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Modern ceramic tile designs look amazing.Ceramic tiles are practical and functional, elegant and beautiful. Fzdaily shares a few ideas from Spanish designers for interior design with modern ceramic tiles that demonstrate spectacular wall and floor decoration.
Spanish ceramic tiles from Venis and Aparici offer beautiful, practical and modern tile designs. Made with high quality materials the wall and floor tiles show off the natural beauty and textured pattern of hardwood, adding unique look to wall and floor decoration.
Ceramic tiles are functional and easy to clean. Ceramic tiles are durable and resistant to stains, sun rays and humidity. Modern interior design with new ceramic tiles look familiar and contemporary at the same time, blending the traditional material and innovative wall and floor decoration ideas.
Modern ceramic tiles with wood look offering practical and warm interior design
Simple ceramic tiles painting ideas adding artistic accents to modern interior design
Modern ceramic tiles for wall and floor decoration
Natural materials and traditional ceramic tiles are great sources of inspiration for modern interior design. Contemporary technologies allow to produce tile designs in many different colors to match decor and add stunning accents to harmonious and modern interior design.
Innovative tile design bring the natural beauty of stone and creative textures of artificial materials. Elegantly simple and peaceful tile designs can not be boring, adding unique texture and pattern to wall and floor decorations.
Ceramic tiles in dark brown colors remind of wood and create cozy and warm interior design. Ceramic tiles in light colors add an amazing effect of lightness, airiness and spaciousness to modern interior design and decorating.
Ceramic tile designs bringing advanced technology and beauty into modern interiors
Ceramic tiles bringing unique decoration patterns into modern homes
Soft creamy white and ivory, beige and turquoise, gray and all brown colors are great color choices for ceramic tiles and modern interior design. Inspired by natural stone and wood, ceramic tiles create the perfect backdrop for interior decorating.
Glossy ceramic tile designs help to expand small spaces visually and bring more light into modern interiors. Creamy beige and light gray color tones are classy and beautiful, and can compliment any interior design. Ceramic tiles in stylish noble blue color or light and dark brown colors are ideal for elegant and modern interior design which feels comfortable and modernistic.


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Wizard101 Review
I have played many online games before but I have never played a game like Wizard 101 before. The registration was pretty interesting since it kind of reminds me of being sorted by the sorting hat in Harry Potter. You answer a bunch of questions that is the best one for you and this is the basis of what school you will be in the game. I also found the name selection process pretty interesting. Having combinations like troll or shade is kind of fun to me. There are various things that makes this game a winner and I think even kids will learn to appreciate this. The graphics are quite good and the voices are very animated, which actually lets you feel more interested to play the game in the long run. There are various factors that make this game a pretty good one to play.
The first thing that I noticed with this game is how well the voice actors were in delivering their lines. It was the headmasters voice that really got to me and made me feel like I am actually doing something a wizard would do. Ok, that maybe is an exagerrated description, but it really affects the overall aura of the game when the voices are well done and you become more interested with the characters as well. I think having good actors to dubb voices in the game will pay off in the long run because players would be more interested and will listen well to the dialogues.
The artwork is reminiscent of PS1 games. While some may feel disappointed with this description, it actually appeals to me since I feel nostalgic and feel as if I am playing an old school game that I love. The graphics are vibrant and colorful I like the art style because it is not overwhelming. Also, the animation regarding the attack spells are really well made. I find that I appreciate that every single attack or spell has its own animation and that they made an effort to do so.
I have to admit that I was a bit surprised with the whole battle system in this game. I actually thought that it would be the same old MMORPG battle system where you encounter monsters and then you have to fight them with an attack and then use special skills by using up mana. Although it is a bit similar to that kind of system, this game actually use cards to battle monsters. Yup, cards. Its like YU-GI-OH meets Harry Potter. It was a bit confusing at first to tell you the truth, because sometimes, the monsters you bump into does not attack you immediately. And then at times you get into battle with another online player, which confuses me because I do not know whose turn it was. I may still have to spend a few more hours in this game to really get the hang of things.
The game controls are pretty straightforward and you basically move with your keyboard. There are moments though when the turning is hard because you tend to do a 360 when all you want to do is turn right or turn left. It would be wonderful if you can mainly use your mouse to move. But all in all it has a pretty straightforward game controls and it was not too hard to move around in the world of Wizard 101.
There are various hints in the game that it would be next to impossible for anyone to really get lost in there. Although, I find that I am still confuse with the whole spell card collecting process. There are hints that pop up everywhere and you basically just to read through them. And when it comes to the quests, you have this yellow arrow pointing you towards you destination and it was very easy to follow.
If you are tired with the same old MMORPG system, I think that you would enjoy this game. And if you are like me who is a fan of Harry Potter and just loves the idea of being in a wizarding world doing quests, then this is definitely the game for you.

subset: commoncrawl


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Texas Roadhouse in Amarillo will team with local police Thursday to raise money for Special Olympics Texas.
Police officers will help serve guests and collect donations during the event from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday, at the restaurant at 2805 W. Interstate 40.
The fundraiser is part of a statewide effort involving dozens of other Texas Roadhouse locations on the same evening, a news release said.
All donations will go to Special Olympics Texas, the release said.
The nonprofit provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities across the state, according to its website.
Over the past five years, Amarillo's restaurant has raised more than $4,900 through this event for the nonprofit, the release said.


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If anyone here hasnt not heard of this books existence yet, than now is the time to pay attention.
Radio Silence - A Selected Visual History of American Hardcore Music, by Nathan Nedorostek and Anthony Pappalardo, was released very recently and I want to take this moment to let all of you know that it is thus far the definitive hardcore book in existence. It is chock full of amazing photographs, album art and tees and is presented in a very slick style that is reminiscent of the similarly awesome Banned In DC book.
Peppered throughout the pages are ruminations, stories and ideas as told by the people that were involved when this was all going down. You can hear Adam Nathanson (Born Against) talk about the Sick Of It All debate and how he flier bombed a SOIA show. You can hear Sean Brown talk about his time in Swiz, Matt Anderson (Heroin) and Jeff Winterberg (Antioch Arrow) discuss the San Diego scene and the rules that arose as a way to present themselves.
There are so many great photos from so many time periods including amazing shots of the NYHC shows in the mid to late 80's, early DC hardcore, mid 90's new school hardcore and revival bands and of course the previously mentioned San Diego scene of the early 90's.
Click the cover above and head to amazon to purchase the book for a very good price. Trust me. This is highly worth having in your personal library. I received my copy a few weeks ago and recently brought it upstate with me to a weekend in the woods and my friends Glenn (who has a number of photos in the book), Steve, Joe and Chris repeatedly perused its awesome pages.
Check these images for a little taste. They all blow up bigger if you view the image.
For those of you in NYC and the surrounding areas, there are two nights of openings going on. There is a release party TONIGHT! with Mind Eraser playing and music and free beer. Tomorrow there is a gallery opening, also with free beer, and blow ups of photos from the book. I will definitely be at the gallery opening on saturday, so come by, pay your respects to a movement that has most definitely shaped a little bit of all of us. And say hi to me too! ^_^
There are also some openings going on in the Los Angeles area, so head to the Radio Silence site and check out all the info and other interesting things that they have going on there.
But first and foremost, consider purchasing this book. You wont regret it.


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- Stone Scarves
- >
- The Blues
The Blues
Picasso Marble
Southern Utah
As the name implies, this beautiful marble that we collect in Utah looks as if Picasso painted the stone! The image of this scarf appears to be in a woods on a snowy evening. 270 million years ago, western Utah was under water. The Coconino sandstone was being laid down on land, then the Toroweap limestone ( a mixture of blobs of limestone, dolomite, mud, clay, and sand ) accumulated in the water, and was topped off by the Kaibab limestone. Between 140 and 50 million years ago the oceanic plate was subducted underneath the continental North American Plate. It was a folding/thrusting and heat generating mountain-building event that affected western North America from Canada to Mexico. In all this heat and pressure, some of the fractured and mineral filled limestone was changed into marble. Picasso Marble is a material prized by carvers and lapidarists all over the world.
Using high magnification lens we capture images deep within the microscopic typography of the stone and can transport the viewer into a micro world, far beyond what the naked eye perceives. Then we transfer those images onto luxurious fabric for "Stone Scarves"! Chiffon, lightweight and translucent, is the material of choice for our scarves as it allows for the printed design to be visible on both sides. The ultra-sheer fabric is printed using ecologically-safe transfer sublimation inks that provide vibrant color and strong wash durability. The printing process consumes no water and uses non-toxic bio-degradable inks. (We recommend washing machine with phosphate free detergent on a warm or cool delicate setting. Tumble dry low or line-dry)
Select size either (approximately) 36"x52" or 26"x72 and we will ship your beautiful scarf to you!
All of our macro photographs are of our own stone; cut and polished, exposing the natural beauty inside.
(All photos shown are watermarked for online viewing. The purchased art will not show watermark.)
©Light the Earth, All Rights Reserved
Copyrighted. No Usage Without Permission


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Selamat Datangis the traditional Malaysian greeting that welcomes visitors to this vibrant and exotic country. Ethnically diverse cultures share the same lush landscape and create a fusion of cultural styles, cuisines and religions. Festivals throughout the year mark the Malay, Chinese and Indian holidays. Combined with the indigenous Orang Asli and the tribes of Sabah and Sarawak.
It is the peninsula that seems to attract the most visitors. This is probably because of the diversity it offers in the way of people, activities and climates. The highland regions offer cool relief from the clinging humidity of the mainland. While Langkawi is the popular choice for sand and surf enthusiasts. The east coast, particularly the northern Kelantan province, offers the chance for an interesting cultural exploration of traditional Malay life. The city of Kota Bharu and its surrounds are possibly the most fascinating part of the peninsula. This area is the least visited, with a remote beauty and rich culture.
Malaysia Climate
Malaysia has a tropical climate which is hot and humid all year, although it is cooler in the highland areas. Temperatures in Malaysia average at 86°F (30°C) year-round. The country doesn't have four distinct seasons, but it does have two monsoon seasons. The monsoons bring heavy downpours on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, the northeastern part of Sabah and the western end of Sarawak from November to February. The rainy season between April and October is characterised by thunderstorms and is often less disruptive to travel.
Boat trips to the islands do not run during the height of the monsoon. Malaysia's climate varies hugely from region to region, so the best time to visit the country depends on your itinerary, your desired activities and the region you're visiting will make a big difference. The best time to visit for dry weather is June and July on the east coast, January and February on the west coast, April in Sabah, and June to July in Sarawak. Some people prefer to travel in the rainy season for various reasons, but it is never advisable to travel at the height of monsoon season as the heavy rains can make getting around difficult.
So don't delay, call Mint Holidays on 01282 930295 to book your holiday in Malasia today!


