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I felt myself slipping this morning. Those of you who understand will understand – and to those of you who don't understand, please take a moment to say, "Thank You, God." Anyway- I thought re-posting this one might help keep me from slipping into The Hole. Actually, I think it's already working. Love You, G
Since I find it impossible to understand what's going on in my own head, I would never try to describe what goes on in yours. But lately I've been considering the differences between navigating the normal highs and lows of motherhood and real depression. Since, over time, I have suffered through the effects of both an extremely dramatic personality and true depression, I thought I should try to describe the difference between the two. For me.
I come from a long line of dramatic Irish personalities. We are an emotional bunch – my family. Our highs are high and our lows are low. We love easily, but we cry and yell easily, too. We are quick to hug and quick to anger. Now I know that you won't believe me, because I am so sweet and calm on this here blog. But that is because no one in my house is awake yet. After people wake up, I tend to get dramatic. I often struggle through the day. Trudge through the day. I have to take a lot of deep breaths. I experience joy, too, everyday. But I am not the type to roll with things. I get very down – for reasons that I can never identify. I decide, thirty times a day, that no one in the history of the world has ever had a harder life than I do. When I say this to God and He brings homeless people to mind, I actually think, well – at least they don't have to SWEEP.
I also worry. Worry, worry, worry. Obsess might actually be a better word. Not about the plight of the Sudanese…I TRY to worry about things like that, but I ACTUALLY worry about whether I chose the wrong throw pillow for my new couch. I snap at my kids for acting like kids. I resent them for getting hungry three times a day. And even though I don't believe in mommy guilt, I feel guilty all the time. If I could choose a phrase to describe the polar opposite of my personality, it would be "easy-breezy." As a matter of fact, I call Sister daily crying and whining and I CANT DO IT ANYMOR-ING and I always end the conversation with "Whatever. I'm easy-breezy, Sister." And she says, "I know you are, Sister. I know you are. Me too."
Sometimes I get so upset that I become debilitated…I'm talking crumble to the ground, tears, head in hands… the whole she-bang. My break downs appear to be brought on by one little thing… like a grocery bag breaking in the driveway – and so Craig will say, "It's okay honey, it's just a grocery bag," and I'll say: "IT"S NOT A GROCERY BAG! IT'S EVERYTHING! WHY CAN'T YOU SEE IT'S EVERYTHING???" And I don't want anyone to try to fix it or fix me – I just want to be upset. I just need to be upset for awhile. Because life is upsetting, obviously.
I'm just A LOT to deal with on a daily basis. And I know this. I do not cruise through life. I sort of crash through life. But I also "WOW" through life, too. And so it's okay. I'll take the lows with the highs. Basically, I really like myself. And I think I'm an awesome mom. God chose ME for these kiddos and He knows me better than anyone, so I'm gonna be myself. My kids don't need some fake idea of a perfect mom, they need me -Glennon, the real person. I get that.
But every once in awhile – something scary happens to me. A black, heavy, murky fog sets in over my heart and my head. When this happens, I do not alternate between super high and super low. During these awful times I alternate between super low and super numb. The fog is so thick that even when I get still and try to find my way home to myself – I can't. During these times, none of my usual tricks….quiet time, sunshine, exercise, friends, prayer . . .none of them help me find my way through the fog. I can go through the motions of the day . . . I remember what to do – pack the lunches, smile at the kids, sweep the floor, hug my husband….repeat. I just can't remember why any of these things matter. The love, the life that usually infuses each of these tasks with meaning is gone. I become like a robot. I have completely lost myself. All I want is to disappear into a dark room. Gone is the joy, the drama, even the suffering that makes me, me. This state of mind has nothing to do with my dramatic personality. It is more like a complete loss of my personality. I've suffered this loss three times in my life. Once when I was much younger and suffering from bulimia and alcoholism. Once after my second child was born, and again about a month ago. I have come to believe that this loss of myself is what is commonly accepted as depression.
This past month, when I realized that I had lost myself again, I called my doctor who told me it was time for some help. She prescribed a pill for me and I brought the bottle home and told Craig that I was going to start taking the pills immediately. His face lit up like a Christmas tree. I said, "Be patient though, husband. They take two weeks to kick in." Craig's face fell and he said frantically, "What? Well then maybe you could just take a whole bunch at once. Or snort it. Maybe that would work faster." Clearly, the preceding months had been as hard on him as they were on me. He loves me. He loves his high and low wife. He wanted her back. He didn't want to medicate me away. He wanted to medicate me back.
Last year I was having a hard time dealing with my usual anxiety about life and love. I emailed my friend Josie and said, "I can't take the intensity in my head anymore. I need to relax. I'm gonna medicate myself. What do you think?" I hadn't talked to Josie for years, so I don't know why I emailed her. I guess if you listen hard enough, God will always point you towards the right person. Josie wrote back and said, "A friend once told me that if medicine allows you to be more yourself, take it. If it doesn't, don't." I really liked that. And that advice helped me decide NOT to take medicine back then. Because the truth is that myself is dramatic and anxious and obsessive and ridiculously intense and you know, a little WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
But myself is not numb. When I get numb, I take my own hand and help myself find my way of the fog, back home. And medicine helped me this time around. I'm grateful.
I'm also hesitant about taking medicine. Not for the reasons that many others are. I'm not embarrassed. Ever, really. It's a gift, my shamelessness. I know that I'm only gonna get one go 'round on this beautiful Earth and I want it to be a good ride. I figured out a while back that there is no award for she who suffers most. No way, Jose. Not my bag. I think it's a strong and brave and inspiring thing to find out who you are and then find a way to be it.
No, I'm hesitant to medicate away my depression because I worry that my depression fuels my writing. What medicine does for me is help me to relax into life a bit. Craig's perspective is that when I'm on it, I am the same Glennon, I just "struggle a little less." I agree. I struggle a little less. And I also lose the feeling that if I don't write I will die. This is how I feel when I'm depressed. Since I lose my joy and meaning, I come to the blank page to create meaning and joy, to get it back. Because I become desperate to make sense of things. And that desperation, I'm afraid, is what makes my writing good. So it scares me, I guess, not to be depressed. A lot of really good writers are depressed. But, as Craig says – "Honey, don't a lot of good writers also kill themselves?"
True, dat.
Anyway, even if my medicine dulls my creativity a little, I think that at this point in my life, I'm willing to risk it. I think I'd rather be a good friend to myself and Craig than a good writer. Yep, I would. How nice of me. I really do like myself.
Love You,
Author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller LOVE WARRIOR — ORDER HERE
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I know I'm not the first to say it, but we are in a golden age of television. I just finished watching the Mad Men episode called Babylon, and I can't remember when I last saw a more layered and subtle episode of anything on television. The program of course has crossover talent from the Soprano's. That's been covered widely in the press. But it bears repeating again and again that this is the best thing on TV right now. I am fascinated by the loves of Don Draper, and by his demons. When have we seen such a more morally and existentially ambiguous character? He is like a cowboy in that way, or like a character James Dean or Brando might have played. His soul is all over the map. Tonight he goes from a flashback (which cleverly adds to the subplot of the mysterious brother) of falling down the stairs when he was a kid, to reading Exodus in bed, to having an epiphany or inspiration--isn't the same for him as he has the suits of an advertising executive, but the soul of a poet--in a West Village bistro, circa 1960. Meanwhile, the directors and writers swoop and dive into equally unnamable, but somehow parallel yearnings of the other characters--his wife, his secretary, his boss, his boss's girlfriend (who is his secretary's boss--this is a hierarchical universe, bordering on a meritocracy as we see his secretary potentially tapping a current of embyonic talent).
And if that weren't enough, we have the gorgeous productions values. The New York times is creaming all over the look--the atmospheric perfection of a thousand details of sight and sound: filmic light, the perfect cigarette holders, lighters, ashtrays, the sound of each of these so carefully wrought that the props themselves are characters and objects of desire, which adds of course another layer to the wanting of the main characters. They are raw balls of need, each of them, and it's all just so very close and really very out of reach. . . but we pray for these wounded souls. This is transcendent television.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Golden Age of Television
Labels: Mad Men, television
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subset: commoncrawl


