text:
The Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System (RIS) is a kit for building Lego robots. It includes two motors, two touch sensors, one light sensor, more than 700 Lego bricks, and a robot brain called the RCX. It's Lego's bid for the 11-and-up age group; the company hit this market better than it might have anticipated, seducing a lot of amateur roboticists in their 20s, 30s, and beyond. Although the 00 price tag sounds steep, it's an excellent value, considering what's contained in the set.
RIS also includes software for programming robots, a graphical environment called RCX Code. Using RCX Code, you can create robot programs by snapping together functional blocks, just like snapping together Lego bricks. You can download and store completed programs on the RCX via an infrared link (the same way your remote and your television set talk to each other). RCX Code is great for people who have never programmed, but it's limiting for experienced programmers.
RCX architecture
The RCX, the robotic brain, is a large brick that contains a microcontroller. You can attach three motors and three sensors simply by snapping special "wire bricks" on the RCX. An infrared port is used to communicate with your desktop computer.
Internally, the RCX contains 16KB of ROM and 32KB of RAM. The ROM contains low-level routines for the motors and sensors. You must load the RAM with firmware, which is also provided by Lego. This firmware (which I'll call the default firmware) contains a byte-code interpreter, which can run programs downloaded from RCX Code.
There are two categories of alternate programming environments for the RCX. The first uses the default firmware on the RCX and provides alternate programming environments on the desktop PC. A good example of this is NQC, a popular environment that lets you write robot programs using C-like source files. Those files are compiled and downloaded to the RCX, but it's still the default RCX firmware that runs the programs.
The second class of alternate programming environment uses replacement firmware and also provides a set of PC-side tools for programming. LeJOS falls into this category. LeJOS was created by Jose Solorzano, a developer and Lego robot enthusiast. LeJOS is the sophisticated cousin of TinyVM, Solorzano's first run at a Java environment for the RCX.
LeJOS provides replacement firmware that knows how to run leJOS programs. It also provides PC-side tools for compiling Java source code and downloading leJOS programs to the RCX.
LeJOS Java implementation
Only a small subset of the Java Virtual Machine and APIs can be implemented on a small device like the RCX. LeJOS includes just a few Java classes from
java.io, and
java.util -- many of which will be familiar to Java programmers. That's one of the great things about leJOS; if you already know Java, you're a few steps up on the learning curve.
LeJOS installation
You can download the entire leJOS package from the leJOS homepage, http://lejos.sourceforge.net/. The page also contains links to installation instructions for both Linux and Windows. I'll be using the Windows version, but it will be much the same process for Linux users.
As of this writing, the current version is beta 3. It's distributed as a
.tar.gz file for Linux and a
.zip file for Windows. All you need to do is unpack the file, and then add the bin subdirectory to your PATH. (I assume you have already installed the Java 2 SDK. If not, go get it from http://java.sun.com/j2se/.)
Getting to know the tools
At this point, you'll probably want to build a robot that you can use for testing your leJOS programs. If you need some help, try following along with the building instructions found at http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/lmstorms/building/. I suggest building RoboTag, a basic tank-style robot with a bumper and a light sensor; it is an excellent test bed for programming.
LeJOS offers simple tools for compiling and downloading robot programs. If you've added leJOS's bin directory to your PATH, then you are ready to use the leJOS tools.
The first step is to download the leJOS firmware to the RCX. You only need to do this once. The RCX keeps the firmware in battery-backed RAM, so it is there even after you turn off the RCX. If you switch batteries, however, you will probably need to reinstall the firmware. Just use leJOS's
lejosfirmdl command. The firmware download takes a few minutes;
lejosfirmdl shows the percent complete as the download progresses.
C:\>lejosfirmdl Use --help for options. Transferring "/Apps/lejos/bin/../bin/lejos.srec" to RCX... 100% C:\>
Now you're ready to start coding in Java. Type in the following simple program and save it in a file called
import josx.platform.rcx.*; public class HelloRCX { public static void main(String[] args) { Motor.A.forward(); Motor.C.forward(); try { Thread.sleep(2000); } catch (InterruptedException ie) {} Motor.A.stop(); Motor.C.stop(); } }
Compiling this source code is a matter of running the regular
javac and telling it to use the leJOS classes. Fortunately you don't have to think about it too much; just use the
lejosc utility like this:
C:\>lejosc HelloRCX.java C:\>
If there are any errors,
lejosc will report them just like the regular
javac compiler, providing both the error and the line number in the source code.
lejosc is successful, it produces
.class files from your
.java source code. The next challenge is to get the class files down onto the RCX so you can run your program. LeJOS encapsulates this functionality in the
lejos command-line tool. You do have to specify which port to use with an environment variable, like this:
C:\>set RCXTTY=COM2 C:\>lejos HelloRCX C:\>
As the program is downloaded to the RCX, the RCX counts upward, starting from 1. How far it counts depends on how many classes are downloaded and the size of those classes.
This is a deceptively simple step. Behind the scenes, leJOS is compiling the class you specified into leJOS native code and downloading the native code to the leJOS firmware in the RCX. Further, it has to be smart enough to package and send any other classes that are referenced in your class. This is an important point. In this example, for instance, the
Motor class will also be downloaded because you have used it in your code.
Once the program is downloaded, you can run it by pressing the Run button on the RCX. Go ahead and give it a try. Motors A and C will go on for two seconds, and then turn off.
API overview
Once you've mastered leJOS's tools, learning the APIs is straightforward. All the RCX-specific APIs are grouped together in the
josx.platform.rcx package. Because the functionality of the leJOS APIs is very specific to the RCX, you'll see a lot of static methods and class constants. The
Motor class, for example, has three static member variables representing the RCX's three motor outputs. Most of the remainder of this article is a tutorial on the leJOS APIs for controlling motors, configuring and reading sensors, using threads, controlling the display, and creating sound.
Controlling outputs
The RCX has three outputs that are represented by instances of
Motor defines three static member variables, aptly named
B, and
C, one for each output. Using a motor is simply a matter of naming one of the
Motor instances and calling one of its methods.
Outputs have a power and a mode that you can control. The mode is set by calling
stop(), and
flt(). Forward and backward modes set the motor running forward or backward, just as you'd expect. There are two ways to stop a motor, however. Calling
stop() puts the output in stop or brake mode. A motor shaft attached to the output will not move; further, it resists movement, which is why it's called brake mode. The other mode is float; in this mode, the motor shaft doesn't move, but it doesn't resist movement either. If you drive a robot forward and then put the motors in float mode, the robot will coast to a stop rather than stop abruptly.
You can try this out in
HelloRCX.java. Just call
flt() instead of
stop() to halt the motors; watch your robot glide gracefully to a stop.
An output's power can be set at a level of 1 to 7 using the
setPower() method. Of course, the power of an output has meaning only if the mode is forward or backward.
Reading inputs
The RCX's versatile inputs can handle a wide variety of sensors, everything from simple passive touch sensors to powered rotation sensors. In leJOS, inputs are represented by instances of
josx.platform.rcx.Sensor. Like the
Motor class,
Sensor provides three static member variables,
S2, and
S3, that represent the three inputs.
To read a sensor properly, you must first configure the input. Each input has a type and a mode that can be set using the appropriately named
setTypeAndMode() method. You can use constants defined in
josx.platform.rcx.SensorConstants interface. For example, you can configure an input for a light sensor as follows:
Sensor.S2.setTypeAndMode( SensorConstants.SENSOR_TYPE_LIGHT, SensorConstants.SENSOR_MODE_PCT);
The type tells the RCX the electrical characteristics of the attached sensor, while the mode determines how the raw input signal is mathematically processed. In this case, I asked that the sensor values from the light sensor be returned as a percent.
You must explicitly configure an input if it is active (powered). Lego's light sensor is a good example of an active sensor; when it is configured properly, it emits a red light. You can turn on the power as follows:
Finally, to read the value from the input, call
Listening to sensors
LeJOS supports a JavaBeans-style event-listener mechanism, which lets you respond to changes in sensor values. Simply implement the
SensorListener interface and register your listener with the sensor using
addSensorListener(). Whenever the value of the input changes, your sensor listener's
stateChanged() method will be invoked.
Here's a little program that beeps every time a touch sensor on input 1 changes state:
import josx.platform.rcx.*; public class TouchBeeper { public static void main(String[] args) { Sensor.S1.setTypeAndMode( SensorConstants.SENSOR_TYPE_TOUCH, SensorConstants.SENSOR_MODE_BOOL); Sensor.S1.addSensorListener(new SensorListener() { public void stateChanged(Sensor source, int oldValue, int newValue) { Sound.beep(); } }); } }
Threads and timing
Threads are handy in robot programming; you can create a new thread to listen for sensor events, or you can perform tricky calculations in a separate thread. Multithreading in leJOS is similar to multithreading in regular Java. It's based on
java.lang.Thread, which has a
run() method containing the code that will be executed in a new thread. It also has a
start() method for kicking off the new thread.
LeJOS lacks the
java.lang.Runnable interface, so the only way you can create new threads is by subclassing
Thread and defining the
run() method.
LeJOS also features a timer class and a timer listener interface in the
josx.util package. The basic idea is to set up a timer and kick it off. When the timer fires, all registered listeners are notified. For more details, check the API documentation in Resources.
Using the display
The RCX includes a small display. LeJOS has several classes that you can use for showing things on the display. The capabilities are pretty impressive; basically, you can control every segment of the display. I'll cover only a couple of the simpler methods here.
First, the
josc.platform.rcx.LCD class has a static
setNumber() method that accepts an integer and shows it on the screen. You can also use
clear() to turn all segments of the display off, although you'll need to call
refresh() to see the effects. The documentation states that you need to call
refresh() after "certain operations," but it's not specific about which ones. If you are trying to change items on the display and don't see results, try calling
refresh(); it may help.
Finally, you can display text on the display, although it's not particularly legible and there's only space for five characters. The following example shows how to display a text string:
Try it out! See how many five-letter words you can think of.