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|Hassan Rasouli with daughter, Mojgan, and wife, Parichehr Salasel
In the meantime, Hassan Rasouli has shown signs of consciousness, vindicating the Rasouli family. However, many people still believe that Hassan Rasouli should be starved to death - in spite of his family's objection, in spite of his marked improvement, and in spite of his religious beliefs. That this is an issue is a frightening reflection on Canadian views of palliative care and patient autonomy, and every Canadian should be paying attention to the outcome of this case.
Go to Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, who has intervener status on this case, for a great analysis.
Read a recent article from the Toronto Sun.


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The Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, will be preaching at our regular Tuesday evening community Eucharist on March 18 at 6 p.m. Jefferts Schori, previously Bishop of Nevada, is the 26th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. She is chief pastor to The Episcopal Church's 2 million members in 17 countries and 109 dioceses as well as ecumenical officer and primate, joining leaders of the other 38 Anglican Provinces in consultation for global good and reconciliation. Jefferts Schori was elected at the 75th General Convention on June 18, 2006, and invested at Washington National Cathedral on November 4, 2006.
Her full biography is available here.


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Our Address
DOE Joint Genome Institute
2800 Mitchell Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Main office phone number: 925-296-5670
To search for phone numbers of JGI staff by name, see our directory.
Public and Media Inquiries
Contact David Gilbert, Senior Manager, Communications & Outreach: firstname.lastname@example.com, 925-296-5643.
Community Science Program (CSP) Questions
For CSP questions, select "CSP Request" on this form and fill in your details:
Genome Portal Questions
For help with the Genome Portal tools/data or the Projects List search page, click the "comments/questions" link at the bottom of the page on those sites.
General Website Questions
For general comments or questions relating to this web site, please fill out this form to send us a message:


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Since I'm a pretty frugal person (though my wife would say otherwise!!) every time I finish a silk paper cut I'm left with heaps of beautifully shaped scraps. I hate to throw them away so I carefully collect and store them. I realized I needed to use them in some way, so I started sticking them onto unpainted bamboo bowls and plates.
This one I did months ago, but I decided to add a poem to it to see how the shapes and writing interacted.
Here are some very recent examples, but instead of using scraps I purposely cut flower shapes out of silk paper and carefully glued them to the plate.
This last one is actually two layers of different colour silk paper slightly offset to give a blurring effect.
Now all I have to do is set up an Etsy account and try to sell the stuff! That'll be my next project.
A medley of diverting discussions on all things art but most of all silk & paper cuttings.
Wednesday, 17 December 2008
Posted by Tim Budden at 12/17/2008 04:57:00 pm
Labels: decoupage, paper cutting, silk paper cutting
6 comments:
- jazmin velasco said...
Aaaaaarrrgh! that is excellent. I am also storing tons of japanese origami paper because it's sooo beautiful I can't think of throwing it away. Great idea!
- 19 December 2008 at 01:07
- Cindy said...
These are so awesome! I love the lacy looking flower.
- 19 December 2008 at 14:00
- High Desert Diva said...
I like the decoupage!
And Etsy is a perfect idea.
- 19 December 2008 at 21:17
- Marco Crupi said...
Hello I really like your blog, I would like a link exchange with you, I insert your blog to my favorite blogs ;)
the address of my blog is: http://marcocrupifoto.blogspot.com/
- 21 December 2008 at 21:51
- Mike Hemsley said...
Yay! The words have arrived!
Check out the 'Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry'
- 27 December 2008 at 21:23
- Tim Budden said...
Thanks for all the comments. Decoupage is definitely the most eco friendly way to get rid of all my scraps!
- 28 December 2008 at 22:52
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Episode 2: Betrayal Between Brokers
As Heather's relationship with Josh Altman heats up, it begins to interfere with her work. Madison accuses Heather of sabotaging his business and takes swift action against her. With his heart on this sleeve and tempers flaring, Josh Altman vows to make Madison pay for messing with his girl. In Beverly Hills, a young socialite and rising fashion star turns to Josh Flagg to help her find a high-end hideout.


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An article in today's NYT highlighted the Community Model of education currently embraced by some schools in Cincinnati, Ohio. The model, based on the idea of the local school as a "community learning center" where all people from the community can come to learn about finances, health or other issues, is a stark contrast to the national model that revolves around standardized testing. The model is in place at 34 of the city's 55 public schools.
While the model has invigorated teachers and brought a host of new volunteers to city schools, the NYT reports that student academic performance is still low compared to the state average, as measured by standardized testing. Nevertheless, the scores it is achieving are a marked improvement from past years.
It is refreshing to learn that there is a model for elementary education that takes into account students physical and emotional needs. It's too bad others are still judging it by its test scores.


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Hardy to star in thriller Locke
Tom Hardy is set to lead the real-time thriller, Locke.
The Dark Knight Rises star has apparently signed on for Steven Knight's 90-minute film, which would follow a successful man who has to "race to save his life from unravelling after receiving a mysterious phone call", reported Screen Daily.
Steven, the writer of Eastern Promises, has penned Locke, which he will also direct.
Filming on the thriller, which is in a similar vein to Phone Booth starring Colin Farrell, will begin later this month in London.
Tom, who will next be seen in Mad Max: Fury Road with Charlize Theron, is attached to co-star with Noomi Rapace in both Child 44 and a forthcoming big-screen adaptation of Dennis Lehane's Animal Rescue.
PA Media


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|1969 Topps #612 Jack Aker
This latest card is of Jack Aker who's career Pilot's record was 0-2 in 15 games...in his entire career Jack was able to notch 123 career saves over his 11 year career.
|1969 Topps #612 Jack Aker
Ah, yes, Jack Aker, the first player rep of the Pilots.
Did he smoke them inside?
Did he pound the Budweiser?
I feel sorry for Aker. He spent years in the Finley KC - Oakland zoo (if I remember, he had a role in the whole Lew Krausse / Ken Harrelson kerfuffle) and then right to the Pilots.
Sometimes you grip the baseball - most of the time it grips you.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
Hello, My name is Christel Siepman. I am working in a project aimed on the inventarisation of enchytraeid species in different habitats. This year's round is aimed on/at enchytraeid species in forest litter/soil. Can anyone help me finding recent literature on enchytraeid species in forest litter? Or has anyone references on determination tables/characteristics? Thanks in advance! Christel Siepman <siepman at worldmail.nl> -- ANNELIDA LIST Discuss = <annelida at net.bio.net> = talk to all members Server = <biosci-server at net.bio.net> = un/subscribes Archives = http://www.bio.net/hypermail/annelida/ Resources = http://biodiversity.uno.edu/~worms/annelid.html --


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Other than the usual F45 sessions & drives out to the 1,000 steps, I checked out Laneway Festival with C and ate my way through Melbourne when my Perth friend K came to visit.
monthly summary
Monthly Round Up: December;
After the most incredible two weeks of my life in Hawaii, I flew back to Melbourne and spent the night at C's place before unpacking my new place and heading straight back to work (not the brightest idea let me tell you!)
Monthly Round Up: November;
Another day, another pop up! This time it was a pop up floating bar by the guys at Arbory. Other than Ponyfish Island, it would be good to have more permanent bars on the water because it's so lovely being near the river on a warm afternoon.
Monthly Round Up: October;
Living in Melbourne sure has its perks. It was the Australian Football grand final at the beginning of the month & because so many people fly to Melbourne to watch it/ be part of the atmosphere, the State government decided to make the Friday before a public holiday. Thanks guys!
Monthly Round Up: September;
September was another good month. It was a month with no study for the first time in four months & I spent the month exploring Melbourne & seeing friends.
Monthly Round Up: August;
August was good & bad. I spent half the month (as well as other months) studying for a really important verbal interview for my career development only to not pass (but not quite fail). Sad face. Lucky I get another opportunity to sit the interview again in three months time so I gave myself half the month off from study and it was bliss!
Monthly Round Up: July;
July was a relatively quiet month. Following my report submission last month, I spent this month studying and having mock interviews with industry professionals. Most days looked like this: wake up, work, study, work, gym/sauna and sleep.
The sauna is my go to place in the winter months, especially now that I'm living in Melbourne. I think there's nothing more relaxing than a sauna session before bed and when I finally decide what city I will base myself in, my future home will definitely have a sauna!
July wasn't ALL about herbanating. H moved over from New Zealand so we went to Myrtles Crepes one Sunday; I finally checked out Chez Dre`, Lentil as Anything & Axil Roasters. Highly recommend them all!
Haloumi & corn fritter from Axil Roasters. YUM!
& after talking to my housemate one evening and realising we both love Christmas, we hosted a little Xmas in July party at our place which fell on Saturday 25th (couldn't of been more perfect!)
We had a Christmas tree, santa hats/christmas sweaters, the best homemade gingerbread cookies, mulled wine and a room filled with lovely people. It honestly felt like Christmas.
Only 5 more months until Christmas time in December 😀