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Are You
Good Enough?
A Simple "Good" Test - Answer the following questions:
1. Have you ever told a lie? (white lies, and fibs count)
2. Have you ever stolen anything? (no matter how small, or how long ago)
3. Have you ever looked at someone with lustful thoughts?
4. Have you ever used "God", "Jesus", or "Christ" as a swear word or a curse word (like, "Oh my G-d!")
5. Have you coveted after the things in another person's life?
6. Have you gone to church every week? EVERY week?
7. Have you given to charity regularly?
Based on your answers, do you think yourself good enough to go to heaven when you die? Most people are able to show they are good in some areas. You probably are a pretty good person in most people's eyes, but what about in God's sight?
Absolute Laws of Right and Wrong
God gave us a list
of absolute laws in Exodus chapter 20 defining forever what is right
and wrong for everybody! It is called God's Ten Commandments.
They prove every one of us are sinners – law-breakers! Even if you
are not a murderer, you still are a sinner if you do ANY
wrong at all. Can you honestly say…
I have NEVER made anything in my life more important than loving and obeying God (that's the first commandment)!
I have NEVER bowed down to a statue or a picture
I have NEVER used God's (or Jesus') name flippantly
I have NEVER worked on the Sabbath
I have NEVER dishonoured or disobeyed my parents
I have NEVER killed anybody (or just hated them)
I have NEVER committed adultery (or lusted in my heart)
I have NEVER stolen ANYTHING, … EVER
I have NEVER told a lie
I have NEVER coveted anything (be honest now)
The Need for Salvation
Do you still think you would go to Heaven when you die? While you may hope God in His goodness will overlook your sins, the truth is, He can't. Sinful acts deserve righteous justice. What we "sow" is what we are going to "reap" (Galatians 6:7).
Since God is so good He will make sure that every murderer, every rapist and every thief receives full justice. But He won't stop there. He will also make sure every liar, blasphemer, and adulterer also is punished. And we at heart know that this is right for Him to do. Our problem is that the Bible is very clear that the place of punishment for those who sin is Hell. God says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17).
Does the fact you're headed for Hell concern you? It should! Jesus said Hell is so horrible that you would be better off tearing out your own eyes than ending up there for all eternity (Mark 9:43-48). So what are you going to do?
Salvation is found in a Person, Not in a ReligionWhether you admit it or not, everyone of us are all sinners, separated from God by a mountain of sins! "For All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. And there's no escaping it—our sin is killing us! "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. Here is the good news - "But God commendeth (extended) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. Did you get that? Jesus died in your place not because you were a good person, but because you were a sinner who will perish without His intervention! So, God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die in your place on the cross -- suffering the punishment that God's justice demands for sin. Then Jesus rose again from the grave, defeating even death! The Bible tells us, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).
You have an important choice to make today – you can either hope for the best, OR, trust in Jesus Christ alone to fully forgive your sins! He died to save you from a real place called HELL!
Ask Him in prayer to save your soul right now! God says it is impossible for any sinner to save themselves from the penalty of their sin through their own good works! "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" Ephesians 2:8,9. Only Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was buried, and three days later miraculously rose again to bring something called salvation to anyone who would just call on Him in prayer to save them! It is a GIFT! "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23.
Stop trying to be good enough for heaven, and just accept by faith the free gift that Jesus offers even a sinner like YOU! For God, it cost everything. For us, it is all free! All you have to do is ASK in faith - "For whosoever shall call (in prayer) upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved." Romans 10:13.
Don't be so proud you would miss this opportunity. Hell is full of good people who were too proud to do what needed to be done, right away! If you're not sure what to pray, use this as an example: "Dear God, I don't want to go to hell. I do repent of all my sins, such as (name some of them). I now put my trust in Jesus Christ as the Saviour of my lost soul. Please forgive me of my sins and grant me your free gift of everlasting life like you promised in Your Bible. I accept Jesus Christ by faith, believing He died to save me. I ask all this in the power of Jesus' precious name. Amen."
Now, write or phone us and let us help you grow as a disciple!
Do you have any questions? Need more help?
Want a free New Testament, or Bible Study? Please contact:
Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig
Sunday Meetings at 10.30am and 7pm in the Westgate Foundation
(021) 4871234 Mob: 087-2766764
Post: 29 Westcourt Heights, Ballincollig, Cork


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Our Concealed Carry Maps have been updated to reflect this change.
Legal Review Section Mailbox <[email protected]>
'[email protected]'
Apr 18 at 8:57 AM
We have recently completed a review of all reciprocity. I am pleased to inform you that Pennsylvania now recognizes Alabama licenses to carry a concealed firearm in Pennsylvania. Please visit our new website for more information: https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/reso...y-reciprocity/
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, February 24, 2018 2:04 PM
To: Info <[email protected]>
Subject: Contact Us Form Details
Above is a e-mail I received from the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General stating that Pennsylvania now honors Alabama permits. I thought it may be of interest to anybody from Alabama who travels into or through Pennsylvania. Also may be a good idea to update the reciprocity map.
Kudos to Pennsylvania for deciding to honor Alabama's permits! At the same time, Pennsylvania decided to honor the permits only of residents of the states they honor. PA had earlier instituted such resident restrictions for Utah, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, and Virginia, but for some reason did not include other states (e.g., New Hampshire). Now residency requirements apply to all states. Note also that after May 16, 2018, PA will no longer honor Virginia permits, whether resident or nonresident.


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SVG in Visio is a versatile format for print and Web
Now, you can easily use SVG in Visio and other ps applications. Scalable Vector Graphics, the W3C and HTML5 standard (SVG) is one of the vector output formats in pdf2picture. Just select the PDF files you want to convert and choose SVG as the output format. The resulting file can be opened directly giving you an easy and accurate way to use SVG in Visio.
Using SVG in Visio is a perfect way to unlock PDF content.With the move to HTML5 applications, more and more programs are integrating internal SVG suppport. Visio is one of them. Now, you can convert any PDF file into SVG and open it in Visio in just a few steps which are outlined below. We are finding it to be a better choice that WMF for fonts support and text placement. Here's how you do it:
The key steps:
1. Use pdf2picture to convert your PDF file to SVG
2. To open in Visio, choose Scalable Vector Graphics
3. Once in Visio, right click on the drawing and Ungroup (ignore any errors Visio may present). You may need to delete an exterior container and right click to ungroup again.
5. When fully ungrouped, you should see pink. Click anywhere outside the margins of the drawing and this will deselect all objects.
6. You are now ready to select and edit whatever you want, including the text.
Products for using PDF in Visio
SVG has come a long way since 1999. At that time, Adobe offered a special browser plug-in so SVG files could be viewed. Now, 12 years later, SVG is the graphics foundation of HTML5 and built into all of the major browsers. Below is a list of each browser and when it added reasonable SVG support. If you are using this release or later, you should be able to view SVG without problems. The Adobe SVG Viewer is no longer required.
- > FireFox 4
- > Opera 10
- > Chrome 10
- > Safari 5
There are two basic formats for graphics – vector and image. Vector graphics are made up of objects, lines, curves and text while images are made up of a collection of dots or pixels. Images are also referred to as bitmaps or rasters.
Visual Integrity can convert most PDF files into either vector or image formats. It's important to know which is best for the job you are doing.
If you need to break a PDF file down into objects and text for editing, then you want to choose a vector format. The vector formats supported in our software are DXF, PDF, PS, EPS, SVG, WMF, EMF, CGM, HPGL and MIF.
If you do not need to edit the file and simply want a sharp copy to insert into a document or to publish on a web-site, you'll want to go with image formats. The image formats that we support are TIFF, GIF, PNG, JPEG and BMP. If you will be printing the graphic on a laser or ink-jet printer, convert at 150 or 300 dpi (dots per inch) resolution. If publishing to a web-site, use 96 or 72 dpi is best for screen display. Keep in mind that the higher the dpi (resolution), the larger the file size. It's best to use the lowest resolution which achieves the level of quality you want.
Note! Scanned images can not be transformed by vector mode into lines, text and other vector objects because they are not vector source files. Instead, you will get an exact replica of the PDF as an image that can be used as a tracing layer which aids in the duplication effort. To convert scanned images into vector objects, you need a special class of software called "raster to vector".


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We welcome improvements to this page. To edit this page, Create a Funtoo account. Then log in and then click here to edit this page. See our editing guidelines to becoming a wiki-editing pro.
Fluxbox is a window manager for X that was based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code. It is very light on resources and easy to handle but yet full of features to make an easy, and extremely fast, desktop experience. It is built using C++ and licensed under the MIT-License.
root # emerge --ask x11-wm/fluxbox
exec startfluxbox
Customizing keybindings
# Locks the X11 display for the current user:
Mod4 l :ExecCommand xlock
# Opens a number of programs with quickkeys. These are just examples, I am sure
# you get the point...
Mod1 f :ExecCommand firefox
Mod1 t :ExecCommand thunderbird
Mod1 o :ExecCommand oowriter
Mod1 v :ExecCommand gvim
# Fluxbox has no sound control; do a hack to get some
# (assumes alsa is being used; good luck if using oss :P )
Mod1 e :ExecCommand Eterm -name alsa -e alsamixer
# This launches fbrun, which in turn launches other programs:
Mod1 r :ExecCommand fbrun
# Program Control. It just makes life simpler...
Mod1 4 :Close
Mod1 m :Minimize
# If using aterm (emerge x11-terms/aterm), the following opens a really nice
# transparent aterm with no borders, fitting nicely with 1024x768
# resolution, while still leaving room for conky. Once again, feel free to
# modify.
Mod1 a :ExecCommand aterm -name aterm -sl 3000 -tr +sb -sr -sk -bg black -fg \
white -fade 90 -bl -tn xterm -fn \
-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-*-120-*-*-c-*-iso8859-15 -g 116x57
# Similar to the above, but opens a transparent rooted terminal.
# The root password must be known to use this:
Mod1 s :ExecCommand aterm -name aterm -sl 3000 -tr +sb -sr -sk -bg black -fg \
white -fade 90 -bl -tn xterm -fn \
-misc-fixed-medium-r-normal-*-*-120-*-*-c-*-iso8859-15 -g 116x57 -e su -
# Takes a screenshot using the print button, needs media-gfx/imagemagick
None 107 :Exec tm=$(date +%F,%T) && import -window root /tmp/screenshot$tm.png \
&& display /tmp/screenshot$tm.png
Mod1 107 :Exec tm=$(date +%F,%T) && import -frame -window $(xprop _NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW \
File Managers
Popular choices:
Image Viewers
Note: Feh and Nitrogen can also be used to set a desktop wallpaper
Additional Tools
Some users prefer their window managers with true transparency, which can be enabled with X compositing manager:
user $ emerge --ask x11-misc/xcompmgr
exec xcompmgr &
exec startfluxbox