text:
Show 21 starts with Stig finally getting beat in the FitBit challenge, and a chicory liquor, along with consideration of the "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" phrase being co-opted.
At 7:08, Bill and Stig discuss the R. Kelly issue and his scheduled appearance this summer at the Free Press Festival.
The Boston bombing suspect goes on trial and some oddities in that trial.
At 16:18, the 50th anniversary of the Selma march is discussed, also Stig mentions an article tracing 100 years of life in Montrose.
At 21:37, Bill begins our sports segment with the first Dynamo game of the season. Stig and Bill discuss JJ Watts new cabin. The Funnel Tunnel leaves Montrose and Bill wraps the segment with "One Sticker for All".
At 31:32, more which color is the dress talk, music video talk including Taylor Swift, and Bill introduces us to a new bar off Navigation – Voodoo Queen.
Oscar Nominated Short Films (Animated)
Oscar Nominated Short Films (Live Action)
Music featured in this episode:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Students in the first batch are
collecting spectral data (Apr 2, 2013)
|Students in one of the three classes are entering their data in spreadsheet
to calculate and graph reflectance values of live and dead leaves (Apr 10, 2013)
|Verifying that all numbers were entered correctly
(Class period 3: Apr 10, 2013)
"This experiment helped to understand chapter 6 by showing how the colors change…" - DG
"This helped me understand color more. The effects of man can affect earth so much." – CM
"It helped me understand that not all light is visible to us as humans. It helped me understand that nothing has a true color it is just what color we see it in, how our eyes work." - HS
"This hands-on exercise helped me understand colors and the interaction of radiation and it was fun."- NM
"This exercise taught me that different colors reflect different amounts of light, and dead and live deciduous and coniferous trees do too." – MS
"This hands-on exercise helped me to understand the interaction of electromagnetic radiation better because we had the chance to look at real results and also examples. I learned a lot." – LC
"This activity helped me to understand how things may differ in a way we may not be able to understand at first glance. I also learned how to use Excel." – BC
"…I learned about all the actual colors of things like leaves and flowers. This experiment was really enjoyable." – IW
"This helped because after doing the hands-on activities and seeing them in the graph compared to everyone else, I saw and understood how light reflects and how the basics of remote sensing works." – TN
"This hands-on exercise helped me to understand the interaction of electromagnetic radiation by showing me that it is used in everyday life by a lot of different careers. It was interested and showed me science is more than formulas." – AMThis event was conducted on April 2, 3, 9 and 10 as part of AmericaView's Earth Observation Day activities aimed at introducing teachers and students to remote sensing science and applications.


text:
A scene along my daily walk, the only tracks down this lane were made by a small critter. Temperatures were around 10 degrees this afternoon with clear sunny skies.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist
A scene along my daily walk, the only tracks down this lane were made by a small critter. Temperatures were around 10 degrees this afternoon with clear sunny skies.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist
Oh awesome! I'd love to be walking with you!
I'm trying to walk every day, its nice as long as the wind isn't blowing.
Gail Niebrugge (Knee-brew-ghe) born and raised in California has pursued art since childhood, winning a poster contest on the Johnny Jet television show at the age of twelve. Gail began her career as an illustrator for the US Navy and Marines in San Diego, and later established the Instructional Media Center for the Grossmont High School District in La Mesa, California. The Niebrugge family fell in love with Alaska while on vacation in 1976 and never returned home, instead they established a residence and studio in the remote interior settlement of Copper Center where the artist painted the … [Read More...]
Wikipedia defines pointillism as; "a style of painting in which small distinct points of primary colors create the impression of a wide selection of secondary and intermediate colors." It goes on to say that the mind and the eye mix the color spots into a full range of tones and that it is closely related to Divisionism. Divisionism was practiced by Georges Seurat during the Neo-Impressionism period. He broke his color into basic elements and painted very small and regular dots. His dots are carefully placed as to not touch each other, so the white under painted canvas shows around all of the dots. I call my painting technique pointillism, but technically it is incorrect according to Wikipedia. The difference between my technique and true pointillism is that I use all … [Read More...]
Copyright © 2019 · Designed by Digital West Media, Inc. · Log in


text:
Trains, Cranes and Marbella Property
I had, until today, almost forgotten the noise and dirt of the hundreds of cement trucks trundling up and down the N340, carving a path to the hundreds of new developments in a seemingly never ending convoy!
Whilst it is unlikely I will ever again look out of my window to a skyline of Cranes and concrete skeletons, driving through San Pedro this morning was a real blast from the past!
The whole place was a hub of activity with trucks loading and unloading construction materials, cement trucks heading off towards the main road, cars double parked, new businesses open and workers actually working!
Is this another sign of a recovery in the Marbella property market?
In Marbella increased activity in construction was highlighted last year by Pablo Moro the town Planning Counselor. He reported that in 2013 work had started on over 80% of projects for which licenses had previously been granted with a further 123 licenses granted for new houses.
Moro sees this as strong sign of recovery coupled with constant requests at the town planning office from investors who are interested in land for schools, hospitals, shopping centers and housing.
Taylor Wimpey´s new development on San Pedro beach has completely sold out during construction and in the stunning contemporary development la Reserva de Sierra Blanca all but two units have been sold.
Banco Santander also announced that 2014 would see them return to the construction industry, resuming building work on 5,000 residential homes across Spain.
Two new schools are currently under construction now one of which is the Costa del Sols first fully Bilingual school Colegio Atalaya. Opening from September 2014 Colegio Atalaya will offer places to children from nursery to university entrance studies and all students will take classes in both Spanish English and learn a third language.
There will be a strong focus on sports and the school is offering football, swimming, judo, volley ball, basket ball within school hours as well as an after school program including horse riding, sailing, golf, ballet and piano lessons.
Mayfair International College are also about to begin construction on a brand new state of the art international school near Marbella.
Responding to the ever increasing demand for additional and well needed school places for international students based in and around the Marbella area, Mayfair International Academy have over the last year or so been working very closely with the town hall of Estepona based in the province of Malaga, Spain.
The new state of the art International school close to Marbella is being built on the borders of Marbella and Estepona in the very well established and increasingly popular residential area of Diana which is very close to Diana Park, where the well known and sought after el Campanario golf resort is situated.
This area has in recent years become one of the most popular urbanizations and is now heavily populated with many Russian, Scandinavian, English, French and German families.
The area is also within easy reach of el Paraiso, Atalaya, Benahavis, San Pedro de Alcantara, Puerto Banus, Marbella and Estepona to name but a few.