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This week I trekked down to Circuit City to get a very inexpensive ($14.99) copy of the 3-disc 50th anniversary edition of Cecil B. DeMille's classic "The Ten Commandments". As I was signing the credit card receipt I thought about the movie and started to chuckle. I handed the signed receipt back to the store clerk and said "So let it be written, so let it be done!"
He looked at me with an expression that told me he thought dementia was just around the corner.
I called and told my son what happened (even though he is in his early thirties, he came to appreciate the historic epics from a young age - thanks to his mother) and he said he couldn't believe how many people from the bible belt (he lives in the Chicago area now) have never even seen "Ben Hur"! He was totally aghast!
Anyway, the new edition, much like the anniversary edition of Ben Hur, contains
- Cecil B. DeMille's original 1923 silent version
- Hand-tinted footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea Sequence from the 1923 version
- Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of "Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic, The Ten Commandments," on both the 1956 and 1923 versions
- 6-part, 37-minute "making of" documentary, featuring interviews with Charlton Heston and composer Elmer Bernstein, among others
- Newsreel footage of the New York premiere
- 3 theatrical trailers: 1956 "Making of" trailer, 1966 re-release trailer, 1989 re-release trailer


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Prevalence Male
Prevalence Rates
The Campus Sexual Assault Study found that 1 in 16 cisgender men will be sexually assaulted in college
New research suggests that roughly 19 to 31% of male college students experience some degree of unwanted sexual contact.
The National Crime Victimization Survey found that 38% of the incidents of rape and sexual assault reported in the survey were against men.
Another survey found that nearly 1.267 million men have reported being victims of sexual violence.
One data analysis found 46% of male survivors reported a female perpetrator.
The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found that about 40% of gay men and 47% of bisexual men have experienced sexual violence in the US.
Evidence suggests that between 16 and 30% of boys with developmental disabilities would experience a form of sexual abuse before the age 18.
Approximately 40% of both middle and high school boys report being sexually harassed and about 28% reported being assaulted by peers.
Studies have shown that men with disabilities are almost twice as likely to experience abuse or coerced into sex compared to men without physical disabilities.
Little research has been done to investigate the trends of sexual assault against males, limiting our understanding of the prevalence of sexual violence against men and boys.


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Today, after 30 minutes on the elliptical, and a one hour Zumba class, I rushed home, changed, and head over to meet my wife for a meditation class. She had mentioned her friend and Yoga instructor Jazell before, but I never paid much mind to it. As an instructor at 24 Hour Fitness, Retro Fitness, and Crunch Fitness, I have access to a lot of different, amazing Yoga instructors each and every day of the week. To me, it's not logical to pay extra to go to another Yoga class when I have access to so many as part of my job. Good or not, the added cost could not be justified, unless it's hot yoga which I don't have access to at my gym.
This time she told me about a meditation class that the same instructor, Jazell was holding at the Santhigram Ayurveda center in Forest Hills. Meditation is something that I'm willing to try, so I gave it a go. The cost was $25 which you pay the owner at front desk, and I'm assuming that Jazell gets a cut of that. The class was held in the basement, away from all the hustle and bustle top side. We were a very intimate group, and that worked just fine for me.
Jazell perceived that I was somewhat uncomfortable, because I was. I don't accustom to sitting on pillows or rugs. I explained to her how I was slipping on the rug, and how I felt vulnerable and unable to react if I need to. She smiled and came up with a solution, she offered me this chair that was used for folks who didn't feel comfortable on the floor. My body is very tight, and I can't sit as comfortably as some of the more flexible folks can. In addition to that, I just feel mentally uncomfortable as well.
We started with some breaths, and that was interesting. A cool breath, and then a heating breath which I'm sure I was doing wrong for most of the class. Then we moved on the chakras, and the sounds. We worked our way up from the bottom chakra, and went up. I'm not entirely sure if I knocked out, or if I hit some higher level of meditation, cause I am not "aware" of having heard anything about the middle ones. We jumped from the bottom, to the top one when I returned to consciousness. However, I did hear the constant humming of the music playing.
I told Jazell, I think I knocked out, she said, "Did you?" as she smiled. She said, even though you think you were gone, your mind absorbed it. I shrugged and said okay, "Did I snore?" Cause if I snored, I was out. Lol. This is something that I'll definitely try again, it was interesting, and hopefully I'll gain more and more from it.
If you've never done meditation, give it a go. She is at Forest Hills, every Thursday at 7pm. The cost for the hour is $25, and I think it's worth a try. In this day and age, we spend so much time outside, that we rarely make the time to take a look inside. I'm trying to balance that out, for mental and physical benefit. More on that when you read my experience on Sensory Deprivation Floats!
Angel Rodriguez
Latest posts by Angel Rodriguez (see all)
- My Zumba Evolution - 11-14-2019
- NYCTALKING 11: The human shield - 11-13-2019
- My first Zumba famous Masterclass: Ricardo Marmitte - 11-12-2019


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We are delighted to report that Ken Johnson of the New York Times has selected our lithograph by Rodolphe Bresdin, Le Bon Samaritain as one of his highlights of this year's IFPDA Print Fair at the Park Avenue Armory, New York. It is a wonderful, detailed image populated by mysterious creatures hidden in the shadows of the forest.
To read the full article, please click here.
You can see this masterpiece in the flesh on our Booth 202. The fair runs today and tomorrow 12-8pm and Sunday 12-6pm. For a complimentary ticket, please contact email@example.com.


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Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Legislated Training
Businesses that invest in their people always wonder what kind of return on investment (ROI) they can expect. Assessment tools are the basis for the staff's development plan and its budget.
Some learners prefer knowledge and skills that are more practical in nature and others prefer more intellectual stimulation. Understanding this can help a business decide on who qualifies for what type of training.
This course will prepare staff to be able to assist in fire fighting and protection against fires. It includes information about the fire triangle, typical fires, classification of fires and safety clothes, methods of fire fighting etc.
Orientation for all who works with chemicals for a safer farm. Course will adress the purpose of a stock room, safety and hygiene, danger signs, protective clothing,command signs and teach correct storage management practices.
This course will cover the following contents:
- Safety of the operator, plants and products and the environement.
- Tractor & PTO connections, the Spraypump and Nozzles.
- Following spray instructions.
- Operational Procedures for a sprayer operator.
- Practicals
Overall safer environment for anyone who work or live on the farm including basic health and safety, safe handling of food and personal hygiene.
Tractors are expensive and dangerous if not handled correctly. Knowledge and practical testing make us confidence that learners are given. This course will cover topics like: History of a tractor, maintenance of cooling system, radiator cap, fan belt, thermostat, temperature gauge, air cleaner, oil, filters, battery, alternator, diesel, clutch, brakes, hand break gearbox, etc.
This course will aim to sensitize staff about how use the resources like water and electricity responsibly.


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Light Up The Night
Light up the night at your wedding reception, party or fundraiser with elegant lighting effects at The Farmhouse. The Farmhouse is now offering custom accent Ballroom colors, adding to its array of boutique venue options. All the colors in the rainbow are in your pallet. Choose as many colors as you wish, a special few, or just one to set the mood. Your color confidence will infuse your guests' experience. Your occasion will be even more tailored to your special tastes, reflecting your unique style.
To make an appointment to discuss plans for your occasion, call 908-735-7889 or click on the "CONTACT US" button below.


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Basic Essentials to Help Your Hair Grow Faster
It is no surprise that many women wonder how to make their hair grow faster - find out the best secrets and methods to get the hair of your dreams!
Many of us consider a luxurious head of long and silky hair to be a symbol of femininity, romance and tenderness. But if the nature wasn't very fair to you in this respect and the hair extensions are out of your budget, there are a few tricks that you can try to make you hair grow faster. The main thing is to come to understand that miracles only happen in fairy tales so the process of hair growth acceleration will largely depend upon the individual type of hair and scalp and the current state of your overall health. Not even the most sophisticated and expensive cosmetics are able to help the body that is unhealthy and vitamin deficient.
Equally important for the growth of the hair is the emotional aspect. Any worries and stress are immediately reflected during brushing and combing – instead of the usual 100 strands a day, you will be losing handfuls of damaged hair, and any efforts to accelerate their growth will be in vain. The absence of stress, along with wholesome, vitamins and minerals enriched diet and improved blood circulation to the scalp according to the consensus of medical trichologists are the basis for fast hair growth, and its rate will be different for each individual. On average, hair grows 10-13 mm per month, although in the healthy body this number can be improved by 3-5 mm.
To start hair growth acceleration, you need to review your daily steps of hair care. Excessively hot water, used for hair washing, damages hair follicles, resulting in hair loss and excessive oil secretions on the scalp. And to ensure rapid hair growth, you need to have a healthy scalp, where there is no place for dandruff or flaking. To improve the blood flow to the scalp, you have to slowly brush your hair every day with a soft massage brush with rubber teeth.If you need to wash your hair daily, use a soft and mild shampoo that will correspond to the frequency.
Styling products will also need to be used moderately as they often tend to cause the irritation of the scalp. When using a hair dryer, be very careful, trying not to affect the hair roots.Next, you have to reconsider you diet, as the lack minerals such as iodine, zinc, chromium, manganese and magnesium is one of the causes of poor hair growth. Therefore, if you are serious about hair growth, forget for a while about all other diets and eat whole grains, milk, cheese, nuts, fruits and green vegetables which replenish the minerals your body needs.Mechanical assistance provided for faster hair growth should not be limited to just brushing.
To improve the processes of micro-circulation and blood flow to the hair follicles, it is useful to perform regular head massages, for instance during hair washing. And of course the best results will be achieved with specialized treatment methods, designed to accelerate hair growth. They include mesotherapeutic injections, ozone therapy, physiotherapy and medical massage.Additional cosmetic products, containing menthol, arnica or pepper extracts will not only strengthen the hair, but will also stimulate its growth. Just use them with caution, because they have burning effect, corresponding to their ingredients.
Some of the natural folk remedies have also established themselves as effective methods of caring for sensitive scalp.
For example, masks from burdock and castor oil, and decoctions of burdock, onion peel, oak and nettle to accelerate hair growth and strength have long been known for their effective properties.
While visiting a hair salon, give preference to haircuts performed with hot scissors as they seal the hair ends. This will allow the hair to preserve the moisture, healthy appearance and required vitamins – the factors which will increase the intensity of hair growth.