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Endura's Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof Gloves are warm enough even for freezing temperatures without being bulky, and they live up to their billing by keeping the rain out.
- Pros: Warm, waterproof, breathable, low bulk
- Cons: Some people might want cuff adjustment
These have become my favourite winter gloves over the past couple of months. They're the ones I've been using day in and day out and they've never let me down.
> Find your nearest dealer here
For a start, they're warm, and you really don't want to make any compromises there. You know that person who always gets cold on a ride before everyone else? That's me, yet I've not had numb fingers with these on and my hands have only felt the slightest bit cold in freezing temperatures. Being waterproof, they're also windproof so cold air can't blow through, and Primaloft Gold insulation keeps the warmth in.
That insulation isn't too bulky at all. I've had gloves as warm as these before but they've usually been big old oven mitts that reduce dexterity and weigh a ton when they get wet. In contrast, the Pro SL gloves are fairly lightweight and don't affect lever feel too much, yet they perform like full-on winter gloves. If you ever wanted to take them off mid-ride, roll them together and they'll take up about half a jersey pocket's worth of space.
The Pro SL Primaloft gloves are made largely from a softshell fabric with a seam-sealed internal membrane to make sure that water stays out. That membrane is also breathable. The only time I've had wet hands while wearing these is when I've sweated so much on a long climb that the membrane hasn't been able to cope, but it's the same with any gloves I've ever tried. Obviously, that's more likely to happen in warmer temperatures. For me the cut-off for wearing these is about 9°C, although it might be lower for you.
The palms are made from synthetic leather with what Endura calls 'grippy overlays' to stop your hands from slipping on the bars and levers – these bits feel quite rubbery. They work well and the only real signs of wear so far are a few little pressure marks towards the heel of each hand that show where I've been resting on the handlebar.
The insides are fleecy and comfortable throughout and the long cuffs ensure there are no draughts around your wrists. Those cuffs are stretchy and they sit closely enough on me that there's no need for a Velcro closure or a drawcord to tighten them, particularly if you have the end of a baselayer sleeve tucked inside there.
Crucially, the fingers of the inner layer don't turn inside out when you take the gloves off so there's no arsing about trying to sort that out next time you want to put them on. Similarly, if you have to take your gloves off in the middle of a ride, there's enough stretch that getting them back on again is easy enough, even with damp and sticky hands.
> Buyer's Guide: 21 of the best winter cycling gloves
One other feature worth mentioning is that a little strip of reflective fabric runs along the outer edge of each glove. It looks grey most of the time but it's noticeable when it catches the light.
We've reviewed loads of full finger gloves here on road.cc recently, priced from £14 to £70, so although these sit towards the upper end of the range, they're far from ridiculously expensive. I'd certainly pay £55 for the privilege of having warm hands between, say, November and March/April. It's money well spent, if you ask me.
If this sounds like a gushing review... well, it is really. These are exceptionally good winter gloves.
Warm, waterproof and highly comfortable winter gloves that aren't too bulky
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Endura Pro SL Primaloft Waterproof glove
Size tested: Large
Tell us what the product is for
Endura says:
Endura's warmest waterproof glove. These premium hand warmers keep roadies comfortable all winter long.
Premium fabrics and Primaloft insulation are combined in a waterproof construction to provide an unrivalled fit and amazing levels of insulation in even the coldest conditions.
PrimaLoft insulation boasts an exceptional warmth to weight ratio, tiny pack size, extremely breathable construction and is highly water resistant making it a tremendously versatile performance insulator.
So confident are we in this product that, if you are not entirely satisfied with it then we offer a no-quibble refund or replacement policy within 90 days of purchase.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Endura lists these features:
Stretch, softshell backhand and fingers
Seam-sealed, waterproof, breathable internal membrane
Synthetic leather palm with critically positioned, highly durable grippy overlays
Primaloft Gold Insulation for unrivalled warmth
Full finger terry sweat wipe
Long, stretch cuff for no-fuss pull on and snug fit
Rainbow Reflective details
90 Day Satisfaction Guarantee
Construction: Polyester 40% / Nylon 25% / PU 20% / Elastane 15%
These are well made from good fabrics without any annoying loose threads.
They've kept my hands warm in cold conditions without being particularly bulky, and kept water out on wet rides.
There are very few signs of wear after 10 weeks of regular use, just a few marks on the synthetic leather of each palm.
My pet hate with many gloves (I've probably mentioned this before) is that the little finger is nearly as long as the ring finger. Nobody has hands like that! Thankfully, Endura's fit is good and there's plenty of stretch which is particularly useful around the wrists.
I usually take L with gloves, occasionally XL. Endura's L fitted me well.
These offer a ton of comfort.
You could pay £15-£20 more for some winter gloves we've reviewed lately.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
These go in the machine at 30°C and wash well. As with other waterproof gloves, the insides can take a while to dry.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
I've been really impressed. I usually have to wear really thick gloves in the heart of winter, compromising lever feel, but these have kept my hands comfortably warm while not being too bulky at all.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The level of warmth for their relative lack of bulk.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing's coming to mind.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
We've reviewed long finger gloves priced from £14 to £70 recently. I'd definitely pay £55 for gloves this good. Cycling just isn't as fun when you have cold and/or wet hands.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
These are exceptionally good gloves. They're a definite 9.
About the tester
Age: 48
I usually ride: My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now pushing 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.


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Today Neil spent some time in Nottingham City with Gabriella creating some urban lifestyle images for her portfolio. They had a great time and used some quieter locations to get some shots in and out of the rain as Nottingham's Market Square has currently been transformed into 'Nottingham Beach', that's right, sand, water, deck chairs, helter skelter the lot – well apart from the sunshine!! If you're in the city with the kids it's well worth a visit, take a towel and spare clothes, it really is that authentic!!
Gabriella was great to work with and I'd certainly like to work on a future project with her.
Here's a few images from the shoot:
Well done Neil.
Nice finished work Neil, my favorite is Gaby-5
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Butterworth Photography
E: Butterworth Photography


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To restrict a marketing piece, click on the template title to get to the details page. Check the box marked Restrict Access. Click Save. No sales agents can see Restricted pieces, unless they are specifically given access.
To give a sales agent or group access, hover over Marketing Pieces >> Manage Restricted Access >> Manage Group/Sales Agent Access.
From here you can locate the restricted template, and drag over any agents or groups that you want to have access.


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Natural hot springs—also known as onsen (温泉)—are wildly popular across Japan. Take advantage of the next holiday season to boost your well-being and relax. Here, four hot springs and theme parks to visit while exploring the charming country.
#1: Dogo Onsen Honkan
Said to be the inspiration behind the main building of the award-winning film Spirited Away, Dogo Onsen Honkan is one of the oldest and most famous hot springs in Japan. Located in Matsuyama, the hot spring dates back to 1894, during the Meiji period. Besides being a popular attraction among tourists, Dogo Onsen is also frequented by the Imperial Family. A special section, known as Yushinden, was constructed for the Imperial Family's visit in 1899. Tourists can opt for a guided tour to view the lavish facilities reserved for visiting emperors.
2. Ooedo Onsen Monogatari
Located in Odaiba, the Ooedo Onsen Monogatari is a natural hot spring theme park which was designed to resemble the old Edo era. Visitors can enjoy up to 13 varieties of baths from natural hot springs that were pumped up from 1,400m underground. Besides relaxing in the hot springs, visitors can put on yukatas and stroll through the Hirokoji and Happakuyacho shopping arcades within the theme park that mimic the bustling streets of Shitamachi section of the old Edo.
3. Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Inn
At Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone, visitors can soak in a variety of unique flavoured baths such as green tea, coffee, wine, and sake, each offering different health benefits. Sake, for example, helps combats freckles and age spots, while green tea helps to boost the immune system. Red wine lovers can also enjoy drinking while soaking in an outdoor pool of red wine.
4. Beppu Onsen
Beppu is known as the Japan's onsen capital, and for good reason. The city has as many as eight different hot springs, and together they produce the largest volume of hot spring water in Japan. Visitors can also check out the various "hells" of Beppu—eight magnificent hot springs that while beautiful, are not suitable for bathing.
Check out an insider's guide to Roppongi in Tokyo, why Hakone is a weekend hotspot in Japan, and the perfect season for your dream holiday.
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text:
Visit San Felipe, Mexico.
Beaches, fishing and boating paradise.
Restaurants, hotels, clubs and more.
|The All San Felipe website offers information about this vacation paradise on the east side of the Baha Peninsula. Find information on real estate, fishing, driving instructions, hotels, beach homes, restaurants, shopping and all types of rentals. Visit the All San Felipe website to learn about this quiet beach town in Mexico. Visit this site for information regarding:


text:
Eggs are one of the most versatile ingredients in the world. Aside from serving them as a straight up breakfast dish or healthy snack, you can cook with them for every meal of the day.
In the slideshow below by Expedia, we look at 16 different ways eggs are served around the world. From savoury soups and curries to sweet treats made with meringues, these egg dishes exceed our egg-spectations (sorry, we had to!).
To keep eggs tasting fresh, longer, the experts at eggs.ca recommend leaving them in the same carton they were purchased in and storing them in the refrigerator but not in its door which varies in temperature.
While they might not look pretty, cardboard cartons protect eggs from absorbing other odours and flavours in your fridge — they also help you keep track of expiration dates.
What's your favourite way to cook eggs? Let us know in the comments below.
Click for full size.
Also on HuffPost