text:
A few of the guests who have graced the Guitar Nights stage include Brian Barany, Cambalache, Josinaldo Costo, Brian Head, Rick Ickard, Celia Liu, LeChic Duo, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Alex Pettit, Richard Smith, John Storie, Scott Tennant, and Steve Trovato.
For this upcoming event, Scott Tennant and friends perform in the final Guitar Nights of the season!
Pasadena Conservatory of Music
100 North Hill Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91106


text:
$150 to $300
$420 to $1000
$1500 to $1900
On average this assess and fix roofing problem project costs $600 in Los Angeles, CA. Depending on your contractor, prices can range from $470 to $1900. When pricing out your assess and fix roofing problem project make sure to get at least 3 quotes to compare prices and get the best value. Comparable projects nearby include Roof Replacement in North Hollywood, Roofer Needed in Santa Clarita, and Roofer Needed in Los Angeles.
Assess And Fix Roof: assess and fix roofing problem on back side addition. noticed a slight dip topside. area in pictures: past week started sagging/cracking. 94 households have had similar projects done near East Hollywood, Koreatown (Wilshire Center), and Mid-Wilshire.
Excerpt Responses:
More cost information & deals:
$470 to $1900
Roofer Coupons in Burbank, CAGet up to 30% off on roofing projects!
Roof Repairs Coupons in Lake Forest, CA$25 - Broken Roofing Tiles Removed and Replaced
Roof Repairs Coupons in Lake Forest, CA$50 - Tile Roof Leak Detection and Repair Services
Roofer Coupons in Northridge, CA15% Off Roof Installation
General Contractor Coupons in Rialto, CAKen independent home solution
I need to have my room replaced and need a quote. The roof is a mixture of flat and California style. Californ
Project Cost: $2142
Pluming , Electrical , Footings , framing for new 1300. sq ft New Construction hous
Project Cost: $50551
Roofer needed. Standard spanish style tile roof. Leaking signs in the ceiling. need to fix soon as possible
Project Cost: $777
Licensed Roofer Needed roofer needed to replace roof on single story single family house, need to pricing for
Project Cost: $600
Room addition
Project Cost: $31108
Project Cost: $2277
two wall removal or one wall removal and one opening to kitche
Project Cost: $9457
Need gravel roof repaired, has a small hole but no leaks detected
Project Cost: $475
Looking for someone to replace shingles with alum roof panels. Patio is approx 16 feet x 15 feet. The Alum pan
Project Cost: $652
low slope re-roofing, currently has tar and gravel. House is 3 beds Bathrooms, 2 bath
Project Cost: $4913
New ceiling 1600 square feet
Project Cost: $1860
A 2200 sq ft built up roof needs to be replaced with a foam roof
Project Cost: $7902
Need a new roof
Project Cost: $6875
An 11x11 kitchen needs an basic remodel
Project Cost: $16490
Roof leak repair
Project Cost: $900
By clicking "Send", you authorize us to send you a text with a link to the coupon. Receipt of text is not a condition of purchase. See terms & privacy policy.


text:
A Mini-Guide To Half Moon Pose
With any balancing yoga posture , it's helpful to build from the ground up. A sturdy foundation combined with a fixed gaze, deep breath and muscle awareness cultivates a strong and steady pose like Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana). Whether or not you're new to the pose, using a block will allow your chest to lift with more ease as you build up enough strength over time.
Here is a guide to finding balance in Half Moon.
Part I: Preparation
a. Is my shoulder stacked directly over my wrist?
Set your bottom hand on a block at its highest level, directly under your shoulder so all your joints (wrist, elbow, shoulder) are stacked in a straight line. This allows you to build a steady base through the arm.
b. Is there a slight micro bend in my knee?
Position your back leg such that the foot is directed forward and knee is forward. Be sure to avoid hyperextending, or locking your knee. Many students will do this to try to avoid falling, but it's not healthy for your joints. Instead, have the slightest bit of bend in your knee so the quadriceps muscle is engaged.
c. Am I shifting my weight off my back foot?
Push down into the block with your arm and press down into the floor with your standing foot. Shift your weight forward so your back foot begins to lift.
Part II: Engagement + Awareness
d. Am I flexing through my back heel?
As you lift the back leg, turn your foot out to the side so you begin to externally rotate your hip. Keep your back foot flexed so you can energetically push back through that heel.
e. Is my chest rotating upward?
Rotate your chest toward the sky by turning your ribcage and twisting with the muscles of the abdomen — the obliques.
f. Am I reaching forward with the crown of my head?
Protect your neck by moving with the big muscles of your torso and shoulders. Align your head so the crown is extending forward.
Part III: Extend, Balance + Soar
g. Is my back leg in line with my hip?
As you lift the left leg and turn the hip open, feel for the position of the leg. You can't really see your leg in the air so you'll need to develop that yogic "sixth sense" of feeling for where it is. Move your left leg so it's as high as your hip, but not moving behind you.
h. Am I reaching my fingers toward the sky?
Lift your left arm to the sky and feel for where it is in relation to your bottom arm. Stack your arms in a long line.
i. Is my gaze soft and focused?
Add a soft drishti gaze to the floor, turning your head upward if you'd like to challenge your balance further. Commit to pressing down into the floor. Strongly push back through your heel as you feel the twist in your torso. Feel the sense of freedom in your body as you look to the sky and soar.
Photo Credit: Ben Reese, graphic design by mbg creative
And are you ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE web class with nutrition expert Kelly LeVeque.


text:
We're proud to report that Stan Lee, Chairman Emeritus of Marvel and creator of Spider-Man will be signing autographs Saturday & Sunday during C2E2 2014.
Stan Lee is known to millions as the man whose Super Heroes propelled Marvel to its preeminent position in the comic book industry. His co-creations include Spider-Man™, The Avengers ™, X-Men™, Iron Man™, The Incredible Hulk™, The Fantastic Four™, as well as hundreds of others. He introduced Spider-Man™ as a syndicated newspaper strip that became the most successful of all syndicated adventure strips and has appeared in more than 500 newspapers worldwide. Stan currently remains Chairman Emeritus of Marvel, as well as a member of the Editorial Board of Marvel Comics.
Stan is currently the Chairman & Chief Creative Officer of POW! Entertainment, a multimedia entertainment company based in Beverly Hills, CA, which he founded with production partner Gill Champion & the late intellectual property specialist Arthur Lieberman. POW! has debuted several titles in the publishing sphere, including Solider Zero, Traveler, and Starborn with Boom Comics, Stan Lee and the Mighty 7 with Archie and A Squared Entertainment, and Romeo and Juliet: The War with 1821 Comics. Stan has been involved in creating five feature film scripts, including Annihilator with Magic Storm Entertainment and Prodigal. He is also involved with the creation of a live action musical for a casino in Macau called Yin and Yang: The Battle of Tao. Additionally, he is working on the creation of an Indian and South American superhero franchises.
*All trademarks are owned by Marvel Entertainment, LLC.
Once again JediMousetketeer.com is honored to provide coverage of the 2014 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2). Aljon Go and fellow correspondents will be doing live blogging and on-air streaming reports for the Sorcerer Radio Network and WDW After Dark webcasts April 25-27 from McCormick Place.
The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo - also known as C2E2 - is a convention spanning the latest and greatest from the worlds of comics, movies, television, toys, anime, manga and video games. Bringing the best of popular culture to Downtown Chicago, C2E2's show floor is packed with hundreds of exhibitors, panels and autograph sessions giving fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators and screening rooms featuring sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either the big or small screen!
For the latest info please check back with JediMouseketeer.com!
Special thanks to our C2E2 2014 event coverage partners:
Halloween Express - Take 15% off site-wide with NO minimum purchase!
Jedi Mouseketeer - Geeky news from universe of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars!
Kristen Hoetzel of MagicalJourneysVacations.com - Book your Disney vacation or cruise today!
WDW After Dark - Weekly Webcast for Adult Disney Fans!
Sorcerer Radio Network - All Disney Music, All Day Long!
Visit www.JediMouseketeer.com for Disney, Star Wars and Marvel news and videos!
Follow at Twitter.com/JediMouseketeer
"Like" us on Facebook.com/JediMouseketeer
Book your next Disney, Universal or any cruise vacation with Kristen Hoetzel of magicaljourneysvacations.com!


text:
Earlier we have seen how to share pictures, videos and audio with Twitter friends with Tvider. Vidly is a similar service which lets you upload and share videos with your Twitter friends.. It supports uploading of high definition as well as high resolution video clips.
There are three ways to use Vidly:
1. Upload video from your computer: Just click the large button Uploadand you can upload any video clip from your computer. It supports all the major video formats such as mp4, avi, mpeg, 3gp, flv, mov etc. After you have chosen your video clip, allow Twitter to grant access to Vidly to post a tweet. Just sign in with your Twitter username and password and type your tweet. After the upload is complete, a shortened link will be shown as tweet containing your message.(also read: record a screencast online and share it on Twitter)
2. Upload video from your mobile phone: If you want to upload a video from your mobile phone or iphone, Vidly still supports it. Browse to the vidly homepage and select the mobile tab. iphone users can download the iphone app here.
You will be given a private email address at vidly. Just email the video to the private email address and your video will be uploaded.
3. Share a Video from other video sharing sites: Suppose you have spotted an interesting video at YouTube and want to share it with your Twitter followers. Just place the video link in the import tab and you are done. The same video will be shown in your Vidly profile and a tweet will be thrown in your twitter account.(See example)
Vidly currently supports YouTube, Blip.tv, TwitVid, and Direct URL
Techie-Buzz Verdict
Vidly is way more than just video sharing and they have a lot of options available. Currently, the maximum file size is 1GB and the maximum video length is 20 minutes, which i think would be more than sufficient for most of the users. Above all, it supports all the popular video sharing sites. Vidly works just perfect for tweeples who share videos often.
Techie-Buzz Rating: 4/5 (very good).