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During my time at LNP, I was responsible for producing videos as well as managing all studio productions. I directed several live studio productions with local chefs and recorded live performances from local bands and musicians.
Chef Barbie Marshall cooks a cranberry and citrus chutney
Austin Criswell performs in the LNP Studio
Capital Day Interview with Matt Johnson and Joe Devoy


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Saturday, 28 February 2009
Getting out the instruments – 10 points
If you work with children, how was your last experience of working with musical instruments? Did it border on chaos? Were you left hoarse and exhausted with a splitting headache? I'm talking here about 'real' classroom instruments from the percussion trolley or cupboard. I've witnessed and officiated over stressful lessons with electronic keyboards too but I'll save my thoughts on those particular delights for another time.
So the worst case scenario goes like this: You get out the instruments and hand one to each child. While you are doing this the children are either experimenting with or complaining about the instrument they have or, if they are still waiting, begging for one of those yet to be distributed. By now you are tense and irritated and begin issuing threats and administering sanctions. The 'good' kids get nervous and frustrated. The 'bad' kids sense an opportunity. And you haven't even started. The lesson continues in the same vein and you don't get through half what you had hoped. And you vow never to put yourself through that again.
Consider the following:
1. The only other school equipment that is given the colour scheme of a toy shop or sweet shop is found in the gymnasium. It's far less noisy for a start and the kids get to run off their excitement. (Are the computers in the IT room given the rainbow treatment? I don't think so.)
2. The excitement generated by the sight of all this wonderful gear is in inverse proportion to the opportunities to use it. And then some. It's basic economics: scarcity increases interest. The less often you get the stuff out the worse it's going to be when you do.
3. The sweet shop analogy is very apt. Perhaps the only difference is that sweets make less noise to begin with and are enjoyed in relative silence. But children want to know what they all taste like.
4. Decide what activity, game or exercise you want to share and which instruments you are going to use.
5. A class of about thirty children is going to be unmanageable. The only way to make it work is to rule with a rod of iron but this will crush the spirit of exploration and is likely to turn many off music for ever. Music should be fun.
6. So split the group into as many groups as you have responsible adults. This should take your group size from about thirty down to about fifteen. If you are the only adult the following exercise will be more challenging, less than ideal but not necessarily impossible.
7. Clear away the tables and chairs and have everybody sit in a circle (or circles) on the floor. Circles give a sense of belonging – everyone is included and everyone can see what's going on and when their turn will come. Allow them to kneel if they prefer – it's a more dynamic posture. Have the circles as far away from each other as possible.
8. Take two of the same instrument and, if there is anything you think they might not discover easily for themselves, demonstrate it to the group. Pass one to the person on your left, the other to the person on your right. Ask each person to explore the instrument for a moment and pass it on. Some may take longer than others and this is OK. Peer pressure will usually prevent anyone taking too long. When the instruments meet across the circle take them back and put one of them 'away'.
9. Tell the group you will make a sound on the instrument and pass it on. You want each person to try to make a different sound from the person who gave to them. The group may only think of two different sounds and this is OK. Just let them alternate these. It forces them to listen to the sounds that are being made and watch the others as they try to make them.
10. Repeat these two processes with all the instruments you intend to use. Think of it as a tasting session. If the instruments were food items you would want to try them individually. Children are likely to cram their mouths with all manner of conflicting flavours if given free rein in a sweet shop: it's only natural. You are helping them develop a more sophisticated sonic palate.
Now you are ready to hand out the instruments and get on with your lesson plan. The children may still be disappointed with their allocation but at least they will have had a go on everything and will less desperate to sample everyone else's.
Remember to take everything slowly, step by step. The more gradual the process, the more relaxed you'll feel. If you are not enjoying yourself, ask yourself why. As with any other activity, your confidence and sense of wonder will inspire your students.
Posted by Jonathan at 14:18 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: children, education, musical instruments, percussion, school, teaching
Friday, 20 February 2009
This is a way of getting reluctant singers, especially young children, to activate their vocal cords. First you need to get them humming. If you anticipate resistance even here then break the ice by treating them to your impression of a refrigerator and ask them to name them the familiar household item you are pretending to be. Obviously, if they are unfamiliar with fridges you'll have to think of something else. Before you head off down a tangent, invite them to try their own refrigerator impression.
By now everyone should be humming. Try getting them to explore the tingling feeling in their lips. If they can't feel any tingling ask them to smile and, at the same time, hold their lips together less tightly, so they are just touching. Now see if they can move the sound up into their nose for a more nasal tone. And down into their throat – is it less buzzy on the lips down there? Humming at a higher pitch can help bring the sound into the head, a lower pitch can bring it naturally into the chest.
All this, useful as it is, is just to distract them so they are willing to attempt the next step. By now they should be happy to copy whatever you are doing. As you hum and smile, let your lips part for a moment, making a mummmm sound. Repeat this action: mum-mum-mum and so on, on a single out-breath. If your students are copying you then they are singing. Before you share the fact with, try the following escalation.
Instead of just opening your mouth slightly to make a mum sound, make longer mah-mmah-mmah sounds. The mouth should alternate between open and shut in a steady and even rhythm. Make a big show of opening your mouth wide and closing it again. Your students will naturally copy this, some more emphatically than others, and now you can tell them what wonderful singers they are. A simple song for them to sing would be a good way of consolidating your gains at this point.
Don't dwell on any stage of this activity. As soon as you think they are getting it move on quickly. Time in which to become self-conscious will be stop the flow and scupper your efforts.
Posted by Jonathan at 17:38 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: children, education, free music game, sing, technique
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
I am starting work on two projects in different primary schools later this month. In both cases the schools are interested in encouraging the exploration of soundscapes. Although their approaches differ, each school has recently invested in a number small microphones that contain a 128MB memory. Called Easi-Speaks http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Product.aspx?cref=TTSPR1081690, they look and feel like toys which is great because they are lightweight, robust and not in the least intimidating. Being unfamiliar with them I borrowed an Easi-Speak and took it on a trip to Amsterdam last weekend.
I have a Zoom H4 that I use for location recording because it is very portable and records high quality wav files. It has phantom power for external mics as well as a stereo pair of high quality built-in mics. It runs on a pair of AA batteries, records in a variety of formats and has virtually limitless memory, especially if I take along a spare flash card. It will fit in any large pocket.
The Easi-Speak records mp3 files at 128kbps or wav files at64kbps, neither of which makes for hi-fidelity but which makes its memory go much further. To charge its integral battery it requires a dedicated charger or else a computer that will charge it via its USB port. This can be a problem in the field, as I discovered when I accidentally left it switched on, although not recording, and the battery went flat. I don't know how easy it would be to incorporate an automatic switch off if it has been idle for any length of time. I can see this being a problem for children on field trips. The good news is that files already recorded into the memory are not lost.
The microphone doubles as a loudspeaker and there is a headphone socket so it is possible to play back files although, without any kind of display, playback is best done via a computer when back at base.
One feature I am very pleased to find omitted is 'automatic level control'. When ghetto blasters came fitted with a microphone – useful for recording band rehearsals onto cassette back in the eighties – they automatically adjusted the volume level to prevent overloading the medium. A crude form of compression, in fact. In a nutshell it makes the loud sounds quieter and the quiet sounds louder, including all the background noise you would rather do without. On my test-run I recorded myself approaching a barrel organ, passing by and walking on. If I play the sound back now and close my eyes I can see it all vividly as the music fades in and out again. With automatic level control the volume would have remained fairly constant with background noise and hiss morphing into music and back to noise again.
The downside is that it is possible to overload the microphone by holding it too close to the mouth when singing or speaking, but good microphone technique is a useful skill that is easily acquired. Given the choice I would always opt for the ability to control levels myself, even if the odd take is ruined by overloading the mic.
So, all in all, a fabulous piece of kit for the money – a mere £29.99 from the manufacturers (less if you buy five at a time). Just as for some trips you just want to take along a little point-and-shoot camera rather than a bulky SLR, so this is tiny enough to carry on the off chance of coming across something interesting. I want one! And I'm looking forward to learning a few tricks from the kids when we take them with us on field trips.
Posted by Jonathan at 21:03 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: children, Easi-Speak, location, recording, sound, technique, technology
Thursday, 12 February 2009
Of birds and Bach
