge. A lot has happened in that four years. I am still working as a SW developer for a living, it's stressful sometimes but I am grateful for a good paying job. I must be crazy for starting the daily challenge again, but I was looking back through my 2008 daily photos and missed it so I'm going to give it another go. The challenge: A new photo posted daily where possible. Contact me on Facebook! Or email me at email@example.com More


text:
** Use Promo Code "DECO" save 5% on select Residential Door Hardware Brands ** $99 Free Shipping!!
The 11-068 Square Corner Faceplate is part of Schlage Commercial
- Select Finish: Brass (605), Oil Rubbed Bronze (613), or Satin Chrome (626).
- Delivery: The Schlage Commercial 11-068 is factory-ordered, please allow 3-5 working days' lead time.
11-068 - 2-3/8" - Square Corner 1" x 2-1/4" by Schlage Commercial Hardware
The Schlage 1" x 2-1/4" Square Corner Faceplate Spring Latch is designed to be used on Schlage Commercial A & AL-Series. It is for 2-3/8" backsets. This latch has the square corner faceplate staked on and is a complete unit.
Schlage Commercial A & AL-Series Latches are adjustable for flat or beveled edge doors. Latches and strikes are furnished in brass, bronze, or chrome finishes compatible with lock trim.
Finish: The Schlage 11-068 Square Corner Faceplate comes in Brass (605), Oil Rubbed Bronze (613), and Satin Chrome (626) finish.
Backset: 2-3/8". Faceplate: 1" W x 2-1/4" L Square Corner. Latch Diameter: 7/8".
Special Ordering: If you require a different finish, please contact Taylor Security (firstname.lastname@example.com) for pricing and availability.


text:
January 22nd, 2018
Religious and spiritual beliefs and practices are important in the lives of many of us. When we get older, we reflect back on our lives and also look forward to a sense of meaning, purpose and connectedness in aging. Some of that involves deciding what we want to hold on to or let go of.
So many of Ebenezer's new residents have to engage in the process of holding on and letting go simply by moving into a smaller apartment than the home they had previously lived in.
"What do we do with the desk that won't fit in? How about the Holiday decorations – maybe our daughter and son-in-law could use them for their house? What will it be like to get to know all of these other people?"
While this process can be quite painful, it also prepares us for a journey of holding on and letting go of other things. Which unresolved conflicts prevent us from feeling at peace? Can we let them go? Can we seek reconciliation?
According to a Gallop poll, the four major spiritual concerns Americans have about aging, death and dying are:
These important concerns can be engaged through our spiritual or religious practices. Prayer, meditation, pilgrimages, fasting, and reaching out to neighbors can be very significant religious practices at any stage in one's life. Spiritual practices are equally diverse and may include meditation, yoga, walks in nature, appreciation of art, music, joining with others for a common purpose. In addition, writing a legacy document or videotaping an autobiography can be quite meaningful for those creating it and those with whom it is shared.
The magazine "Real Simple" published an article in 2005 titled "Getting to know you" by Erik Jackson. He starts off by saying:
"Photo albums? Check.
Family Tree? Got it.
A deeper understanding of our relatives and friends?
That starts here."
He then lists many questions as conversation starters or almost as an interview format that a good friend, spouse, sibling, or other loved one can ask. Some unique questions are: What is the bravest thing you have ever done? Was there one person who had a big impact on your working life, like a mentor? What are the secrets to a good marriage or relationship? What have you always regretted not asking your parents?
This process of making meaning out of one's life can be a source of hope, strength and peace. It can bring us the depth of love and connection that we may yearn for.
--Rev. Mirjam Berger
Ebenezer Corporate Director of Spiritual Health
Leave a Reply.


text:
Kate Moss stars in Ferragamo's fall 2012 ad campaign--and a short film to go along with it--and dare we say she's never looked better. Wanna see?
The supermodel strikes a pose against the opulent background of the Russian embassy in Berlin, photographed by Mikael Jansson. The photographer also made a short film with fellow campaign stars Karmen Pedaru and Sean O'Pry, described by the Ferragamo camp like this: "A story of pure seduction and mystery unravels within Berlin's gilded Russian embassy. The two different souls of a sensual and refined woman and a rigorous and cosmopolitan man cross paths. A role-play between Kate Moss's unmistakable femininity, Karmen Pedaru's reserved beauty and Sean O'Pry's striking appeal unfolds amidst a geometrical play of mirrors and fabrics that recreates the environ of a fairy tale palace."
Really, it's a lot of good looking people walking around a beautiful place. Check it out:
Does Kate look great, or what? Discuss!