text:
The estimating process is the important very first step of any building project. Detailed Estimating Tools enable for precise, correct calculations of project estimates, lump sum and detailed estimating methods, sales tax calculation, % margin or percent of costs margins, itemized supplies lists, percentage change and optional QuickBooks Integration. Capacity of a memory and a speed of modern day computer systems allow functioning with enormous Excel workbooks. From there, they can perform straightforward takeoff and mark it up using annotation tools. Construction estimating is an important function that each effective building and home improvement company masters.
Causeway Estimating computer software for construction contractors cuts standard tender enquiry costs by up to 50% while offering enhanced visibility of net expense and worth. With a cost-free trial, you can try just before you acquire and steer clear of acquiring a solution estimators never like. In Excel is achievable to hide unnecessary for the moment columns and also in Excel View tab are other excellent tools: Split, Freeze Panes, Custom views and Complete Screen.
The default currency is Euros, but users can modify it to USD, so this remedy can function for U.S.-based building firms. And since UDA Estimating operates seamlessly with the leading spreadsheet application Microsoft Excel, you can instantly appreciate its strong capabilities. I hope that my material will aids you to solve daily issues and to raise the construction organization in which you operate into the greater level, and also will aid to enhance your private abilities. Simple-Pro Builders Estimator is a building-focused spreadsheet system that was developed by a builder who was dissatisfied with the expense and complexity of commercial software program items he had used.
Keep with what you're familiar, Sage Timberline is developed in a user friendly Excel format but with many sophisticated database and estimating and costing functions. The course will offer the student with the simple capabilities necessary to realize and apply fundamental code ideas to developing design and style and building of bigger or complicated buildings. Construction estimating software program is employed in several distinct sectors of the building sector. Due to the vast quantity of calculations that estimating applications perform, a rapidly CPU and ample RAM are each essential for optimal functionality. Remarkably simple, however effective cloud building computer software for building contractors.
With our estimating software, you have the potential to compare estimates with actual fees for material, labor, costs, subcontractors and can run variance reports, enabling you to much better track and handle your jobs. With the assist of building software that calculates takeoff quantities, contractors are in a position to create material estimates that they feed into the subsequent step in the building software chain: estimating. Considering that estimating damage claims is comparable to estimating for remodeling, this product is suitable for use by remodeling and light residential and commercial contractors. Under are the criteria we used to rank and price the computer software in our side-by-side comparison. Organizations in specialty building fields use construction estimating computer software most often. In this plan, he will present authorities in the numerous fields of building.


text:
Topic : Project based learning planning template for students.
Author : Wyman Duncan.
Published : Wed, Oct 02nd 2019 14:23 PM.
Format : jpg/jpeg.
Some of the benefits of software like Business Plan Pro include, but are not limited to, getting instant access to over five hundred sample templates that can be edited directly, allowing you to create the best business plan template for your particular business. It is a software program that provides step-by-step guidance throughout the process of planning and provides clear instructions and sound advice, along with resources for any additional help that may be required. It provides easily generated financials that are based on an underlying built-in financial model that is integrated with visual forecasting, and financial wizards to fill in the numbers in the pre-designed format of the business template. It includes the best and the latest technologies to stay current with new trends in business innovation and planning. It provides expert help from professionals who have valuable years of experience. It also contains real market research data, along with industry profiles on a number of industry verticals, that allow matching the numbers of your business or company with these pre fed and automatically integrated industry ratios that enhance the accuracy of the business plan.
Business plan templates assist individuals in comprehending start up costs, cash flow forecasts, and personal budgets too. They also help produce full sets of financial statements including cash flows and ratio analyses even without accountancy expertise. They are actually the backbones of planning. Additionally, they give total direction to the company, inspire intense researches, and establish goals. Nevertheless, it is also imperative to obtain the right business plan template to avoid mistakes. So, when looking for one, an individual should try out samples before making a purchase.
Once your free business plan template is downloaded, take your time to look it over so you understand it. Keep your business information handy so that you are not searching for it when you need to input information. A sample template will cover all of the different areas in which you should prepare your business plan. You will need to create a strategy and marketing plan. Then you must account for profit and loss. You will need a balance sheet and a cash flow statement. A cash balance graph clearly shows your financial status while operating ratios allow you to make good comparisons of your business efficiency. Finally you need an executive summary to tie it all together.


text:
8 Reasons In-House SEOs Hire SEO ConsultantsBlog Post: June 17, 2010
As a small business owner, I have been inundated by SEO "professionals" marketing their services. I have even hired a couple of them. Unfortunately, the return on my investment has been poor to say the least. How can I ensure I hire an SEO company that will guarantee their work without slipping through their contractual loopholes. How can I know for sure I am hiring an SEO professional who will do what he/she says?


text:
Microsoft unveils Azure-in-a-box
Microsoft will sell Azure appliances to customers large enough to qualify. Will the move help Redmond compete in the private cloud market?
Microsoft has announced that it will sell Azure appliances to its considerably larger customers. A select few technology giants, along with online shopping portal eBay, have bought Microsoft-specified, preconfigured "cloud-in-a-box" appliances designed to let them run Microsoft's Platform as a Service (PaaS) offering from their own premises.
Microsoft is the first and only company that offers customers and partners a full range of cloud capabilities and the flexibility to deploy these services where and how they wish.
Bib Muglia, chief of Microsoft's Server and Tools division
Announced at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, the Windows Azure Platform Appliance is not for the faint of heart, nor is it available to the general public. Microsoft said it is targeting IT organizations that buy hundreds or thousands of servers at a time, like governments, service providers and very large enterprises.
No details about the hardware, networking or software were revealed, but current customers are Dell, HP, Fujitsu and eBay. eBay will be installing the Azure appliances in two of its data centers after testing its capabilities by hosting part of its site on the public, Microsoft-run platform.
"For enterprise and government infrastructure and operations professionals, this announcement brings greater degrees of freedom in using Windows Azure, but it won't bring Azure in-house for more than the few very largest companies...at least not yet," said Forrester principal analyst James Staten in a blog post about the announcement.
Staten characterized the move as aimed at mollifying Microsoft's partners, who have not responded well to having to compete directly with Redmond for software services.
The move allows giants like HP and Fujitsu a bite of Microsoft's cloud apple while letting Microsoft continue to gather momentum with its new fleet of cloud services: Azure, Business Productivity Online Standard Suite (BPOS) and Office Online (Skydrive). If irritated by the competition, HP and Fujitsu could prioritize alternative cloud technologies over Microsoft, but demand for Microsoft's products and software remains strong.
Dell, HP and Fujitsu will offer Azure services out of their own data centers to enterprise customers under undisclosed terms. The appliance is highly managed by Microsoft; buyers reportedly will pay Microsoft for services, as well as the hardware and software stack to run Azure in-house. Microsoft has been secretive about the underlying technology in Azure and clearly plans to remain firmly in control as Azure deploys outside its walls.
Want to buy one? You can't.
Microsoft has said the appliance is in "limited production release" to only a small set of customers and partners. Future plans for the appliance are to be determined. From the Azure appliance website: "We will develop our roadmap depending on what we learn from this set of customers and partners. We have no additional details to share at this time."
Microsoft is covering other bases in private cloud, as well. It also announced the release of its System Center Virtual Machine Manager Self Service Portal, formerly the Dynamic Data Center Toolkit, which is an infrastructure and automation toolkit designed to run in a Windows Server 2008 data center and allow self-service for virtualized servers, monitoring and other features associated with cloud computing. The beta release of Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 also went out, with a heavy emphasis on virtualization and integration updates.
Microsoft is making strong claims for the appliance and for its position on cloud. CEO Steve Ballmer declared Microsoft "all in" on the cloud in March and said he was betting the company on cloud computing.
Bob Muglia, chief of Microsoft's Server and Tools division, said that Azure-in-a-box represents Microsoft's commitment to serving every side of its business.
"Microsoft is the first and only company that offers customers and partners a full range of cloud capabilities and the flexibility to deploy these services where and how they wish," Muglia said -- a claim that some may find difficult to swallow.
Competitors like IBM and Oracle and the EMC/Cisco/VMware coalition have their own cloud-in-a-box products and online services, although none of those have the ubiquity of Microsoft on the desktop and in the office.
Carl Brooks is the Technology Writer at SearchCloudComputing.com. Contact him at email@example.com.