What's your favourite sound? I have many and would have found that a very difficult question to answer until some years ago when something very pleasant, but completely unexpected, happened. At the time I was working in a number of schools in Norwich and Norfolk and spending far too long in my car driving between them. The car was not a great place to be and this was largely because it was filled with the sound of its driver cursing other road users for clogging up the roads. One day I was looking for something on the radio to take my mind off yet another stressful journey when I came across a station broadcasting birdsong. It turned out that the soon-to-be-launched Classic FM was using the sounds of birds for the purpose of testing its signal.
I was reminded of this when I woke this morning. Although I live close to the city centre my bedroom looks out over the well established gardens of large Victorian houses. The trees are many and various making for a habitat that supports a respectable population of birds. I've seen plenty of sparrows, robins, blackbirds and blue-tits as well as woodpeckers, magpies, pigeons and collared doves. A heron visits occasionally, to clear urban ponds of fish, along with a raptor of some kind that I'm told is after the pigeons.
As the dark and dreary winter drags on, one compensation is that one does not need to rise very early in order to hear the dawn chorus. But a city dawn chorus in February is no substitute for a forest in June, however leafy the streets and gardens. When I was studying for a diploma I was required to harmonise Bach chorals from which one or more parts had been removed. (It's a kind of Sudoku for musical theorists - puzzling, satisfying when completed and there's a vague hope that it's doing some good.) Like those incomplete chorals February's dawn chorus seems too thin, missing the parts played by birds holidaying elsewhere and lacking the majestic fullness of sound that a bigger population would provide. Roll on summer and holidays out of town.
Posted by Jonathan at 16:14 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: Bach, birds, dawn chorus, radio
Monday, 9 February 2009
Sweet sound of success
Last week I sent an eleven year old home with instructions to persevere. She had been unable to get a sound out of her flute in her first lesson and was rather despondent. She came back this morning complaining that she hadn't been able to get a sound out of the instrument. There followed the reasons that I love so much. The flute needs a polish. The head joint is dirty inside and we've lost the cleaning rod.
We began trying to make a sound. Each out-breath was followed by at least a minute spent telling me that she couldn't do it. We tried various positions to no avail. We made sure the air was being directed in a narrow stream. Eventually I realised that the child was exhaling so slowly that her breath wouldn't have misted a mirror on a cold day. It was like a kettle on the stove, just beginning to make a sound but nowhere near whistling. When I asked how hard she would blow to extinguish the candles on a birthday cake we made a breakthrough. And then we'd run out of time but there was relief and smiles all round.
She came back at break (recess), full of enthusiasm, so while I waited for my next student I taught her her first note. I'm looking forward to hearing how much her tone has improved after the half term holiday.
Posted by Jonathan at 20:53 No comments: Links to this post
Saturday, 7 February 2009
Ant music
Well, not really, but did anyone else hear the article on BBC Radio 4 yesterday about naturalists who had managed to insert microphones and a tiny speaker into an ants' nest? Apparently it has been known for some time that these insects make sounds when they are under threat and of course any disturbance of their nest will be seen as hostile. On this occasion the researchers succeeded in recording sounds of 'happy' ants. Different ants make different sounds, depending on their function in the colony, in order to communicate with their fellows. The sounds were played back to them and their behaviour observed.
This was all done in order to learn how some insects manage to live as aliens inside ant colonies by tricking their hosts into believing they are neither aggressors nor food. I have searched the BBC for more about this and drawn a blank. I must assume I have received a lesson in the importance of attentive listening but it is something I will try to follow up.
Posted by Jonathan at 13:20 No comments: Links to this post
Thursday, 5 February 2009
The sounds of the thaw
I realise that for many this may be a little premature or even irrelevant. If so then bear with me because this post is really about ephemeral sounds. This morning, walking with my daughter to school, I heard sounds that only happen when snow is melting. The sounds of slush: feet in slush, wheels of bicycles and cars in slush. There's a wet but slightly crunchy quality to that.
The sounds of water dripping without it raining at the same time. Water dripping or running onto surfaces and objects. These sounds are audible with a clarity that doesn't exist if they are accompanied by the patter of rain. My favourite was water dripping from gutters two stories up onto the new blue wheelie bins we have in this part of town for our recyclable waste. They must have been emptied very recently and had a hollow, tubby sound to them that only they could make.
So what could have been a pretty miserable journey, with my inadequate shoes letting in water (to remind me to polish them), became something in which I could take pleasure. Enough, at least, to take my mind of the coldness of my feet. And the moral in case you haven't already guessed? Enjoy the sounds around you, especially those you don't hear often. Listen hard enough and there's nearly always something to reward you.
Posted by Jonathan at 17:02 No comments: Links to this post
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Teaching disturbed children
Some years ago I taught woodwind to students aged 11 to 18 in a special school for children who were being given one last chance. If this didn't work out for them their next home would be secure accommodation of one sort or another. Some had been traumatised by severe abuse at home, some were from good homes but were chronic offenders and others had mental health issues that gave rise to antisocial behaviour. In short, they were challenging.
Enter me. At the time I was teaching woodwind in a number of private and state schools, as well as privately in a desirable part of town. My expectations of my students, and of myself, were high. Success meant achieving good marks for my pupils in their Associated Board exams. If one of them had an issue with an aspect of their technique, or made a mistake in a piece, I would point it out and together we would address the problem.
What I wasn't used to was students who would assemble their saxophone with the crook (the top part) pointing the wrong way week after week, students who wouldn't accept they'd made a mistake in a piece of music and would fly into a rage if I even suggested it, students with attention spans shorter than a chocolate commercial, students who storm out of the lesson shouting and swearing and students who weren't in the mood that day so decided not to come.
I spent the first few weeks wondering how best to explain to my employers that these kids were unlikely to pass their grade one exams any time soon. When I finally plucked up the courage I discovered that they didn't care. They were interested in giving their students a new experience. They wanted to add value to these kids of a kind that a pass or fail at grade one couldn't measure.
And so I began to see things differently too. I learned to tell when a very angry fifteen year old was in a receptive mood and when to forget the clarinet and listen to her rail against the world instead. I learned to savour moments such as the first time a boy whose body, the visible parts anyway, was covered in burn scars, put the crook on his saxophone the right way round without prompting. I learned to appreciate the gradual increases in his co-ordination skills.
It won't surprise you to know that my attitude to teaching 'normal' students changed as a result of working at that school. People learn for all sorts of reasons that are not goal-oriented and to assume they all aspire to greatness is a mistake. My students in the special school were extreme examples but the principle is the same: strive to find out what it is they need and add value where you can. For most of your students that really is the best thing you can offer them.
Posted by Jonathan at 12:49 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: children, instrumental, music, school, special needs, teaching, woodwind
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Leader Follower
I have just posted this month's free game at playwithsound.com It's an exercise called Leader Follower that I've played at many workshops, my own and other people's and its enduring popularity is testament to its usefulness. It's very good for building trust between the members of a group as well as being an effective bridge to games involving blindfolds. It involves a group of 'leaders' each of whom guides a temporarily sightless 'follower' around a space At the end of the exercise the followers almost always feel disorientated when they open their eyes. I thought it would be fun to explore this feeling so I've given the game a sonic twist, making it more of a listening experience. This, in turn, may help players relax into their sightless state.
Posted by Jonathan at 14:16 No comments: Links to this post
Labels: blindfold, free music game, leader follower, listening
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A South Florida man claims he was refused a hair transplant because he is HIV positive, and now he's suing the doctor who denied him the new do for discrimination.
Diego Del Rio went to the Age Defying Surgical Center in Fort Lauderdale to approve his appearance, but Dr. Brett Bolton turned him down once he learned of Del Rio's condition.
"Their medical staff told me 'We will not do the procedure because you are HIV positive.' I told them, 'This is discrimination,' and they stated 'No it's not,'" Del Rio said.
Del Rio had undergone one hair transplant before at another facility, but ADSC allegedly told Del Rio that they don't accept patients with a history of HIV or hepatitis.
Del Rio's lawyer, Matthew Dietz, said this policy is in direct contradiction of a 1988 Florida law.
"The big picture here is that people cannot be in any way discriminated against because of their aids or their HIV status," Dietz said. "There's no excuse because there's not one doctor in the state of Florida that doesn't know this. Issues like this should not happen in this day and age."
Bolton wouldn't comment and referred all questions to his lawyer, who said he also wouldn't speak because the lawsuit is pending.
Del Rio said he just wants back a piece of his dignity.
"People try to make you feel very belittled and it's a sensation I can't put into words," Del Rio said.