text:
There are currently no job vacancies at this time.
It's exciting times for REDHOUSE as it's now officially part of the Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust.
The transfer to Trust followed a year of consultation with the public to find the best way of protecting the future of the important leisure and cultural services provided to the community.
With a vision of 'Enhancing lives through leisure & culture' Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust is responsible for the operation of:
The Trust is led by Chief Executive Richard Marsh, supported by a Board of 11 Trustees, which includes members of the public, staff and MTCBC Councillors. Kevin O'Neill, former Chief Superintendent of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf Police, has been appointed as Chair of the Board of Trustees.
For further details about the Trust please contact us at:
Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust
Orbit Business Centre,
Rhydycar Business Park,


text:
On January 1st, New Year's Day, a bevy of new laws took effect in Illinois. Amongst these are some that will sound a titanic shift from the status quo currently in place. Marijuana will be prescribed to certain patients. Hand-held cell phone use will be illegal while driving. And two new laws will significantly affect divorced parents.
Right of First Refusal for Non-Custodial Parents
Under the new law to take effect in the New Year, if a child is to be placed in the care of someone who is not the custodial parent for a significant amount of time, a parent who has visitation or partial custodial rights in the child must be given the first opportunity to supervise the child. This is called the right of first refusal, and it is a law that fathers' rights advocates have vociferously fought for. Violation of this will constitute interference with visitation rights, and can be punishable by the court in various ways. This new law accurately reflects the public policy in Illinois. Written into the Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act is the congressional intent that a child should be raised with the presence and cooperation of both parents. Under the current scheme, a custodial parent can entreat anyone to act as babysitter. Now, both parents, regardless of their indifference or animosity toward each other, can take a larger role in the upbringing of their shared child.
No More Body Attachment Orders for Unpaid Child Support
A civil court judge's power is potentially vast. Their ability to control the course of motions and trials in their courtroom extends beyond the walls of the courthouse. The contempt power gives the judge the power to fine, penalize, dismiss the claims of, and even imprison those who disobey their orders. This power has limits, of course. And, as of January 1st, one of those limits is the arrest and detention of those who are delinquent in their child support payments. There are ways that child support payments can be enforced, and an experienced and educated Illinois family law attorney can explain these methods. However, the judge now has one less tool to help beleaguered parents who need their support to raise their child.
Contact an Illinois Family Law attorney
The new laws will go into effect in a few weeks, and their reach could potentially affect you or your family. A DuPage County family lawyer can help use these laws to work for you. Contact a family lawyer today.


text:
Designing your website entails quite a few important considerations if you want to make a site that will perform well. A non-commercial website can get away with things that a commercial website cannot. We will talk about the more important considerations for website design that must not be ignored.
To read more about Riverfront Media Group, Inc. go to see the best site
Getting your site navigation right so it flows well is something to give a lot of thought. When you organize the navigation during the process will definitely be reflected in the finished site.
Your navigation shouldn't be confusing nor inconsistent, but rather should be in a flow. You want your navigation to be so easy to follow that a twelve year old would have no problem with it. You want people to stay focused on your content and not be distracted by fussing with the link structure. If you look around, most of the successful sites know how to keep their designs simple. People don't like cluttered up websites that are downright confusing. If your design skills are up to the task, then you will have a better chance of making a site with more elements in it. One of the main reasons as to why you should have a simple design is because people tend to leave sites quickly when they don't really look appealing. Even when you're using ads, ensure that it doesn't look crowded, because that would only work against you. You do not have to do a very simplistic type of design, but you can explore the possibility.
You need to help as many people as possible to have a positive experience at your site, so that means making use of alt tags on images. The alt tags will be a positive service whenever people who cannot see very well are on your site. If you do SEO, then you probably know that the alt tags should contain the appropriate keyword for that page. This is just a little SEO thing that people do with them, and that may or may not apply to you. It is easy to write a line or two in the alt tag so the person knows what the picture is. Any time you have a graphic, including your header if there are pictures in it, then you really should fill out the alt tag. The main thing to remember when designing your site is that people who visit will be reacting to the entire site, but this is composed of lots of smaller parts, so you should take the time to look at everything you're doing and see if it can be improved or made more user-friendly.
To get more information about Riverfront Media Group explore this popular net page: click for more


text:
Check it out at http://houstonmedia.eu/wpdev/av/2016/01/06/swing-easy-hogmanay/ Continue reading
Category Archives: jazz
Christmas SwingEasy Show
This is a reprise of my SwingEasy Christmas show, featuring seasonal music from Stan Kenton, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Witherspoon, Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Jordan, the Andrews Sisters, Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Tony Bennett with Lady Gaga, and Mahalia Jackson reminding us that Jesus is the reason for the … Continue reading
Hooray! Back on the air!
And Artistry Jumps! (Not actually Stan Kenton, but a good rendition of Stan the Man's chart.) Since Ofcom rules bar community radio broadcasters from being involved in political action (shame!) I had to come off the air during the General Election. Now, whatever you might think of the electoral result, I hope you'll welcome me … Continue reading
Happy birthday, Lady Day
Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan) (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) Lady is the blues She kind of drags her words behind the beat in a way impossible to imitate (thank God) and she messes with the tune the way a horn-player will, but she never, never loses the meaning of what she's singing. … Continue reading
Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith?
Who would you pick? Queen Latifah stars as Bessie Smith in the movie, Bessie, airing on HBO on May 16. The Queen as the Empress of the Blues – a good choice? Here's the REAL thing. How does this compare? Let's hear Queen Latifah put a spell on you her way. A good choice? Fill in … Continue reading
Something missing indeed
ROH and the Verfremdungseffekt "There's something missing," sang Kurt Streit as Jimmy McIntyre in the Royal Opera House presentation of Bert Brecht and Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the city of Mahagonny. He was right. What was missing was any acknowledgment of what differentiates this work from the run-of-the-mill productions we usually see on the … Continue reading
New jazz albums I like
Best-selling new jazz albums in Amazon's Digital Music Store. Emily Saunders Outsiders Insiders | Format: MP3 Download Price: £6.99 Rhonda Thomas Vinyl Daze | Format: MP3 DownloadPrice: £6.49 Courtney Pine Song (The Ballad Book) | Format: MP3 DownloadPrice: £7.49 Video Games Live Level 4 | Format: MP3 Download Price: £7.49 Buddy Rich Birdland | Format: … Continue reading


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The law of the Lord is manifold
If only God would show you how manifold is his law. How must we interpret this law of God? How, if not by love? The love that stamps the precepts of right-living on the mind and bids us put them into practice. Listen to Truth speaking of this law: This is my commandment, that you love one another. Listen to Paul: The whole law, he declares, is summed up in love; and again: Help one another in your troubles, and you will fulfil the law of Christ. The law of Christ – does anything other than love more fittingly describe it? Truly we are keeping this law when, out of love, we go to the help of a brother in trouble.
But we are told that this law is manifold. Why? Because love's lively concern for others is reflected in all the virtues. It begins with two commands, but it soon embraces many more. Paul gives a good summary of its various aspects. Love is patient, he says, and kind; it is never jealous or conceited; its conduct is blameless; it is not ambitious, not selfish, not quick to take offence; it harbours no evil thoughts, does not gloat over other people's sins, but is gladdened by an upright life.
The man ruled by this love shows his patience by bearing wrongs with equanimity; his kindness by generously repaying good for evil. Jealousy is foreign to him. It is impossible to envy worldly success when he has no worldly desires. He is not conceited. The prizes he covets lie within; outward blessings do not elate him. His conduct is blameless, for he cannot do wrong in devoting himself entirely to love of God and his neighbour. He is not ambitious. The welfare of his own soul is what he cares about. Apart from that he seeks nothing. He is not selfish. Unable to keep anything he has in this world, he is as indifferent to it as if it were another's. Indeed, in his eyes nothing is his own but what will be so always. He is not quick to take offence. Even under provocation, thought of revenge never crosses his mind. The reward he seeks hereafter will be greater in proportion to his endurance. He harbours no evil thoughts. Hatred is utterly rooted out of a heart whose only love is goodness. Thoughts that defile a man can find no entry. He does not gloat over other people's sins. No; an enemy's fall affords him no delight, for loving all men, he longs for their salvation.
On the other hand, he is gladdened by an upright life. Since he loves others as himself, he takes as much pleasure in whatever good he sees in them as if the progress were his own. That is why this law of God is manifold.