text:
Internode Certainty and Related Measures
Internode Certainty (IC) and related measures use information theory to quantify the degree of conflict or incongruence among all nontrivial bipartitions present in a set of trees. IC-based measures can be calculated from different types of data that contain nontrivial bipartitions, including from bootstrap replicate trees to gene trees or individual characters. Given a set of phylogenetic trees, the IC of a given internode reflects its specific degree of incongruence. IC-based measures can be applied to both full and partial taxon data sets. IC-based measures are implemented and freely available in the programs QuartetScores and RAxML.
Publications: Zhou et al. (2017) bioRxiv; Kobert et al. (2016) Mol. Biol. Evol.; Salichos et al. (2014) Mol. Biol. Evol.; Salichos & Rokas (2013) Nature
CTDGFinder: Clusters of Tandemly Duplicated Genes Finder
Closely spaced clusters of tandemly duplicated genes (CTDGs, pronounced "CaTDoGs") contribute to the diversity of many phenotypes, including chemosensation, snake venom, and animal body plans. CTDGs have traditionally been identified subjectively as genomic neighborhoods containing several gene duplicates in close proximity; however, CTDGs are often highly variable with respect to gene number, intergenic distance, and synteny. This lack of formal definition hampers the study of CTDG evolutionary dynamics and the discovery of novel CTDGs in the exponentially growing body of genomic data. CTDGFinder is a homology-based algorithm that formalizes and automates the identification of CTDGs by examining the physical distribution of individual members of families of duplicated genes across chromosomes.
Publication: Ortiz & Rokas (2017) MBE
iWGS: in silico Whole Genome Sequencer and Analyzer
iWGS is an automated pipeline for guiding the choice of appropriate sequencing strategy and assembly protocols. iWGS seamlessly integrates the four key steps of a de novo genome sequencing project: data generation (through simulation), data quality control, de novo assembly, and assembly evaluation and validation. The last three steps can also be applied to the analysis of real data. iWGS is designed to enable the user to have great flexibility in testing the range of experimental designs available for genome sequencing projects, and supports all major sequencing technologies and popular assembly tools.
Publication: Zhou et al. (2016) G3
The GEneSTATION database (www.genestation.org) integrates diverse types of omics data across mammals to advance understanding of the genetic basis of gestation and pregnancy-associated phenotypes and accelerate the translation of discoveries from model organisms to humans. GEneSTATION contains curated life history information on pregnancy and reproduction from 23 mammalian genomes. For every human gene, GEneSTATION contains diverse evolutionary (e.g., gene age, population genetic and molecular evolutionary statistics), organismal (e.g., tissue-specific gene and protein expression, differential gene expression, disease phenotype), and molecular data types (e.g., protein interactions), as well as links to many general and pregnancy disease-specific databases.
Publication: Kim et al. (2016) Nucleic Acids Res.


text:
The Fourth of July in San Diego has historically been a time for food, friends, family and fireworks shows that everyone can enjoy.
But last year was an exception when the Big Bay Boom became a Big Bay Bust and 15 minutes of fireworks went up in 30 seconds.
This year? Back to normal. Which means back to exceptional.
Here are some of the best 6-second video clips from San Diego's many fireworks shows.


text:
In-House Practitioners Workshop and Luncheon
On the Cutting Edge: What's New, Now, and Next for In-House Practitioners
The Technologies of the Future and Their Impact on IP
We live in an age where customer experience drives innovation and technology. We are becoming more dependent on artificial intelligence to complete daily tasks, revolutionizing our day to day personally and professionally. But let's dive deeper and find the answers to the following:


text:
Are you feeling a bit lost in the translation market and don't know where to start when it comes to pricing your services?
Una and Vova will try to clear your doubts and share tips that will help you work at rates that are both marketable and enjoyable.
You can find more webinars in our Crowdcast and YouTube channels.
Vova Zakharov
Head of Community, Smartcat


text:
As customers use workflows, they've been telling us about some improvements they'd like to see. We've made a few changes with more on the way soon.
- We've added some shortcuts to the top for the most common searches.
- Click on "Recent" and you'll now see a list of items that are pending for you to take action, forms/workflows that you have saved as well as workflows that you have recently participated in so that you can quickly check the status of, say, a pending Leave Approval request. This is the most commonly requested item.
- Click on "Saved" and you'll see a list of forms & workflows that you have saved and are waiting for completion.
- With one click, you can now discard saved forms that you are no longer interested in.
- Tasks on your task list are also color-coded so it's easy to see the status of a task: red ones are aborted, green ones are submitted and amber ones are pending.
You'll see these changes in v4.1.5 (later this month). Going forward, we're working on several other improvements:
- Saved searches. You'll be able to search for tasks using certain criteria and save a shortcut that you can reuse in the future.
- View other people's tasks. Today, you can only view a task if it is pending for you or if you have participated in the corresponding workflow. But, that's usually not enough. Maybe there are a dozen Leave Approval processes pending throughout the company and HR wants to view the status of all of them.
- Read-only view of the current state. It's like a paper form moving through the organization. I know it's waiting for someone else to take action but I'd like to view the current state.
Any more ideas? We'd love to hear them.


text:
Job Corps External Review: Highlights from an Evidence Scan of Promising Practices for Serving Disconnected Youth
As economic conditions change and the research literature evolves, there is a need to assess current best practices for serving today's youth and consider how they could inform the Job Corps program. The Chief Evaluation Office in the Department of Labor (DOL) contracted with Mathematica Policy Research and its subcontractor, Decision Information Resources, Inc., to conduct an external review of Job Corps in order to: (1) document what is known about Job Corps and other similar programs, (2) identify promising evidence-based practices that Job Corps might consider for the future, and (3) present options for future research and evaluation.
This document highlights practices for delivering services to disconnected youth, as identified in the literature scan and described in the study's Evidence Scan report.
Looking to the Future: Job Corps External Review
U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation Office
Myley Dang
Read More
Lindsay Fox
Read More
Linda Rosenberg
Read More
Jillian Berk
Read More


text:
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
|Report on the Workshop on Measurements of Minor Isotopes in Uranium, Organised by the ESARDA Working Group on Standards and Techniques for Destructive Analysis (WG DA)
|AREGBE Yetunde; MAYER Klaus; HEDBERG Magnus; RICHTER Stephan; POTHS Jane; PROHASKA Thomas; KIPS Ruth
|European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA) Bulletin vol. 40 p. 59-69
|Publication Year:
|Articles in periodicals and books
|The ESARDA Working Group on Standards and Techniques for Destructive Analysis (WG DA) organised a Workshop on 10 and 11 April 2008 at the Joint Research Centre IRMM in Geel, Belgium on MEASUREMENTS OF MINOR ISOTOPES IN URANIUM IN BULK AND PARTICLE SAMPLES in order to exchange views and information on the needs, the applicable mass spectrometric techniques and the required quality of measurement results for the minor isotopes of uranium. The aim of this workshop was to address various applications of uranium minor isotope ratio measurements also beyond nuclear safeguards purposes. The workshop objectives were to identify the needs for uranium minor isotope measurements in nuclear safeguards and related areas, to review the current state-of-the-art of relevant measurement techniques and to increase the knowledge exchange between nuclear safeguards and environmental sciences. 40 representatives from the main European and international nuclear safeguards organizations and nuclear measurement laboratories, but also experts from geochemistry and environmental sciences institutes participated in this workshop. Plenary lectures were given by invited speakers from the IAEA on the need for accurate measurements of high-quality for the minor isotopes of uranium, the ITU on the information that is inherent to uranium minor isotopes in view of nuclear forensics, and from the Earth and Environmental Sciences & OUUSF, The Open University, Bristol on application of uranium and thorium minor isotope dating in earth and environmental sciences. The workshop sessions focused on areas of application and mass spectrometric techniques, plasma mass spectrometry, and quality control. The findings and points of discussions from these sessions were discussed in two separate working groups; one on bulk samples and the other one on particle sample analysis. This report is a summary of the findings and points of discussions raised during the sessions and in the working groups, including recommendations for improved measurement techniques and procedures, quality control, reference materials and data interpretation, emphasizing also new fields of application. All the workshop participants recognized the need and the benefit of intensifying the cooperation between the nuclear safeguards and the environmental sciences institutes. This report is an attempt to share the outcome of this workshop with a broader community.
|JRC Directorate:
|Health, Consumers and Reference Materials
Files in This Item:
There are no files associated with this item.
Items in repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.