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Product Information
Ingredients: mica, carnauba wax, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, ultramarines, magnesium myristrate, methicone.
Size: 5g jar, full size.
Other: Vegan, not lip safe
About Detrivore Cosmetics
Detrivore Cosmetics is an indie gothic makeup company. Made in the USA & distributed by Shiro Cosmetics.
Swatch courtesy of Shiro Cosmetics.


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Every batch of Glas™ liquid is mixed to the highest standards for consistancy and quality of flavor using the best flavorings and ingredients we can find to create one of the finest e-liquids available on the market.
Each one of our bespoke flavors have been crafted through a rigorous development process in order to birth truly unique flavor profiles. Great care and attention is placed on finding the best combination of ingedients to give you the best overall flavor.
In order to deliver an e-liquid worthy of the Glas name an entirely new bottle had to be designed that offers additional room for a full 30ml or 15ml of liquid – unlike traditional bottles which need space for the dropper. This means Glas™ liquid delivers value in addition to quality.
Glas™ began with developing the world's best mechanical devices, and using that same drive for excellence we have created an e-liquid worthy of wearing the Glas™ name.
WARNING: Our products contain nicotine, a poisonous and addictive substance. Our products are only intended for committed smokers of legal smoking age and not by non-smokers, children, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant or any person with anelevated risk of, or preexisting condition of, any medical condition which includes, but is not limited to, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma. If you experience any side effects or possible side effects, stop using the product immediately and consult a physician. Product may be poisonous if orally ingested. Our products are not smoking cessation products and have not been tested or guaranteed as such. Our products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration nor is it intended to treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. For their protection, please keep out of reach of children and pets.
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Cyber Threats
From NetSysLab
(This project is a collaboration between NetSysLab and LERSSE)
More info on the project can be found at LERSSE here.
A CBC Radio discussion about our socialbot work, a BBC one, another one on CBC, and yet another two in German on DRK (Deutschlandradio Kaltur) and DRW (Deutschlandradio Wissen).
A good summary in an ACM Interactions Magazine cover story: Socialbots: voices from the fronts
Our personal and professional lives have gone digital: we live, work and play in cyberspace. We use the Internet, computers, cell phones and mobile devices every day to talk, email, text and socialize with family, friends and colleagues.
The goal of this project is to understand what makes these systems, online social networks in particular, vulnerable to cyber attacks, and inform new designs that lead to systems less vulnerable to both human exploits (i.e., social engineering) and technical exploits (i.e., platform hacks).
Rise of the Socialbots: Large-Scale Infiltration in Online Social Networks
Online Social Networks (OSNs) have become an integral part of today's Web. Politicians, celebrities, revolutionists, and others use OSNs as a podium to deliver their message to millions of active web users. Unfortunately, in the wrong hands, OSNs can be used to run astroturf campaigns in order to spread misinformation and propaganda. Such campaigns usually start off by infiltrating a targeted OSN on a large scale.
In this project, we evaluate how vulnerable OSNs are to a large-scale infiltration by socialbots: computer programs that control OSN accounts and mimic real users. We adopt a traditional web-based botnet design and build a Socialbot Network (SbN): a group of adaptive socialbots that are orchestrated in a command-and-control fashion. We operated such an SbN on Facebook—a 750 million user OSN—for 8 weeks. We collected data related to users' behavior in response to a large-scale infiltration, where the socialbots are used to connect to a large number of Facebook users.
Our results show that (1) OSNs, such as Facebook, can be infiltrated with a success rate of up to 80%, (2) depending on users' privacy settings, a successful infiltration can result in privacy breaches where even more users' data are exposed, and (3) in our case, OSN security defenses, such as the Facebook Immune System, have not been effective enough in detecting or stopping the large-scale infiltration as it occured.
There's an old New Yorker cartoon: "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." Socialbots are a bit like that.
The Defence Side: Thwarting Fake OSN Accounts by Predicting their Victims
Traditional defense mechanisms for fighting against automated fake account infiltration in online social networks are victim-agnostic. Even though victims of fake accounts play an important role in the viability of subsequent attacks, there is no work on utilizing this insight to improve the status quo. We propose to incorporate predictions about victims of unknown fakes into the workflows of existing defense mechanisms. We investigate how such an integration could lead to more robust fake account defense mechanisms. We demonstrate also use real-world datasets to demonstrate that predicting victims is feasible.
- [10] Harvesting the Low-hanging Fruits: Defending Against Automated Large-Scale Cyber Intrusions by Focusing on the Vulnerable Population, Hassan Halawa, Konstantin Beznosov, Yazan Boshmaf, Baris Coskun, Matei Ripeanu and Elizeu Santos-Neto, New Security Paradigms Workshop (NSPW 2016), September 2016 Denver, CO. pdf slides
- [9] Integro: Leveraging Victim Prediction for Robust Fake Account Detection in Large Scale OSNs, Yazan Boshmaf, Dionysios Logothetis, Georgos Siganos, Jorge Lería, Jose Lorenzo, Matei Ripeanua, Konstantin Beznosov, Hassan Halawa, Elsevier Computers and Security Journal, accepted May 2016 pdf
- [8] Thwarting Fake OSN Accounts by Predicting their Victims, Yazan Boshmaf, Matei Ripeanu, Konstantin Beznosov, Elizeu Santos-Neto, 8th ACM Workshop on Artificial Intelligence and Security (AI-Sec), Denver, CO, November 2015. pdf slides
- [7] Integro: Leveraging Victim Prediction for Robust Fake Account Detection in OSNs, Yazan Boshmaf, Dionysions Logothetis, Georgios Siganos, Jorge Leria, Jose Lorenzo, Matei Ripeanu, Konstantin Beznosov, 2015 Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium, February 8-11, 2015, San Diego, CA (acceptance rate: 50/305=16.3%) pdf slides
- [6] Graph-based Sybil Detection in Social and Information Systems, Yazan Boshmaf, Konstantin Beznosov, Matei Ripeanu, 2013 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining ASONAM, Niagara Falls, Canada, August 2013. (acceptance rate: 13%, best paper award) pdf Technical Report
- [5] Design and Analysis of a Social Botnet, Yazan Boshmaf, Ildar Muslukhov, Konstantin Beznosov, Matei Ripeanu, Elsevier Computer Networks, Special Issue on Botnet Activity: Analysis, Detection and Shutdown. pdf
- [4] Key Challenges in Defending against Malicious Socialbots, Yazan Boshmaf, Ildar Muslukhov, Konstantin Beznosov, Matei Ripeanu, 5th USENIX Workshop on Large-Scale Exploits and Emergent Threats (LEET'12), collocated with USENIX NSDI'12, San Jose, CA, April 2012 (acceptance rate: 18%). link pdf slides video
- [3] The Socialbot Network: Are Social Botnets Possible?, Yazan Boshmaf, Ildar Muslukov, Konstantin Beznosov, Matei Ripeanu, ACM Interactions Magazine, March-April 2012, pp45-46 pdf
- [2] Branded with a Scarlet "C": Cheaters in a Gaming Social Network, Jeremy Blackburn, Ramanuja Simha, Nicolas Kourtellis, Xiang Zuo, Matei Ripeanu, John Skvoretz, Adriana Iamnitchi, World Wide Web Conference (WWW'12), Lyon, France, April 2012. (acceptance rate: 80/655 = 12.2%) pdf
- [1] The Socialbot Network: When Bots Socialize for Fame and Money, Yazan Boshmaf, Ildar Muslukhov, Konstantin Beznosov, Matei Ripeanu, Annual Computer Security Applications Conference (ACSAC), December 2011. (acceptance rate 39/195=20%, best paper award) link (preliminary version presented as a poster at USENIX Security Symposium, August 2011 link) For an extended and updated discussion, please refer to the TR
- [4] The Socialbot Network: When Bots Socialize for Fame and Money, March 2013, Telefonica, Barcelona slides
- [3] Security Analysis of Social Bots on the Web, Yazan Boshmaf, Ildar Muslukhov, Konstantin Beznosov, and Matei Ripeanu, presentation at Humboldt Colloquium (Toronto), Nov 2012 link
- [2] Socialbots: A Security Perspective, Yazan Boshmaf, Konstantin Beznosov, and Matei Ripeanu, guest lecture at the University of Washington - Bothell, WA, March 2012
- [1] Automated social engineering attacks in OSNs, Yazan Boshmaf, Konstantin Beznosov, and Matei Ripeanu, presentation for The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (Ottawa), May 2010 link
Ethics Considerations
- Our objective is to help improve the security and privacy of online systems. We believe that controlled, minimal-risk realistic experiments are the only way to reliably estimate the feasibility of an attack in real-world. These experiments allow us, and the wider research community, to get a genuine insight into the ecosystem of cyber attacks, which are useful in understanding how they may behave and how to defend against them. We carefully design our experiments in order to reduce any potential risk at the user side by following known practices, and we get the approval of our university's behavioral research ethics board before conducting any experiment. We strongly encrypt and properly anonymize all collected data, which we completely delete after we finish any planned data analysis.
Media Highlights
- [2] The New Scientist Magazine: Inside Facebook's massive cyber-security system. link
- [3] BBC: Socialbots used by researchers to 'steal' Facebook data. link
- [4] Vancouver Sun: Facebook fails to stop bots accessing personal information. link and another link
- [5] CBC: Facebook easily infiltrated, mined for personal info. link
- [6] Huffington Post: Sniffing out Socialbots - The combustive potential of social media-based algorithms. link
- [7] InfoWorld: Your Facebook friends may be evil bots. link
- [8] NYTimes: I Flirt and Tweet. Follow me at #socialbot link
- [9] Others in English: [1] [2] [3], German: [4] [5], French: [6] [7], Russian: [8] [9], Hebrew: [10], Czech [11], Turkish [12], Chinese [13], Italian [14], Spanish [15], Greek [16]
- [10] Many more
- So what is a socialbot?
A Socialbot is an automation software that controls a user profile in a particular online social network such as Facebook. A socialbots is capable of executing commands that result in operations related to either social interactions (e.g., posting a status update), or the social graph structure (i.e., sending a connection request). These commands are either sent by the command and control center (the botmaster), or predefined locally on each socialbot. With carefully defined commands, a socialbots can imitate real users and pass itself off as a human being.
- How do they infiltrate social networks, what's the method?
Socialbots infiltrate social networks by obtaining social connections between the controlled profiles and other profiles on the network. To do this, they pretend that their profiles are of real people. If they pretend well, users are likely to accept their friendship requests, and the social network administrators are unlikely to detect them.
- Now, are they a threat to online social networks?
Potentially yes, and in a number of ways: First, by becoming friends with social network users, socialbots can harvest private user data and content. For example, our 102 socialbots have collected over 46K e-mail addresses, over 500K birth dates, over 14K postal addresses, and over 16K phone numbers.
Second, socialbots can be used to perform surveillance by collecting status updates, pictures, and other content posted by social network users, depending on their privacy settings.
- So this is about just mining private information or is there a bigger threat?
The bigger threat of large infiltration by socialbots is the erosion of the trust between users --- the basic fabric of online social network. Moreover, with millions of websites integrating social networking platforms, the socialbots can be used to post fake comments, make misguiding recommendations, and contribute biased product ratings online.
- Can they be used to hijack or manipulate social movements then?
Possibly yes, because if people believe that the profiles controlled by socialbots are of real people, then these people could be influenced by opinions posted by the socialbots, or even follow calls for action.
- So how do we guard against socialbots?
As with any other socio-technical system, there are technical and human aspects of the answer to this question. Users can be helped in making better decisions when accepting connections requests. For example, increasing the awareness of the risks associated with accepting requests from strangers could partially improve the situation.
At the same time, technology should do a better job on two fronts: First, in assisting users with connection requests by employing better graphical interfaces that communicate potential risks. Second, social network operators can make the Socialbot Network business more difficult (and therefore less profitable) by, for example, improving the accuracy and the speed of detecting and blocking bots.
- What has happened to your army of social bots, are they still active?
Our army was so small, 102 socialbots in total. It was more a social club than an army :)
By the end of our experiments (March, 2011), 20 of the bots were blocked by Facebook. By the end of October, when media started discussing our findings, most of the profiles controlled by our socialbots got blocked. Now, at most 15 are alive but dormant.
- Any ideas on how the use of socialbots will develop in the near future?
We expect to see the socialbots being used in Social Architecture, where advanced technologies are used to enable large-scale structuring of social groups and communities online. Accordingly, intelligent socialbots are expected to be used to interact with, promote, or provoke online communities towards certain behaviors. The vision of such a technology is to enable social network operators or third-parties to actively shape the social structure of online social networks in order to produce desired outcomes. For example, online communities can be "stitched" together to promote understanding and cooperation between human users on civic and humanitarian issues. This, however, has its own security and privacy concerns that have to be studies before making such a technology public.
- How far are we from a bot passing the Turing test?
The Turing test is a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior. Thus, predicting how far we are from passing a Turing test is open for discussion and depends on the type of the test in question. One thing, however, is clear: As machine learning and computational power advance, the day when a machine effectively passes the test gets closer and closer.