text:
PHILADELPHIA — If you are a Giants fan you are well aware of the numbers: 36, 41, 38, 31, 36 and 27.
No, these were not winning Pick Six lottery numbers. They were the scorn of the once-proud Giants defense, points allowed — in order of games en route to an 0-6 start — to the Cowboys, Broncos, Panthers, Chiefs, Eagles and Bears.
Two weeks ago, the Giants were fast-tracking to a franchise record for defensive futility — and that includes the calamitous 1987 strike season during which replacement players were on the field for three games.
On Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, in a 15-7 win over the same Eagles who handed them a 36-21 defeat three games ago, the Giants' defense pitched its second consecutive shutout. As the Eagles' lone touchdown Sunday game on special teams, so, too, did the Vikings' only points last Monday.
The Giants defense has not allowed a point since the second quarter of their 27-21 loss to the Bears on Oct. 6.
Two days before that loss in Chicago, the Giants traded with Carolina for linebacker Jon Beason, who has become a rock in the middle of their defense.
"I think we got away with a steal there,'' defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said. "He's been a phenomenal player who also has a lot of ball left to play and we appreciate having him. He fits in really well and he's elevated the level of play tremendously.''
It has been Beason in recent weeks who has gotten the entire Giants' defense to show up to work a half-hour early, at 7:30 a.m., for a players-only film session to complement the work they do with the coaches.
Rarely does a new player come to a team, assert himself and be received with open arms by his new teammates the way Beason has with the Giants.
"He's made a great impact,'' cornerback Terrell Thomas said.
"We've had the meetings before, but having Jon there has added more structure to it, it added a voice to the meeting,'' linebacker Spencer Paysinger said.
"Beason has been phenomenal; he's something that we needed,'' Giants safety Antrel Rolle, who had an INT Sunday, said. "We needed a voice from the linebacker position — the middle-linebacker position. We needed someone who was going to stand his ground, we needed someone who was going to get everyone lined up, make it real snappy, no BS-ing around, let's get it right.''
Beason, according to his teammates, has gotten things right.
"I'm a big believer in if something's wrong you fix it,'' Beason said. "If you go out and a certain result happens that's not what you want then do something different. The guys have put the onus on each other. Sometimes you can be given a technique by a coach, who said, 'This is what we're going to do,' but sometimes guys see it differently.''
The players assemble in the defensive meeting room at 7:30 a.m., about 30 minutes before team meetings take place, and go over film and scenarios.
Giants safety Will Hill, who had an INT Sunday, said it was a "sense of urgency on this team'' that caused Beason to gather the defensive players together for the early meetings.
"We had an intervention as a defensive unit,'' Hill said, "We sat down and said, "Look, what's not working? What can we do to make it better?' The players came together, then we went to the coaches and players came back together.''
The Giants players do not believe there is any coincidence to Beason's arrival and the defense playing better.
"When you earn the right to go out and win, when you put in that extra work, you expect it. You don't hope,'' Beason said. "You don't go out and say, 'Man, I hope we win this game.' ''


text: This home has been completed updated from top to bottom! 3 bedrooms with a 4th nonconforming in the finished basement. 2 main floor living room spaces with vaulted ceilings and huge brand new bay window allow plenty of room to spend time with family and friends. The finished basement offers a 4th nonconforming room with large family room, 2nd fireplace, and a custom wet bar. The backyard is fenced in with a brand new deck with built in LED lighting. 3 bedrooms complete the second floor including the master with private en suite. Call for your private showing, this home won't last long!


text:
British athletes must agree to avoid protests, gestures at Beijing Olympics
Eds: VERSION also moved in BC-Names in the Game. Moving on general news and sports services.
By THOMAS WAGNER
Associated Press Writer
LONDON (AP) -- British Olympic athletes must sign a new clause in their contracts prohibiting politically sensitive remarks or gestures during the Beijing Games.
"The reality is, given the level of political scrutiny of the world's media on these games and the way China will handle them, the BOA felt it was sensible and proper to flag that rule to our athletes," British Olympic Association communications director Graham Mewson said Sunday.
The International Olympic Committee already has a rule that states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
In January, Belgian athletes were told they would be prohibited from raising human rights or other political issues at Olympic venues. Outside the sports venues and Olympic village, however, they will be free to speak their mind.
The BOA is making the change because China's government is widely regarded as sensitive to criticism over issues such as its human rights record and Tibet, Mewson said.
British athletes have been required to sign the 32-page BOA contract for 20 years before competing in the Olympics, but this is the first time such a clause is being added.
Mewson said the clause will not bar British athletes from "honestly answering" questions they are asked during interviews at the Aug. 8-24 games about "politically sensitive issues."
"An athlete who decides to lift up his team shirt to show a 'Free Tibet' one below it, that's very different," Mewson said.