text:
Issue Theme: New Visions for Literacy Education: We All Read Books
School Talk, Volume 16, Number 4, July 2011
The July issue of School Talk celebrates culturally diverse children's literature and its value for all children. Contributors are Jane Bean-Folkes, "Culturally Diverse Children's Books for Your Classroom Library, Including Ten Great Starter Books"; Hannah Ehrlich, "Publishing with a Mission: Culturally Diverse Books for Children"; and Donna R. Shrier, "Walk-in Wednesday," which discusses an easy, inexpensive way to make books available to kids over the summer.This is the last issue of School Talk.
* Journal articles are provided in PDF format and can be opened using the free Adobe®
Reader® program or a comparable viewer.
Click here to download and install the most recent version of Adobe Reader.
Anonymous commenting is not allowed. Please log in with an individual NCTE account to post comments to this page.
Sort By:
Oldest to Most Recent
Most Recent to Oldest
Posted By:
Anonymous User
so diffcult to know hat is that if using PDF......
Copyright © 1998-2019
National Council of Teachers of English. All rights reserved in all media.
1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, Illinois 61801-1096 Phone: 217-328-3870 or 877-369-6283
Looking for information? Browse our FAQs,
tour our sitemap
and store sitemap,
or contact NCTE
Read our Privacy Policy
Statement and Links Policy.
Use of this site signifies your agreement to the Terms of Use
Visit us on:
This document was printed from http://www.ncte.org/journals/st/issues/v16-4.
NCTE - The National Council of Teachers Of English
A Professional Association of Educators in English Studies, Literacy, and Language Arts


text:
The MED Group can help you stay competitive in a dynamic market. The MED Group's combined network strength and GPO allows MED to connect independent HME providers with Business Partners, payers, and referral sources.
With The MED Group, you could gain access to payer contracts (covering millions of lives) that may not be accessible on an individual basis, for new referral sources and revenue streams. Our referral sources go beyond typical workman's compensation and state payer agreements.
MED Business Services is a comprehensive suite of solutions that offers the HME provider a single source for tools to manage staff education and training, reimbursement, human resources, compliance requirements, and more.
Register Now for Our Upcoming Regional Meetings


text:
Our second Guild Hall Live webcast was today, and it was a smash hit! Join us again on Dec. 2nd, and remember these are open to the public: Even if you're not a Guild member anyone interested is invited to come ask us questions!
Today's theme was "Just Registered – Now What?" inviting newcomers to DMG to ask questions about the testing and group-forming process. If you missed it, the recording is up on our Livestream channel.


text:
on July 12, 2013
Posted In: News
Carbon Dating is officially live! New strips will be posted every Tuesday and Friday, be sure to bookmark and share a link if you like where this is going.
Opening day of The Amazing Meeting 2013 was a blast. We met a lot of great people and my master comic launch strategy to give twelve magnets away to conventioneers has succeeded! Now all the hits flood in, right?
We can't wait for the first day of great speakers. Time to get some sleep TAMmers, catch you tomorrow.


text:
Does this link load in Forefox for anyone else? http://makeitbiginga...velopment-company-2/-Deozaan (December 13, 2007, 10:48 PM)
Deozaan,I investigated and the problem is with the webserver/blog. The pages on that blog are returning a 302/redirect that is pointing back to itself, creating an infinite loop. Firefox is detecting this and throwing up the error message you are seeing. The webmaster/blogger will have to fix it on their side.-tinjaw (December 15, 2007, 05:01 PM)
http://makeitbigingames.com/blog/All that is on the from page from Dec 07 is one on the 13th. The article before that was back in Oct 07,-tinjaw (December 15, 2007, 05:31 PM)
Page created in 0.032 seconds with 53 queries.


text:
The Pros and Cons of Speech Recognition and Virtual Assistants
The Impact of Driverless Technology on Independent Driving Jobs
Pocket-sized digital devices with speech recognition and talking virtual assistants are becoming as commonplace as keyrings or Swiss Army knives used to be.
Speech recognition technology has come a long way since its mass-market introduction in the 1980s. For example, you no longer need to shout into the microphone, or spend two hours waiting for the software to compile a database of your voice patterns, before you can tell it to "Open Microsoft Word" – ten times, without effect.
Cloud-hosted databases now allow for on-the-fly recognition of commands and comments in conversational language. And the virtual assistants which respond to these commands have natural-sounding voices, with nuance and personality.
But the technology is still developing, and while there are clear advantages to using speech recognition apps and devices with virtual assistants, there are some downsides too.
We'll begin by presenting the case for the defense.
Accessibility Options for Mobility and the Visually Impaired
For those with mobility restrictions or the visually impaired, speech recognition has always been a big help, extending the accessibility of computer-based technologies to a much wider audience.
The proliferation of voice-responsive virtual assistants, capable of engaging with users in conversational language, has been a significant step forward. So, too, is the continuing integration of hardware, tools, and consumer goods with Internet of Things (IoT) technology and cloud resources.
The still evolving technology of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has yet to achieve its promise in this area, but the potential for using adaptive learning and prescriptive or predictive analytics modules in virtual assistant packages for accessibility is staggering.
Co-ordination of IoT Devices
For the consumer market, the expansion of IoT has created entire new generations of (to varying degrees) smart objects, appliances, and accessories. Some are too tiny to even feature buttons, much less screens or keyboards. Others are designed to do jobs that don't require manual activation or guidance.
Speech recognition is a practical and logical option which can enable users to control such objects from a distance, often via a connected virtual assistant device.
Commercial virtual assistants like Google Home and Amazon Echo already use standardized communication protocols, enabling them to interact with a range of IoT devices – in some cases simultaneously. Coupled with speech recognition, this makes them the ideal remote partners in managing our increasingly sophisticated smart homes.
Adding Personality to Virtual Shopping
Convenience is undoubtedly the primary driving factor behind the rise of ecommerce. However, the sector has yet to figure out a way to make up for the lack of personal interaction consumers experience when selecting goods, asking questions, or making purchases. People naturally like to engage with a flesh and blood assistant or customer service agent at some point in the buying process.
Once again, AI is coming to the rescue – this time, in the form of virtual shopping assistants. The AI-powered shopping assistant learns about your tastes and interests while shopping online, and then uses this data to inform you about products you might like to purchase, creating a virtual experience that's more like shopping in a virtual store.
Just as speech recognition has come a long way, natural voice technologies (which are typically modelled on recordings of the vocal patterns of real people) have made harsh, robotic-sounding voices the exception rather than the norm. The result is virtual assistants fielding queries on high-end commercial websites becoming increasingly indistinguishable from human beings.
Reducing Our Dependence on Screens
When it was first introduced at consumer level, speech recognition was said to herald the death of the keyboard – but the technology at the time just wasn't good enough.
However, today's more advanced recognition algorithms do make the technology a viable alternative to hardware-based input devices like keyboards or touchscreens.
An interesting side effect of this is that speech recognition with interactive voice assistants can help reduce our dependence on screens – an obsession that's become potentially unhealthy and of concern to any parent of a teenager with a tablet or mobile phone.
The defense rests. Now, sounding off for the prosecution, let's look at some of the potential issues with virtual assistants and speech recognition.
A Reluctance to Comprehend
There's a line from an old Sci-Fi series on television, where one of the main characters says, "She understands. She doesn't comprehend."
This fine distinction speaks to one of the biggest limitations of current speech recognition technology and the responses coded into the personalities of virtual assistants.
On the recognition side, there's a delay when first using a system as it accustoms itself to your unique speech patterns. This might be anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours (or even days), depending on the sophistication of the underlying software, the capabilities of your hardware, and the strength and speed of your internet connection.
Recognition performance should improve over time. However, this is still dependent on those underlying factors.
An Inability to Hear
Reports suggest that there will be somewhere in the region of 24 billion IoT connected devices around the globe by 2020 – that's about four devices each for every person on the planet. The concern is that all the wearable gadgets, smart consumer appliances, intelligent vehicles and connected infrastructure will cause localized pools of interference, and a continuous struggle for bandwidth.
Factors like this may have a negative impact on the ability of speech recognition systems to access their databases and perform their primary function.
Another impediment which can be demonstrated in the here and now is the effect of extraneous noise on voice-activated systems. With the current state of technology, it's not uncommon for the speech recognition system powering a smart home to pay equal attention to the people on the TV or radio as it does to the owner of the house.
Dumbing Down Offline
Smartphone users who've become accustomed to the speech recognition functionality of OK, Google on the Android platform, or Apple's Siri, will know that a fast and stable internet connection is essential to the operation of these virtual assistants.
Offline recognition generally isn't considered a necessity in the design of these systems. Any support for it is usually bolted on as an afterthought and involves the downloading of an immense recognition file to the user's device.
Given that fast, stable internet isn't as common around the world as many developers might assume, this effectively excludes speech recognition and virtual assistants as viable options in many parts of the globe.
A Lack of Initiative
Finally, there are the issues of intelligence and initiative. Though much has been made of the potential of AI, adaptive learning, and prescriptive/predictive analytics in powering virtual assistants, the practical applications have yet to truly manifest.
For the moment, virtual assistants are largely responsive – sitting silent (or occasionally piping up with a pre-programmed conversational gambit) until the user issues a fresh command or query.
Though there's a fine line to be drawn between making a system intrusive and having it behave in an advisory capacity based on past observations and incoming data, there's certainly room for the next generation of virtual assistants to display more initiative if the technology is to truly become an integral part of domestic and business life.
William Goddard
Latest posts by William Goddard (see all)
- Will My Job Be Automated? - December 2, 2019
- Top 5 Robotic Process Automation Tools - November 12, 2019
- Robotic Process Automation – Everything You Need to Know – Part 2 - October 29, 2019