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GERD – Medications Can Irritate the Condition
As many of you know, my husband has been dealing with the effects of GERD for many years. This condition continues to be problematic for many people–and what's worse is that the medications used to treat this condition is actually causing more harm than good. I continue to read reports that explain how antacids add to the problem of acid reflux by creating a more acidic environment in the stomach. There are other medications that can cause problems as well, so I thought I'd share them with you. In future posts, I'll share even more culprits that trigger the frustrations of GERD.
I found this article on the Mayo Clinic site, which I frequent often. It's an answer by Michael F. Picco, M.D. to this question:
I've heard that some medications can aggravate the symptoms of GERD. Can you tell me more?
Certain medications and dietary supplements can irritate the lining of your esophagus, causing heartburn pain, and others can increase the severity of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). GERD is a chronic condition in which stomach acid flows back (refluxes) into your esophagus. This backwash of acid causes irritation and inflammation of the lining of your esophagus.
Medications and dietary supplements that can irritate your esophagus and cause heartburn pain include:
• Antibiotics, such as tetracycline
• Bisphosphonates taken orally, such as alendronate (Fosamax), ibandronate (Boniva) and risedronate (Actonel)
• Iron supplements
• Quinidine
• Pain relievers, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and aspirin
• Potassium supplements
Medications and dietary supplements that can increase acid reflux and worsen GERD include:
• Anticholinergics, such as oxybutynin (Ditropan XL), prescribed for overactive bladder and irritable bowel syndrome
• Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, doxepin, others)GERD
• Calcium channel blockers and nitrates used for high blood pressure and heart disease
• Narcotics (opioids), such as codeine, and those containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Lortab, Norco, Vicodin)
• Progesterone
• Quinidine
• Sedatives or tranquilizers, including benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and temazepam (Restoril)
• Theophylline (Elixophyllin, Theochron)
If you have GERD, ask your doctor if medications you take may affect your symptoms and HOW.
And remember, it's so much easier to use food as medicine. Ask me how!


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In memory of family and friends who have lost the battle with cancer; and in support of the ones who continue to conquer it! Post this on your LJ if you know someone who has or had cancer. 93% won't copy and paste this. Will you?
Waiting on some beautiful boy to To save you from your old ways-The Killers
24 March 2011 @ 05:55 pm
I had to post this
brissygirl on March 24th, 2011 11:14 pm (UTC)
I'll post it and stick a repost button on it. :)
lijahlover on March 25th, 2011 05:08 am (UTC)
Thanks and good idea ♥


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St Barnabas ChoirSt Barnabas choir has a well-deserved reputation for high-quality singing, and has a significant life of its own. In the last five years it has toured Italy twice and Germany once, giving concerts and singing at services in churches and cathedrals to great acclaim. The choir's diverse repertoire takes in the full sacred choral repertoire from early church music to the present day, including several works written specially for it.
In 2013 the choir ventured into the Weimar Republic in Germany, giving three exceptional concerts to great acclaim. A highlight was the invitation to sing round Bach's grave in Thomaskirche, Leipzig.
Music in the ParishMusic plays a hugely important part in the life of our parish. We recognise that it is through music that many people find the deepest expression of their faith, while for others it may offer a stepping stone to greater involvement with the church. We offer our music in service to the glory of God.
At St Barnabas a 80-strong robed choir of adults and children leads our singing on Sundays and Holy Days and is accompanied by the 1997 Kenneth Tickell pipe organ. A large instrumental ensemble plays twice a year for Harvest Festival and for Crib Services on Christmas Eve.
At Christ's Chapel the hymns and canticles are led by a small dedicated choir and three times a year a larger chorale sings Choral Evensong. Visiting choirs also sing Choral Evensong occasionally. Singing is accompanied by the 1760 George England organ, recently reconstructed and refurbished by William Drake of Buckfastleigh. The Chapel possesses one of the finest organs of that era in the country.
Read the Book
If you would like more information, a book describing the history of the organ and its recent reconstruction has been published by the Chapel Organist, Marilyn Harper and the St Barnabas Director of Music and project consultant, Dr William McVicker. Copies are obtainable at a cost of £5 each from the St Barnabas Parish Office. Please apply by email or telephone. The address and telephone number are on this page.
JoiningThe Choir of St Barnabas numbers around 90 regular members. It is directed by William McVicker. The choir is not auditioned; any member of St Barnabas who would like to come and sing is welcome to come and join us. All that we require is a commitment to regular attendance at both rehearsals and services.
Children are admitted to the choir from the time they are in Year 3. Men and women, boys and girls all sing together but there are some Sundays at which the adults will sing in the evening service and the children sing in the morning service.
The choir's primary role is to sing at Sunday morning Parish Communion services in St Barnabas Church. We lead the congregation in hymns and in the sung sections of the Communion service, and we have a wide repertoire of anthems. In addition to the traditional Anglican repertoire, these include several works written specially for us by composers such as Francis Jackson, John Casken, Paul Ayres, Simon Gottschalk and, most recently, Harry Bramma and Howard Skempton. We have a particular association with the music of Ian Hubbard, who has written numerous pieces for us, including the setting for Holy Communion we use most Sundays. The choir sings at all weddings in the parish.
Get involvedChoir practices take place on Friday evenings. The children rehearse from 6.15pm and are joined by the adult singers from 7.00pm. We aim to finish at around 8.00pm when the children have games and social activities and the adults may do a little more singing before sharing a glass of wine.
From time to time the Choir of St Barnabas gives public concerts and takes part in recordings and broadcasts. We also sing at all parish weddings in both St Barnabas and Christ's Chapel. We have made five CDs – Jubilate Deo; A Sure Foundation, Sing Nowell, Glorious and powerful God and Prayer is the Key. In 1999 the choir undertook a tour to Italy which included a performance of the Mass in G Minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams in the Duomo in Florence. A return visit in 2009 included concerts in Norcia, Spoleto, and the cathedrals of Perugia and Orvieto, and featured the Mass of St Barnabas written for the choir in the same year by Tigran Grigoryan, one of our basses and a student of piano at Trinity College of Music. In 2011 the choir returned to Umbria and gave concerts in Foligno, Spello, Todi and Terni - the home town of our Assistant Director of Music.


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I got a DUI in FL in 2008. I was unable to make the court date due to divorce and relocation. Do I need a lawyer?
Question: I currently live in WI and I need to get this situation behind me. The case is still open as far as I know. I'm not sure what course of action to take. I can't go to FL because I was recently diagnosed with cancer and all of my care takes place here not to mention I would lose my job. I don't know if the case could be transferred here or how that works. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you for your time.
Answer: If your Wisconsin Driver License is still valid and you have renewed it since the Florida arrest the likely answer is that you should do nothing about the Florida DUI other than asking a Florida attorney to provide proof that Florida will extradite you if arrested anywhere other than Florida - if the Florida attorney tries to tell you that you need to resolve the Florida case. Most states will not extradite a person for first offense DUI if the person is not located in the state when the subsequent arrest on the warrant is made. My view is that if your future plans do not require you to return to Florida (where the warrant will result in your arrest if you are in Florida) there probably is no reason to make any effort to resolve the Florida case.
The case cannot be transferred here.