text:
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|26th July 2011, 11:54 PM
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|27th July 2011, 12:19 AM
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Last edited by iancanada; 27th July 2011 at 12:23 AM.
|30th July 2011, 01:18 AM
diyAudio Member
The FIFO playing test
Finally, it starts playing and it sounds correct. The FIFO concept is working!
I2S FIFO configuration:
I just have a spare AD1955 DAC board. It has onboard I2S input and output ports which could be very easy to interfaced with my FIFO. Those ports were designed originally for the DSP, but in its normal setup, the I2S bus was bypassed by jumpers. Both input and output ports of the I2S on the FIFO are the 7pin connectors, 4 of 7 pins are GND between the signals to reduce the crosstalk.
The DAC has a coaxial SPDIF input, the DIR chip is BB DIR9001.
The FIFO was driven directly by an external OSC (11.2896MHz for 44.1KHz with MCLK 256*Fs), as well as the MCLK input of the AD1955. And now you can see this OSC become the secondary clock of the new clock domain and has nothing to do with the MCLK generated by the DIR9001.
I use batteries to power the OSC and the FIFO. The CYCLON battery is my favorite. Batteries usually come with less noise and much better performance to power the clock related circuits which are very sensitive to the noise from the power supply.
The system setup:
Speakers: B&W Nautilus 804;
Power Amplifier: PASS LABS ALEPH 5 (DIY, clone);
Pre-Amplifier: PASS LABS ALEPH P1.7 (DIY, clone);
Source: KRELL KPS 20i/L CD transport & MAGNAVOX CD player
Testing result:
1. It sounds correct, just confirmed the bit perfect test I did before;
2. When I switched the SPDIF cable from KRELL KPS 20i/L CD transport to MAGNAVOX CD player, it sounds same no any audible difference, the FIFO concept is working!
3. When I bypassed I2S signals on the AD1955 board, and let them come directly from DIR9001, it sounds different;
4. The delay was around 0.5 to 1s and not that obviously. It just feels like a bit slow on the button of the CD player. I could hardly notice it in most of the cases;
5. FIFO didn't overflow during the entire test.
Since the FIFO board is working, now we already have a platform to taste the different clock oscillators. So, the next step I'm gonna do some test connected to the clock.
Enjoy my basement. Have a nice weekend. Ian
Last edited by iancanada; 30th July 2011 at 01:24 AM.
|31st July 2011, 04:06 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
looking good Ian, i too prefer batteries for clock and also use them for powering the analogue sections of the dac (3v3 for AVCC L/R and 1v2 for analogue reference) but I use LiFeP04 by A123. what battery chemistry are the Cyclon?
beautiful speakers btw, the B&W are some of the best i have ever heard. Thats a pretty serious Disk spinner you have there, is that face actually made of stone haha, or just a finish on the alloy. it looks like it opens up Star Trek style.
I cant take credit for the Dac layout in the picture, Acko did that (thus Ackodac) i did however push for using the micro BNC for all inputs on the upgraded Teflon board (having owned the previous version as well), which was to be a limited edition when we got the first small run of 6 boards (4 for me, 2 each for me and vy friend); but turned out so well it became standard.
I have used them in a few of my own builds since then, but that one wasnt me.
this project of yours us quite interesting for my spdif sources, I cant see it making an improvement on my usb->i2s setup, which might actually complicate the use of your board with my main dac unless i run it from the same master clock, which i guess is the idea, muxing might be difficult though.
regardless i do have another dac in the workshop rig it will work well with, so when you finish testing and do a board run let me know, i'll pop my head in from time to time.
|31st July 2011, 12:11 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Ireland
Good work Ian,
Great to see it working as well as it is.....
|31st July 2011, 01:57 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Brisbane, Australia
right i checked them out, cyclon are SLA? mate if you like batteries, i really recommend you try out LiFeP04, imo it leaves all other battery chemistries in the dust. output impedance is very very low, noise is lower than SLA, charges in a jiffy and even just the smallish size 3v3 (nominal) 2300mah ANR26650m1 is capable of 70A continuous output with burst rate up to 120A!! output impedance is less than 10mOhms and the nominal voltage is extremely convenient for digital circuits.
i'm quite amazed at the rate of your progress also!!
|2nd August 2011, 02:29 AM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: California
Glad to know that someone has the similar interest. Nice board!
I started a similar project in the summer of '09. The basic idea was very similar, only that the I/O peripherals have more varieties. Instead of I2S I/O, I also added S/PDIF I/O (via BNC and XLR), isolated USB input and an LVDS I2S input over HDMI cable compatible with the PS Audio spec. I was able to get a few 1MB (8Mbit) SRAM (those are not cheap if you buy new) for a slightly deeper FIFO depth. I used an old FPGA that is large enough for the logic. The actual FIFO depth is determined by measuring the clock frequency difference between the incoming signal and the local reference clock, such that the minimum amount of FIFO is used to reduce latency. In addition to PCM, the logic also supports DSD64 (in a 176.4KHz/16bit PCM container when transported via S/PDIF or I2S).
Soon I found that the FPGA I picked does not have the ideal clock resources I need, and the logic resource is not enough for future expansion. I had to abandon the board that I spent quite some time to layout, fab and assemble, let alone the cost of the parts. The core logic is not complicated, but I want to add more 'fun' to it.
Then I turned to a low-cost FPGA development board, the Digilent NEXYS. It has almost all I need for a digital audio front-end: a 500k Gate FPGA with DCM and multipliers, 8MB(64Mbit) PSRAM (DRAM+controller that works like an SRAM), 32Mbit NOR flash and a USB 2.0 high-speed device controller. The I/Os are more than enough for the audio application. A character LCD interface with the switches and push buttons make a reasonably good UI.
A more elaborate plan was laid out: turn the all-hardware design into an embedded system. A PicoBlaze CPU was added for user control and status indication on the LCD. It opens a can of worms and I quickly realized that the software is the most time-consuming part of this project. In this new platform, I was also able to add S/PDIF receiver and transmitter logic such that I'm no longer limited by the features of the off-the-shelf S/PDIF Tx/Rx ICs. A firmware was developed for the USB 2.0 device controller for USB audio class device that is capable of Hi-res.
Again, it wasn't long before I realized that the old architecture has become the bottleneck of this system. I can do a lot more on this platform: A 32-bit CPU with enough performance to run software FLAC decoding, an SDIO interface that enables solid-state player function, oversampling and decimation filters using the FPGA multipliers, etc, etc.
Unfortunately, while I was going full-steam with this project, I was interrupted by a business trip, followed by a serious personal incident that almost knocked out all my interest in this project.
I guess that's it. If you have plenty of time and ambition, think big, or soon you'll find yourself being trapped in a small PLD, a small PCB, or an architecture that is just enough to do what you thought of at the beginning.
It wasn't a bad idea to sell a few boards while you make new ones, though. That'll encourage you to move forward but could also slow you down with the support responsibilities. It depends. Good luck!
(Attached is the 'discontinued' board, only one was made)
|2nd August 2011, 05:45 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: diepe zuiden
I would be interested in just the fifo function, not a complete set. Maybe also a programmed fpga to integrate on my own pcb later on.
Bit of a lego construction; add an spdif receiver on one side (have a small pcb available) and a filter/dac/clock on the other side.
But then, i could also continue with the pll. Or just buy something nice
I'm wondering about live concerts, in case there are no silences inbetween the songs. What happens if the fifo runs full or empty ??
|2nd August 2011, 06:52 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: California
The problem is the RAM size. Large SRAM is not cheap and not easy to come by. Or you can go DRAM with a slightly more complex memory controller. Since the RAM size needed is the function of supported sample rate, bit depth and clock frequency difference, one can calculate how much RAM is enough.
500ppm is a good, practical starting point, but I would opt for 1000ppm, which is IEC60958 standard for S/PDIF streams. In order to support a stereo 192KHz/32bit PCM stream at 1000ppm clock frequency error without FIFO overflow over a continuous 1.5 hour playback (gap-less), you'll need about 8MB (64Mbit) of memory.
|2nd August 2011, 06:55 PM
diyAudio Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: HK
Today CAS become more and more popular, considering a DAC may not just or even no more for CD playback, and more and more 24/88.1 or higher rate files could buy or share online, I will suggest do more test for 24/88.1 or higher rate playback, plus maybe even upgrade the FIFO support up to 384KHz, since 32/384 USB DAC or USB-I2S interface starting appear in the market already.
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text:
Putting together the three top student features is always a mammoth task. There are various stages in the communication with those who participate – advise; request; cajole; remind; finally, and unashamedly – nag. There are more and more people graduating from university and, specific to the legal industry, there are too many bright young hopefuls for the jobs available.
The Labour Appeal Court recently reminded us that the test that applies to the determination of whether calling a person by a derogatory or abusive name or term is an objective one.
On 7 March 2017, Liberty Group Limited v M (JA105/2015) [2017] ZALAC 19 (7 March 2017) the Labour Appeal Court handed down a judgment in terms of which it found Liberty Group Limited liable under s60 of the Employment Equity Act (EEA) for having failed to take reasonable steps to protect an employee on becoming aware of her sexual harassment at work by her immediate line manager, a Mr Andrew Mosesi.
It has always been a principle of the South African law of succession that every person has the right to determine, of their own free will (the only cost being that paid to the legal profession for drafting), upon whom their assets shall devolve when they die. This is the principle of freedom of testation, and is really a corollary to the right to private property: just as one has the right to deal with one's assets while alive as one chooses, so one is afforded one last "act of will" with which to deal with them upon death.
Section 165 of the Constitution provides that courts are vested with judicial authority, and that no person or organ of state may interfere with their functioning. In order to ensure that the courts' authority is effective, s165(5) makes an order of court binding on "all persons to whom and organs of state to which it applies".
A recent appeal court judgment, The MEC for Health and Social Development of the Gauteng Provincial Government v Zulu (1020/2015) [2016] ZASCA 185 (30 November 2016), has held that the state cannot offer free future medical treatment in lieu of paying monetary damages upfront.
South Africa has one of the most developed pharmaceutical manufacturing industries in Africa and it can be argued that patent law and competition law have contributed significantly to the success of this sector. That being said, competition law is rapidly evolving in Africa and currently all industries are attracting scrutiny from the competition authorities. Globally, the pharmaceutical industry is but one of the industries in the spotlight. It is, therefore, only a matter of time before the pharmaceutical sector will be examined more closely in South Africa. The driving force behind the increased scrutiny may be the ever growing basic need, by people all over the world, to have access to affordable medicine. This makes the intersection between competition law and patent law relevant.
The board of directors is responsible for the management of the corporate affairs and business of a company.
Global competition authorities are increasingly likely to introduce sophisticated tools which enable individuals to come forward and disclose anticompetitive conduct, in addition to corporate leniency policies which incentivise companies to confess anticompetitive conduct in return for immunity from fines.
Charles Dickens' opening line to one of the greatest novels of all time, A Tale of Two Cites, being "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" adequately sets the scene with regard to state interplay.
The South African Minister of Finance announced a Special Voluntary Disclosure Programme (SVDP) in his Budget speech on 24 February 2016. The motivation behind this was to afford taxpayers a final opportunity to regularise their offshore tax position prior to SARS being made aware of residents' offshore interests via the international automatic exchange of information under the OECD Common Reporting Standard (the CRS).
In May this year, without prejudice reported on plans by the Gauteng Provincial Government to dispense with public notices in newspapers in so far as land use and development are concerned. This is but one example of a series of recent proposals to remove information from the public arena by dispensing with newspaper notices in various contexts. Examples are the Gauteng Planning and Development Act (3 of 2003) and the Law Reform Commission's Discussion Paper 110 (Project 134 October 2005) dealing with the Administration of Deceased Estates Act (66 of 1965).
As the world becomes more globalised, and as ongoing international investment interest and economic growth across Africa continues unabated, a sound international arbitration framework provides international and local businesses in Africa with a comfortingly familiar process. The process, if managed properly, can provide private, effective and cost effective dispute resolution for those venturing into new markets or growing in existing markets.
Can a class action be certified after the action has already been instituted? This was one of the issues in a recent judgment of the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court, Johannesburg in National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa (NUMSA) v Oosthuizen 2017 JDR 0530 (GJ).
The National Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting Regulations (Final Regulations) published by the Minister of Environmental Affairs took effect on 3 April and introduced the first single national reporting system for the quantification and transparent reporting of greenhouse gas (GH") emissions.


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The mixed-use building in Hackney consists of 16 flats above a restaurant
The Lanterna building is sited on a new square and has been designed as a 'gateway' to the Fish Island Village development.
Textured hand-cast concrete panels inlaid with a herringbone pattern wrap the building, the large openings and repeating frame inspired by the local industrial vernacular.
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The building is raised on a podium to resolve the level change between a new pedestrian bridge and the public square. As a backdrop to this square, a 5m-high, glass-fronted restaurant space, set back under a colonnade, has been designed at ground-floor level. At upper levels, large balconies are intended to act as outdoor living rooms.
The design was procured through a London Legacy Development Corporation-led competition that engaged six practices on Peabody's Small Projects framework. The competition was judged by Peabody and masterplanner Haworth Tompkins, and won by Lyndon Goode Architects.
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Architect's view
As the signature building at the gateway to Fish Island Village, there was an aspiration from both Peabody/Hill and the LLDC to bring forward the highest quality of design. We developed a competition-winning design for Lanterna that delivers just this; responding to its context and harnessing the characteristics that contribute to the area's vibrancy, creating something playful and unique.
David Lyndon, director, Lyndon Goode Architects
Lanterna lyndongoodearchitects firstfloorplan annotated
Project data
Start on site March 2017
Completion July 2018
Gross internal floor area 1,770m²
Form of contract or procurement route Management contract
Construction cost circa £3.4 million
Construction cost per m2 £1,921
Architect Lyndon Goode Architects
Client Peabody and Hill
Structural engineer MLM
M&E consultant MLM
QS Hunters
Landscape consultant Farrer Huxley Associates (design stage); Place Design and Planning (post-contract)
CDM coordinator Hunters
Approved building inspector MLM
Main contractor Hill
CAD software used AutoCAD
Annual CO2 emissions 10.12 kg/m²
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Sam Keen, the New York Times best-selling author of Fire in the Belly, has spent a lifetime reflecting on nature. In Sightings, a collection of essays, bird watching forms the basis for observations spiritual and soulful, witty and wise. He describes his childhood ramblings in the silence of the Tennessee wilderness as feeling distinctly more spiritual than the hard pews of his grandmother's church. Later in life, the presumed extinction and subsequent rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker prompts a meditation on the nature of the sacred. Blessed with moments of beauty and the insight to recognize them as such, Keen translates the marvels of nature into the language of heart and soul.