text:
About Us
We are a full service digital marketing agency with 20 years experience and can help you with every aspect of your online business. We specialize in WordPress development for all types of web sites.
Our goal is to bring together function and form by developing your Web Strategy, Designing and Developing your web site and Marketing your business online. We strive for long-term relationships with our clients because launching a web site is only the beginning.
Our Process
We use a 7-step process for all projects to ensure a smooth and efficient work flow from the beginning to end. Depending on the project, some steps are more intensive than others or some steps are not necessary.
- Research and Discovery
- Content
- Planning
- Design
- Development
- Education and Training
- Launch
This is an intense process that requires complete involvement from both sides of the table.
The most successful projects are collaborations between us and the client.
Our Team
We have a team of very talented and experienced individuals that can help you with your entire business. Each individual has a unique set of skills that enable us to design and develop a complete online marketing solution.
Brett AtkinDigital Strategy & Development
Brett's experience with helping clients design and develop their entire online presence has helped him become extremely knowledgeable about a variety of things related to designing, developing and marketing your business online. He is very process oriented and has a strong attention to detail that keeps projects moving forward to success.
Alison JohansenContent Strategy & Creation
Alison has extensive experience with writing, researching, editing, copy editing, interviewing, blogging and marketing for large and small publishers, websites, blogs and social media platforms. Her unique background in law, corporate governance, journalism and publishing has enabled her to produce and write everything from legal newsletters and articles to start-up blogs and books, taking them from start to finish with timeliness and accuracy so your product is the best it can be.
Jon CooperUser Experience & Design
Jon brings 22+ years of experience to each client project and can create any type of graphic design as it applies to marketing, advertising and web development. He also has extensive experience design and developing in WordPress.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get the latest news and tips to help you manage your web site and online presence successfully.


text:
I don't understand investing very well, and I find it a little intimidating. What should I do?
Investing is, without question, confusing for a lot of us. But you might be making it harder than it needs to be. You don't have to understand alphas, betas, standard deviation, or derivatives to invest for your retirement. In general, you want to understand some basic investment principles – things like compounding, asset allocation1, diversification1, and risk versus return. Talk with your COUNTRY Financial representative to discuss these basic investment principles.


text:
Ashoka Packers and Movers in Bhilai, at your door step. Our aim to offer total customer satisfaction. Ashoka Packers and Movers of Bhilai is the top ranking packers and movers company and has delivered over 20,000 homesin Bhilai. The movers and packers services provided by us include Safest packing of the household, Loading of the Goods, Unloading of the home items with utmost safety, Transportation of household as soon as possible. Ashoka packers and Movers also make sure of the insurance of the goods of the customer and ensure that the process of packing and moving is carried out in the safest of the manners.
Bhilai is situated in Chattisgarh. Though it is a smallest city of chattisgarh the city infrastructure has reached new levels and so the needs of packers and movers, is increasing.Ashoka Packers and movers have the highest customer satisfaction rate @ 91%, which is good when compared to other movers and packers company. Ashoka Packers and movers have a total overall customer satisfaction rate all over india at 89%. We strive to achieve total customer happiness at all the packers and movers services provided.
Ashoka Packers and Movers believe in "Relations with Relocations...Always" with which we have worked towards providing the best movers and packers solution to customers in Bhilai. Ashoka Packers and Movers is established in 1969, and we have proved that packing and moving is a matter of expertise and household should be handled with great care to avoid damages.
Ashoka Packers and Movers Bhilai have their Office near Jagannath Sthal, Street no 42 and we offer the packers and movers services in all the areas of Bhilai. Needs of packers and movers in Bhilai have increased so drastically that nearly 200-300 relocations takes place in this city.
We deliver packers and movers services in 1165 locations in India and have highest quality of packing standards when compared to other packers and movers in the country.
On my Transfer from Hyderabad to New Delhi, i entrusted the responsibility of packing, transportation, loading and unloading of my household goods to M/s. Ashoka Packers and Movers. They were able to perform their responsibility to my entire satisfaction. They not only ensured that the luggage was delivered without any breakages but also ahead of the agreed time.
- Bir Singh Parsheera, Additional Secreatary, Ministry of Environment & Forests
It was a good experience of moving with Ashoka packers and I would recommend their services in regards to the kind of responsible work these people do.
- Kishore, Manager Administration, NCC INFRA
We Hired the Services of Ashoka Packers and Movers in Delhi for the Event of "India on Canvas 4th Edition 2015" sponsored by Khushi foundation on 15th Paintings. We were glad to get such professional Services from Ashoka, Every Painting was handled with care. We would definitely recommend them.
- Sachin, Manager Incharge, India on Canvas 2015
Ashoka packers and Movers have helped us in moving our Offices in India with utmost responsibility and safety whether it has been employee relocation or an office moving we have had, they have been always provided the best service and great support.


text:
Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Diocese of Albenga
Diocese comprising seventy-nine towns in the province of Port Maurice and forth-five in the province of Genoa, suffragan to the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy. Legend makes Albenga between the years 121 and 125 the scene of the martyrdom of St. Calocero of Brescia, an officer of the court of Adrian. But the Acts of his martyrdom, together with those of Sts. Faustinus and Jovita with which they are incorporated, are not historically verified. The first bishop of whom we know anything is Quintius, who in the year 451 signed the Synodal Letter of Eusebius, Bishop of Milan, to Leo I, in which the condemnation of Nestorius and Eutyches was sanctioned (Mansi). Albenga contains 170 parishes; 485 secular priests; 86 regulars; 119280 inhabitants; 354 churches and chapels; 90 seminaries.
Ughelli, Italia sacra (Venice 1722), IV, 910; Cappelletti, Le chiese d'Italia (Venice 1866), XIII, 529; Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae catholicae (Ratisbon, 1873), 810; Niccolari, cenni storici della citta d'Albenga (1847); Cattolasso, Saggio storico sull' antico ed attuale stato della citta d'Albenga (Genoa, 1820).