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A Shiatsu treatment involves gentle flowing stretches, muscle release techniques, limb rotations and applying pressure along the meridian pathways of the body ...
Shiatsu stimulates the flow of Qi, blood and lymphatic fluid. This allows the release of toxins and deep rooted tension in the muscles, joints and internal organs. The treatment is tailored to a relaxation and deep tissue treatment, as well as providing therapeutic and holistic health benefits.
Shiatsu stimulates the flow of Qi, blood and lymphatic fluid, allowing the release of toxins and deep rooted tension in the muscles, joints and internal organs.
"Shiatsu is an ancient Japanese form of bodywork" said Karen Briggs, Shiatsu practitioner. "Shiatsu literally means finger pressure but in a treatment I may use thumb pressure, my elbow, knee or foot." Shiatsu treatments involve applying pressure along a meridian, moxa, cupping or Gua Sha (scraping) may also be used according to the client's needs.
Good health is reliant on the balanced flow of qi which is the life force or energy in the body. Ideally the qi should flow smoothly along the meridian pathways of the body like water in a stream. If the flow of qi becomes blocked this can cause pain, a sensation of hot or cold or general discomfort.
"Imagine the qi is the water and the meridian is the stream" explains Karen, "if you were to throw a pebble in the stream it would cause the water to change its path or block the path altogether. My job is to locate the "pebbles" in the meridians of your body and move them," said Karen.
Shiatsu is about addressing the underlying issues around dis-ease and disharmony, not just fixing the symptoms. Shiatsu influences the body on many levels from the physical to the emotional and psychological. As well as the treatment Karen may make lifestyle, exercise and therapeutic dietary recommendations according to Traditional Chinese Medicine principles.
A Shiatsu treatment is carried out on a futon on the floor. The client is encouraged to wear loose comfortable clothing. A light sheet or blanket covers the client who remains fully clothed throughout.
Karen moved from the UK 15 years ago and settled with her family on the Peninsula. Karen has a background in social work both in Australia and the UK. "There is a finite amount of time you can spend in that line of work and I had spent mine! I have always been interested in natural medicine and holistic health. I knew Shiatsu was what I wanted to practice after I had a few treatments for a nagging issue which completely cleared afterward, so I was hooked!" explained Karen.
"Shiatsu is a very holistic therapy which is what I love about it", said Karen who studied for her Diploma in Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies at the Australian College of Shiatsu. "It is never too late to re- educate yourself and do something you have a passion for".
Karen is health fund registered and claims can be made at the time of treatment. Follow Karen's Facebook page www.facebook/harmonyshiatsu to find out when special offers are available.
Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies
Wellbeing Mt Eliza (03) 9787 2111
Shiatsu promotes a feeling of deep relaxation encouraging the body's innate ability to heal itself and re-energise.
Empower Your Body to Heal Itself. It's Your Choice.
Every aspect of our treatment is designed to support your body's innate ability to heal itself. Click the button to book an appointment and join other patients on the path to natural health, higher energy levels & emotional vitality.
Every aspect of our treatment is designed to support your body's innate ability to heal itself. Click the button to book an appointment and join other patients on the path to natural health, higher energy levels & emotional vitality.
Website Design & Photography by CustomerGetters


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Top News
Billions in benefits to come, Ed Martin tells Muskrat Falls Inquiry
Former Nalcor Energy CEO makes recommendation on Churchill Falls
Newfoundland and Labrador needed to add new power generation and did the right thing in pursuing the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project, according to former Nalcor Energy president and CEO Ed Martin.
From the witness stand, he warned the province against rushing into another hydro-power deal, over fears of the costs of Muskrat Falls.
Martin was into his third day of testimony at the Muskrat Falls Inquiry on Wednesday. He continued to insist he did not see the numbers working out in favour of any energy option above the Muskrat Falls megaproject, with its dam on the lower Churchill River and associated transmission lines.
At one point, he was shown an excerpt from a presentation titled, "New benefits to N.L. at DG3" (being "decision gate three," just before the project's sanctioning by the corporation's board of directors and the provincial government). He highlighted outside power sales, the return on equity built into project costs and more.
"Unfortunately, we've had cost overruns on Muskrat Falls. Substantial. But what this information is telling us is that there is significant value that Muskrat Falls provides to the people, cash value, that can be used to adjust the rates, particularly in the shorter term, so that the burden on the people will be handled, while at the same time allowing the project to unfold and help us reap the tens of billions of dollars of benefit over the next 50 years."
— Ed Martin
Martin said the cost overrun on the project, "as unfortunate as it is," can be handled. He said when the project is paid off down the road, the assets will continue to be useful in offering Newfoundland and Labrador both energy independence and a revenue stream from energy sales. Plus, he said, new transmission lines are offering added reliability to the local power system.
Sounding like he did when selling the project in 2012, he said the "future is bright."
He also said the province and Quebec can sit "eye-to-eye" for negotiations on the expiry of the contract governing the much more powerful and lucrative Churchill Falls hydroelectric property.
"For my money, to fool with that right now, because we are well positioned, would be absolutely crazy. We should hold the course, get the ratepayers taken care of, take advantage of the position we've put ourselves in and keep moving, and do not acquiesce to making any rash decisions right now with the Upper Churchill," he said.
Martin spoke at length in response to questions from inquiry co-counsel Kate O'Brien, who moved on to other questions central to the inquiry's work. She asked what Martin understood and conveyed as the risks associated with the construction of Muskrat Falls.
Martin again confirmed he budgeted $0 for "strategic risk," although he believed something would arise there. By definition, he noted, it couldn't be foreseen by the Nalcor Energy project team. On his own viewpoint, he said the provincial government had agreed to cover the cost and that was the most important point.
"Speculating on unknowns is really just something I didn't find of value," he said.
In a series of questions on criticisms, Martin was asked about an email in 2011 where he wrote about the "bull----" flying around in the debate on Muskrat Falls, calling at the time for Nalcor Energy communications to ramp up efforts in support of the project.
He didn't shy away from the comment.
"There was a tremendous amount of Muskrat Falls bullshit going on," he said, specifically mentioning suggestions power rates would double given the project's cost.
Later in testimony, on cross-examination, Martin was asked by lawyer Tom Williams about the value of the project in its current state.
Commissioner Richard LeBlanc interjected, saying he did not need to hear comments on benefits again, or political commentary, although he would allow any new information relevant to the first phase of the inquiry — focused on the decision to pursue the project and its development up to the official sanctioning date at the end of 2012.
It was agreed Martin's lawyer, Harold Smith, could raise the subject later if necessary.
Related link:
Excerpt from a presentation titled: "New benefits to N.L. at DG3"
Related stories:


text: When it comes to using herbs in your magical practice, let's start with the basics. There are some very simple and easy ways to keep up with your practice and adding it to your regular routine and daily life. Luckily, using herbs is one of the best ways to make any practice a bit more magical.Read More


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This business is marked as permanently closed (update).
Tchibo combines a cafe and homeware store all under one roof. Bringing a more relaxing way to shop in already hectic lifestyles, customers are invited to purchase accessories for their home as well as browse over their specialist coffees. Failing that, why not simply enjoy a well earned beverage after a hard days shop. Stock changes every 6 weeks, so there's always fresh and exciting ways of decorating your home.
Businesses at the same address
Similar businesses nearby
Kirkgate, Wakefield WF1 1JG, West Yorkshire
Wilkinson is a chain of stores that sell household, homeware, kitchenware, garde…


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The nine members of Chinese-Korean band EXO took part in a live interaction with fans on Naver's V app. And it was one of those rare occasions when EXO members dressed casually and interacted with fans. Attired in a black hoodie and jeans, SM Entertainment's hugely popular K-pop band, EXO laughed and chatted with fans. However, the large amount of traffic caused the app to fail several times, according to a news report.
Even though their first live interaction was muddled by technical difficulties, the EXO members reportedly kept their cool. At one point, they even celebrated EXO member Chanyeol's birthday. The lights in their rehearsal room suddenly went off and a cake with lit candles made its way to the 23-year-old singer.
Admittedly, EXO's interaction made its members' and fans' day eventful. EXO leader Suho even promised to take part in more such live interactions and said they would make it fun by including broadcasts of them eating, reported Soompi.
Band members of EXO have been very active of late. This is perhaps part of the promotion for their upcoming winter album titled "Sing For You", scheduled to release on Thursday, December 10. Allkpop reported that EXO will host "EXO COMEBACK STAGE - Sing For You" on Naver's V app, and will perform their new song during the live broadcast.


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Hi there,
My name is Ben and uebersoftware.com is my personal blog where I write about my daily thoughts and experiences creating software and generally working in IT ("über" means about in German, my mother tongue).
I'm earning my living in this facinating and ever changing industry since 1998. My approach to things is sometimes focussed on best-of-breed and state-of-the-art and mostly pragmatical creativity applied.
Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy reading.
Full Name: Benjamin Walther Büel
Location: Switzerland
Follow @steadyleaps
Contact me:


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"We had a kettle; we let it leak:
Our not repairing made it worse.
We haven't had any tea for a week…
The bottom is out of the Universe."
-Rudyard Kipling (author of The Jungle Book)
"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea."
-Bernard-Paul Heroux (Basque philosopher)
"Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things."
– Saki (author of The Open Window)
"Tea! thou soft, thou sober, sage, and venerable liquid,… thou female tongue-running, smile-smoothing, heart-opening, wind-tippling cordial, to whose glorious insipidity I owe the happiest moment of my life, let me fall prostrate."
-Colley Cibber (playwright, The Lady's Last Stake)
"The best quality tea must have creases like the leathern boot of Tartar horsemen, curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock, unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine, gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr, and be wet and soft like a fine earth newly"
-Lu Yu (author of Chá Ching)


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Tamsin and Anne came to the rescue with some suggestions and since I don't have any glaze I thought I'd start with Tamsin's suggestion:
A tip for the yellow over black (or pretty much any) primer - use an undercoat of a light brown or yellow ochre on those areas before applying the yellow.
So here is a comparison picture:
|Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Khaki Tan as undercoats after yellow reapplied.
|20 year old GW and Americana paints
I'm also thinking that this will be the solution to my blotchy flesh tone issue as well. It is quite possible that black primer is just not for me. I was always a white primer guy in the old days.
Thanks for stopping by and reading the ramblings of a guy who is trying to bring himself back into the hobby.
Welcome to Kaptain Kobold of the Stronghold Rebuilt, lots of game design, scratch building and plenty of battle reports. Much more there than Hordes of the Things, but it would be worth it just for that.
Welcome to Norman Dean of Junkyard Planet. If you like 1/72nd scale and great figure painting then look no further. Not much else to say except I wish I had been following him sooner.
And back in my post Succumbed to X-Wing I welcomed Chris Kemp but didn't recognize his avatar and there was no link to his blog on friend connect. Chris's blog is Not Quite Mechanized where he has rules, orbats and battle reports for his rules. Check it out.
And finally, I got listed on TGN. Woohoo! For some reason I had been having trouble getting listed. It could be as simple as not selecting the right pull down in the contact form. But I'm here now so look out!