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A Match Made in Heaven: Patient Storytelling and Social Media
Johanna Slivinske, a psychologist, explored the power of therapeutic storytelling on the Oxford University Press blog. In it she wrote:
Through storytelling, many people gain insight that leads to behavioral change, and improvements in the quality of their lives. Stories may be told through writing, through art, through photos, or verbally. There is more than one way to tell a story.
This also sums up why social media is such a successful medium for patients to tell their tales. From Facebook to Youtube, these digital channels allow people to open up to others like them about the challenges and choices they face in a multitude of ways.
Consider ABC's Good Morning America's weekly "Your 3 Words" segment that began back in 2012. Viewers were asked to send pictures or short clips that included three words to help explain the scenario. The resulting compilation videos were so wildly successful that it carried on for nearly a year and helped ABC seize the number one morning news show ratings position. Here's just one example:
Why was it such an instant sensation? Two reasons.
• For Us, By Us: First, it put the power in the viewers' hands. It was created for them by them with ABC acting as the facilitator. Because of this, it was inherently more authentic. From 100th birthdays to soldiers returning home from war, births to more light-hearted social commentary—it was all real. The grainy video footage, the perfectly imperfect subjects, and the chicken scratch writing made it all that much more endearing.
• Uber Portable: The videos and stills were easily combined into one video delivered with a single song. The end product was an easily consumable, easily sharable asset that gained even more traction as people selected for each week aggressively shared the video because they were part of it.
As a whole, pharma is still trying to figure out just how to leverage this dynamic approach, though there's no question as to its necessity. Patient populations crave such connections and are that much more receptive when delivered on their terms, on their turf. This means meeting them where they are—like on social media—with content that is engaging and authentic.
And for patients daunted by feelings of isolation and aloneness, particularly rare-disease populations, the power of stories—whether as the listener or the narrator—creates a profound opportunity for both therapy and brand affinity.


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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide because it is the sixth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related death [1]. In addition, HCC is the leading cause of death among patients with liver cirrhosis [2]. For the treatment of HCC, a variety of modalities have been used, including local tumor ablation (e.g., radiofrequency ablation [RFA], cryoablation, microwave ablation, irreversible electroporation), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), liver transplantation, and molecular-targeted therapy [1]. Among these, RFA is now accepted as a curative treatment for very early or early-stage HCC in several international guidelines for HCC treatment [1,3,4]. In particular, in patients with small HCC lesions (<2 cm) who are not potential candidates for liver transplantation, RFA may serve as an alternative to surgery for first-line therapy, according to the recent Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) treatment strategy [1]. Furthermore, RFA has several advantages over surgical resection, such as increased preservation of surrounding hepatic tissues, a shorter hospital stay, decreased morbidity, and applicability for patients with advanced liver cirrhosis who are not candidates for surgery [5,6]. However, early or late complications related to mechanical or thermal damage during RFA may be observed during follow-up [7]. Among them, aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA has recently come into focus because it can lead to less favorable overall survival in patients who undergo RFA for HCC [8]. Thus, physicians should be aware of this newly recognized tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC.
The aims of this review are to summarize the definition, mechanism, and imaging findings of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC, to summarize the known risk factors, and to discuss the clinical implications of this complication and the preventive measures for tumor recurrence in patients who undergo local tumor ablation.
There have been various terminologies used in previous studies and case reports representing the phenomenon of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC, such as "rapid intra-hepatic dissemination" [9], "aggressive recurrence" [10,11], "scattered and rapid intrahepatic recurrence" [12], "early diffuse recurrence" [13], "diffuse intrahepatic recurrence" [14], "rapid aggressive tumor progression" [15], and "aggressive intrasegmental recurrence" [8]. Among these terminologies, we restricted our search to publications that included a definition of tumor recurrences. Shiozawa et al. [15] reported that "rapid aggressive tumor recurrence" was defined as the presence of a tumor with the following characteristics: identified within or adjacent to the ablated area, rapidly increased in size to more than twice the size of the ablated area during the follow-up period, and not detected on previous imaging studies. Lee et al. [13] defined "early and diffuse recurrence" as the occurrence of three or more new recurrent tumors identified within 1 year of initial RFA. Recently, Kang et al. [8] defined "aggressive intrasegmental recurrence (AIR)" as the simultaneous development of multiple nodular (>3) or infiltrative HCC recurrence in the treated segment of the liver. In addition, AIR was restricted to the initial manifestation of tumor recurrence in patients who were previously considered to have disease-free status at least 6 months after initial RFA to avoid confusion with tumor progression from residual tumor and unidentified microscopic metastasis or vascular invasion before treatment.
Although the exact mechanism of this kind of tumor recurrence remains unclear, intravascular tumor spread may be one of the causes of this serious complication. Abnormal communication between the hepatic artery and portal vein within HCC, such as an iatrogenic arterioportal fistula [16] or intratumoral shunt [17], may develop during RFA, and this may enable cancer cell spread into the peripheral liver due to RFA-related mechanical injury (Fig. 1). Another hypothesis is that rapid heating of a tumor may lead to a sudden increase in internal pressure of ablated tissue and cause the scattering of malignant cells around the ablation zone [14,18]. In addition, although the results were based on an animal model studies, Ahmed et al. [19] recently reported that RFA of normal liver tissue can stimulate distant tumor growth mediated by the hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met pathway and vascular endothelial growth factor activation. Furthermore, RFA does not allow for systemic removal of the corresponding hepatic segment fed by tumor-bearing portal tributaries, and thus, micro-satellite nodules around the index tumor may not be effectively treated with RFA [5].
Based on the results of previous studies [8,11-16], the imaging findings of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC can be classified either as multiple nodular tumors or as a diffusely infiltrative mass with tumor thrombus formation. In general, multiple tumor nodules were all relatively uniform in size and developed simultaneously in the same segment of the liver peripheral to the ablation zone or both hepatic lobes (Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) [13]. Diffusely infiltrative tumor recurrences also developed in the peripheral part of the treated segment around the ablation zone with or without tumor thrombus formation in the adjacent portal vein (Fig. 4) [8].
Although the reported incidence of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC is very low, ranging from 0.7–8.0%, its frequency increased up to 15% in the subgroup of patients with periportal HCC [8,12,15]. To date, several known risk factors of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC have been identified. These include: larger tumor size, ill-defined tumor margin [13], higher serum protein induced by vitamin K absence-II level [15], rapid incremental increase in RF electrical power [12,18], periportal tumor location, young age of patients [8], and enhanced expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule in residual HCC after insufficient RFA [20]. These factors could be associated with this serious complication during the RFA procedure for HCC. Most risk factors are tumor-related factors regardless of whether or not the tumor has an aggressive behavior. However, among these risk factors, it is worth noting tumor location and energy deposition protocol because they are technical aspects of RFA procedures. In patients with periportal tumors, factors that promote tumor spread from the ablation zone into the adjacent portal vein via abnormal arterioportal communications in and around tumors, representing transportal tumor spread during RFA, may be present [8].
Although several studies have investigated the risk factors and imaging findings of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC [9-12, 14-16], there has been only one study that directly evaluated the therapeutic outcomes of RFA for HCC according to the occurrence of aggressive tumor recurrence during follow-up. Kang et al.8 reported that the occurrence of AIR during follow-up had a significant unfavorable effect on overall survival. This is because patients with AIR had a higher BCLC staging compared to those with usual local tumor progression or intrahepatic distant recurrence after RFA, which led to the use of palliative treatments, including radiation treatment or sorafenib therapy, in patients with AIR.
In clinical practice, there are no available guidelines related to avoiding or preventing aggressive tumor recurrence following RFA for HCC. Until conditions for safe and effective RFA are better understood, we recommend that careful consideration be given to treatment for aggressive HCC, such as consideration of high tumor marker levels, ill-defined margins, or larger tumor size, which is associated with an increased chance of microvascular invasion and micro-satellite nodules around the index tumor, and perioportal tumors. In view of the relatively high frequency of AIR of HCC observed in patients with periportal HCCs and the previously reported clinical significance of AIR, we should know how to prevent or minimize this newly recognized tumor recurrence. Recently modified ablation techniques, in accordance with studies recommending use of sonazoid [21], no-touch multi-polar ablation technique [22,23], longer ablation times at lower power [18], combined RFA treatments with TACE [24], or cryoablation, to prevent aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC have been used to prevent this serious complication, especially in patients with periportal tumors. However, the effectiveness of these techniques should be validated with further prospective studies.
To minimize or prevent this newly recognized tumor recurrence, which is a serious complication of percutaneous RFA for HCC, it is important for physicians to have knowledge of the mechanisms, risk factors, and methods of prevention. In addition, physicians should be familiar with the imaging features of various types of aggressive tumor recurrence after RFA for HCC. With understanding of this serious complication, hepatic RFA can be performed with greater safety, better patient outcomes, and a reduced risk of treatment failures in patients with HCC.


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Should the United States Withdraw from Afghanistan?
Featuring Malou Innocent, Foreign Policy Analyst, Cato Institute, and co-author of Escaping the 'Graveyard of Empires': A Strategy to Exit Afghanistan; Celeste Ward, Senior Defense Analyst, RAND Corp.; Patrick M. Cronin, Director of the Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University; Robert Naiman, National Coordinator, Just Foreign Policy; and Ted Galen Carpenter, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute, and co-author of Escaping the 'Graveyard of Empires': A Strategy to Exit Afghanistan. Moderated by Christopher Preble, Director of Foreign Policy Studies, Cato Institute.
Nearly eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan struggles under the most brutal circumstances: corrupt and ineffective state institutions; thousands of miles of unguarded borders; pervasive illiteracy and poverty; and a dysfunctional international alliance attempting to provide security for the country. Can "nation-building" in the midst of a bloody insurgency succeed in such an environment? What constitutes "success," and what price should we be willing to pay for it? Does the United States have a compelling strategic rationale for remaining in Afghanistan? Please join us for a lively discussion.


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A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America
Under pressure from a coalition of scholarly organizations, the Greek cabinet has decided to halt construction of a subway tunnel under the Kerameikos cemetery, ancient Athens' most important burial ground. Until recently, the Greek government was pressing for test borings to gauge whether the ground beneath the site was secure enough for the tunnel. The Association of Greek Archaeologists said that the action vindicated its opposition to the destruction of antiquities there. The group had criticized the government when more than 800 graves were destroyed during construction of the Kerameikos station in 1996 (see "Development Juggernaut," November/December 1997). Delays related to the controversy have cost the government billions of drachmas and stalled by three years construction of a subway line linking downtown with neighborhoods to the west.


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Deborah Poe is the author of the poetry collections keep (forthcoming from Dusie Press), the last will be stone, too (Stockport Flats), Elements (Stockport Flats), and Our Parenthetical Ontology (CustomWords), as well as a novella in verse, Hélène (Furniture Press).
Deborah also co-edited Between Worlds: An Anthology of Contemporary Fiction and Criticism (Peter Lang). Her work has appeared in journals like Denver Quarterly, Court Green, Loose Change, Colorado Review, and Jacket2, and in anthologies such as Not Somewhere Else But Here: A Contemporary Anthology of Women & Place and In/Filtration: An Anthology of Innovative Poetry from the Hudson River Valley. Her visual works—including video poems and handmade book objects—have been exhibited at Pace University (New York City), Casper College (Wyoming), Center for Book Arts (New York City), University of Arizona Poetry Center (Tucson), University of Pennsylvania Kelly Writers House at Brodsky Gallery (Philadelphia), and ONN/OF "a light festival" (Seattle), as well as online with Elective Affinities, Peep/Show, Trickhouse, The Volta, and Gramma.
Deborah founded and curates the annual Handmade/Homemade Exhibit. She has taught at Pace University, Western Washington University, Binghamton University, SUNY, the Port Townsend Writer's Workshop in Washington, and Casa Libre en La Solana in Tucson and served as Distinguished Visiting Writer for Seattle University during Winter Term 2016.
To discuss teaching, consulting, reading, or speaking opportunities, please contact deborah.poe at gmail dot com.


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Iceberg Cultural Intelligence
6000Since 2009 we have trained more than 6000 global leaders and professionals
11We have worked in 11 Latin American countries: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Dominic Republic, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Guatemala
95We have met or exceeded the expectations of more than the 95% of our clients
6060% of our clients are organizations with more than 10,000 employees
Margarita D
Vice President – Client Relations at The Kaleidoscope Group
"Marcelo is passionate about the work that he does for cross cultural training. His presence in the classroom and knowledge is of the highest caliber. He commits to providing the very best experience in all cases."
IT Director LATAM
Global Consumers Good Company
"Shirley has a deep knowledge about cultural differences (Colombia, Argentina and Brazil). It was an open and fluid conversation"
Laura María Guinard
Analista Sr. Talento en Banco Itaú
"Delegamos en Iceberg, nuestra primera experiencia de capacitación y sensibilización en el tema de intercambio cultural. No sólo superó nuestras expectativas, sino que además cuidó cada detalle en todos los pasos del proceso. Sus servicios son de un alto grado de profesionalismo y se destacan su creatividad y flexibilidad ya sea para cambios imprevistos, como para adaptarse a los requerimientos de la empresa. Lo recomiendo"
Jamie Gelbtuch
Founder and Principal Consultant at Cultural Mixology, MBA, PMP
"Marcelo is a top-notch presenter with in-depth knowledge of a variety of intercultural topics and also effective delivery methods. He kept us engaged not only via his own passion and charisma but through his well-designed supporting visuals. A true professional from start to finish, it was a pleasure to work with someone so reliable, customized, and attentive to details… I highly recommend him to others working in the intercultural field as he is a most valued contributor."


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Sometimes you do everything you can in order to alleviate test anxiety, yet you may still find yourself freezing up or going blank when the test is put in front of you. In these situations-which hopefully will be rare-having a set of coping tools at hand to manage test anxiety while you are actually taking the test can help you make it through.
Assessing the Test
Oftentimes, simply taking a look through the entire test can give you a good idea of what you will need to know and how you should pace yourself during the test. Hopefully, if you have studied thoroughly and efficiently, this glance over the test will be encouraging and will help alleviate some of your test anxiety. Once you see that the test is not beyond your knowledge, you can relax and work your way through the questions with confidence.
Another approach might be to answer a few questions that you feel particularly confident about, even if it means answering them out of order. Once you have successfully finished a few questions, you will likely feel more in control, which will help with any impending test anxiety.
If test anxiety starts to rear its ugly head while you are taking the test, and you find yourself blanking out on answers or experiencing uncomfortable physical symptoms, relaxation techniques can help get you back on track.
Here are some highly effective techniques for relaxing during the test:
- Slow your breathing. Count each breath, up to five breaths. Continue counting to ten if the anxiety does not subside.
- Close your eyes and count to ten or twenty to bring your thoughts back into focus.
- Stretch in your chair to loosen the tension that could be adding to your test anxiety. Stretch your arms and legs and release tension in the shoulders and neck by rolling your head or by crossing one arm over your chest and pressing your elbow toward your body.
- If possible, stand up to stretch or even take a short walk, perhaps to get a drink.
- A quick break from the stress of the test might be enough to get your brain back on track.
Although the best cure for test anxiety is adequate preparation, these relaxation techniques will help you remain calm if test anxiety hits you during the exam. They are quick and simple ways to regain control of your physical and emotional reactions to the test. Once you feel as if you are in control, the rest should fall into place, giving you the chance to prove you know the test material and to pass the exam with flying colors.


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Code green, a state of Peace.
We ended our night last night with a dinner at a new Izakaya that wasn't open the night before. It seems like Ansen was punishing us for all the grief we've been giving him about his Japanese because he said he'd catch up and didn't actually come to the restaurant. When we got there it proved to be much harder getting along without him. In the end I had to run outside and take a picture of the sign on the front of the restaurant and show the poor waitress. Its a good thing that I've mastered the Japanese I need to get along at an Izakaya. Whiskey = "wis-u-key" and beer = "bi-ru" other than that I have to ask Ansen to help out because ordering pork or "Bu-ta ni-ku" may result in some strange part of the pig you are not used to so I rely pretty heavily on the more Japanese proficient members of the group for the specifics. In the end we did manage to have a great meal, so great in fact that we skipped Gion, and we are planning on heading there as soon as possible.
We started off the morning In a rush, they closed the Shogunate palace pretty close to us leaving yesterday so we wanted to get going right away today. Because of this breakfast suffered. I did manage to find a strange little combo for breakfast on the run.
That's a piece of toast with bacon and an egg, and a hash brown. Pretty good for short notice.
Our first stop today was pretty amazing, also a nice change up since we've been visiting mostly Shinto shrines, but today was all for Buddha. Here is us all in front of Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine, which we referred to as "the gorden pagoda"
And here is a shot of the pristine background that we are ruining in the picture above.
In another amazing strike of luck a group of Japanese University students accosted us at the entrance and asked if it would be ok with us if they guided through the shrine, of course we thought it was a great Idea. Here is a quick shot of all of use after the tour (they were great guides).
After that we went to Ryoan-ji a Zen Buddhist temple, In the opinion of some THE Zen Buddhist temple, and I'l show you in a minute why. The entire entrance to the temple was a testament to Japanese landscaping and their ability to give you peace in the middle of a city filled with noise and chaos. This temple is home to the original Zen rock garden, only 15 rocks and white gravel in a rectangle 25×10 meters. Looking into the garden for just a few minutes was enough to make me forget about everything going on around me, even the voices of the throngs of people around me disappeared, it was a truly grounding experience.
And here is a shot of the whole thing.
I think I'm going to leave it at that for now, Its really getting hard to decide what I should write down In the few minutes a day I get to look at a computer screen. I hope I've been choosing wisely, sticking to what we do during the day. I'l have to do a couple of posts dedicated to other things like our interactions with the locals and some more details about our eating/drinking when I get the chance. Until then…
Coje lo con take it easy,
Oh yea I just thought you might want to see this… It caused a great deal of laughter when we spotted it.


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State Codes and StatutesStatutes > West-virginia > 16 > 16-2c-1
§16-2C-1. Definitions.
For the purposes of this article:
"Home health services" shall mean and include, but not be limited to, the following services furnished to an individual who is under the care of a physician, such services to be provided on a visiting basis in a place of residence used as the individual's home: (1) Part-time or intermittent nursing care provided by or under the supervision of a registered professional nurse; (2) physical, occupational or speech therapy; (3) medical social services under the direction of a physician; (4) part-time or intermittent services of a home health aide.
"Department" shall mean the state department of health.
"Local boards" shall mean local health boards established pursuant to the provisions of article two or two- a of this chapter.