text:
"1/1 so far with my bracket lol." Good start." – @Aundrea_Elise
"Brackets day 1. #Epic Fail" – @DClay83
And with that, Day one of the Madness is underway. It was everything you really expect for a first day of the Tourney to be, and nearly everything you'd never expect. It took #1 Syracuse 38 minutes to put away the #16 seeded UNC-Asheville (and even then took a bit of "striped intervention" from the zebras) and avoid making the absolute worst kind of history ever. A few bracket busters went head to head, and on the other end it last year's small juggernaut VCA made their business as usual ("VCU is putting hands on Wichita State – @Skarface Nupe") . And there will definitely be a new champion this year, as 2011 Champs UConn got quick work made of them by Iowa State.
There was a lot at work, and in the DESCENT INTO MADNESS, the top of the board shows just how anything is possible….and the Twitter wires show that the seeds of the mania are already sprouting in our bracketeers heads with only half of round 2 done. Here's just a few of the slides into the fever of the Madness from Day One.
"I inserted my bracket. Can you see me?" – @MoDivine
"Shaka looks like a light-skinned Tupac." – @LakishaJackson
"Take the white dude off the court if he isn't gonna hit shots." – @IDOKICKS
"Baylor gotta get the hell up outta here with these county jail roadside cleanup fits man…" – Me
Me and My Pop's (Rampage) Tourney Convo of the Day (via IM at work)
Me: "Man, Montana? What the hell was that?"
Him: "I thought they had something in them to pull it off."
Me: "They pulled something out on you it looks like. Now clean ya self up."
Here's the "Unintentional Sequence Tweet Off" of the day….
"UConn isn't anywhere near out of that game. Second half is what counts." – @CheapSeatFan (Me)
Followed shortly by a far more appropriate comment….
"Can I get a 20 ball for my Cyclones over UCONN right now!!! #ISU" – Followed by….
"ISU had no business being a damn 8 seed!!!" – both courtesy of @Diggame
I think D. Frie won that point pretty clearly. Moving right along….
"I got the University of the United States winning the whole thing." – @SkarfaceNupe
I don't know if that team made it onto my bracket, but B. Holmes pulled a lot magic out his various hats over the years, so making a squad magically appear in the tourney wouldn't surprise me at all. Watch out for him later in the brackets for real, for real.
In a sign of the times tweet, "So Yahoo has locked me out of my account until tomorrow, so I can't check my bracket….I got the paper version so I'll survive." – @Kells713
I think she'll like what she finds. But before we move on, this deserves special acknowledgment as well…
"Graphic design never fails. I picked my entire bracket based purely on logos and colors and I've only missed one game so far. #marchmadness" – @FindingChizz
And actually, that's true as hell. So with that, let's take a quick glance at the leader board. As expected, there's a 9-way at the top after Day One, with eight of those brackets all having the same maximum point potential still, so there's so scrapping and separating to pull out this weekend still. At a certain point yesterday, the top 3 spots were all held down by the ladies that entered the tourney, which was a huge thrill to me. Now I won't disrespect them by calling that the #16 over the #1 that UNC-Asheville couldn't pull off yesterday, but oh man, I'd love to see the faces of the fellas if they get beat out in a few weeks in the same fashion.
And in that spirit, I bring you the DESCENT INTO MADNESS, Part Deux, tweet of the day. I poignant take on the happenings of Thursday…
"I will cherish this number 1 ranking in @CheapSeatFan's bracket group because I don't know if I'll ever see it again lol." – @CHEL_seeyaa.
YOLO, young Ms. Drake, YOLO. That's all I can really say there. You made it to the mountain top dammit.
But finally, the Tweet of the Day That Has Nothing To Do With Sports: "It is categorically impossible to take a candid picture of yourself. #petpeeve" – @FindingChizz
Enjoy Friday, and with Mizzou playing today I already know tomorrow morning's edition will be major with the commentary game. For that and more from all of these "DESCENTORS", follow me on Twitter at @CheapSeatFan.


text:
Species at Risk
What you need to know as a landowner....
Species at Risk
Certian plant and animal species have been identified as threatened or endangered species. Management of your lands may be affected if these species are present.
A list of current species at risk is produced by Alberta Fish and Wildlife
For assistance and information please contact
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development 310-ESRD (3773)
Fish and Wildlife Officer (780) 679-1225


text:
Loved the dress, the look on their faces, and the cheers from outside the Abbey. And I really loved the hats. I almost got out the one I wore when our British priest got married. But I thought the veil would obscure my view.
I also got several rows of mindless knitting done on my blue featherweight cardigan, hereafter renamed the Dutchess of Cambridge sweater, in honor of the bride.
I may spend the day with it, before starting Betty's jacket.
After all, TCM is showing Royal Wedding tonight. Great way to cap the day.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8


text:
Everyday Icon: May Guest Editor, Ali Handley of BodyLove Pilates
You may already recognize our Guest Editor for May, since she's been our go-to guru for Pilates tips and exercises for a while now. At her online pilates studio called BodyLove Pilates, Ali Handley helps mamas and soon-to-be mamas gain strength, endurance and stamina as they gear up for – and then recover from – the great (but arduous) gift of childbirth. This month, we're excited to dig a little deeper into Ali's expertise and refresh our own exercise routines for summer. Whether or not you've experienced pregnancy, we think you'll dig her workout tips, too.
How did you decide to pursue a career in Pilates and a focus on maternal/postpartum health?
It wasn't until I moved to New York from Australia in 2009 that I decided to turn my passion for Pilates into a career. I had previously been working in fashion PR and events in London and Sydney, but I never felt like it was the perfect fit for me. All the stars aligned when I arrived in NYC, and it was just an incredible opportunity to train with some of the best in the business and change the course of my life. It was 100% the right decision.
I truly love my job. I get to connect with people everyday and help them reach their goals, gain strength and relieve pain. While working at Erika Bloom Pilates on the Upper East Side and in the Hamptons, I discovered how much I loved working with pregnant women and the challenging but rewarding experience of their postpartum rehab. Erika was an inspiring mentor, and I learned so much from her. When I got pregnant myself and experienced firsthand how it feels to grow a human inside you, the crazy ride of childbirth and then the important process of postpartum recovery, I knew this was the population I wanted to devote my career to.
Through your work and personal experience, what have you learned about the benefits of Pilates, both during pregnancy and in birth recovery?
A woman's body goes through extensive changes over the course of her pregnancy, childbirth and into her postnatal recovery. The fact that Pilates is grounded in anatomy, I believe makes it the perfect workout, as it can be modified to address the structural, muscular and alignment changes that occur.
I practiced Pilates almost everyday during both my pregnancies and felt really strong, experiencing very minimal pain throughout, and I was able to close my ab separation within the first six weeks of my postpartum recoveries. Correct abdominal training is key. Consistent deep core work helped support and stabilize my body during pregnancy and prepare me for the challenges of labor, and the very same exercises are responsible for bringing everything back together.
The first principle of Pilates is Centering, and believe it or not, pregnancy actually gives you a great opportunity to achieve this. The foundation of Prenatal Pilates is first stability, then mobility — retraining your muscles to initiate deep core engagement before any other muscles activate. This stabilizes and supports your spine and pelvis in the best alignment, making your center (or "powerhouse") the source of every exercise.
What are three exercises that we all, including those of us with older children, should be doing on a daily basis for better alignment?
1. Knee hovers.
This is the perfect exercise to globally strengthen the body in correct spinal and pelvic alignment. It challenges shoulder stability, targets the deep ab muscles and strengthens spinal extensors.
Set up in an all-fours position, with wrists directly under shoulders, knees under pelvis and spine and pelvis in neutral. Inhale through your nose and allow the stomach muscles to relax. Exhale out your mouth, and first imagine pulling your belly button in and up toward your spine, feeling the wrap of the TVA like a seat belt tightening around your waist to stabilize your spine; then, hover the knees an inch off the mat. Make sure nothing else in the body changes. Do not sink between the shoulders – keep pushing down through the hands, with the shoulders blades wide apart and your heart floating up toward the back. Do not shift the body weight forward. This will take the exercise out of your deep core and into the muscles of the shoulders and neck.
Inhale again through your nose but keep the belly button pulling all the way into your spine, and lower the knees back to the start position. Do 10 reps.
For an extra challenge, hold the hover the position for four breaths. Make sure you continue to breathe, but do not lose abdominal connection. Keep the belly button pulling in all the way to the spine. Do 2 reps.
2. Bridging.
Bridging requires spinal articulation, which alleviates stiffness and creates a better sense of proprioception. It strengthens the abs and challenges the butt and hamstrings. There is also the added bonus of opening up the hips, which feels so good during and after pregnancy, especially if you sit at a desk all day.
Set up on your back in a supine position with knees bent and both feet on the mat, hip distance apart. Your spine and pelvis should be in a neutral position. Inhale through your nose. Exhale out your mouth as you tilt your pelvis back, engaging the abdominals and slowly rolling up your spine and turning on the back of the legs.
Inhale again through the nose and hold the top position. Exhale again out the mouth, deepening the ab connection and sequentially rolling back down the spine to the start position. Do 10 reps.
3. Rotator cuff strengthening/external rotation of the shoulders.
There is no doubt that being a mom means our upper spines have experienced a lot of strain. The rounding of the shoulders starts during pregnancy and gets so much worse as a new mom, when we're feeding and carrying baby at all times. Spending so much time at our desks and in front of our computers aggravates the problem, too! By strengthening the rotator cuffs, you reverse the rounding and open up the front of the chest.
Set up in a seated or standing position, with your upper arm bones squeezing into your sides and your lower arms at a right angle, holding a stretch band between your hands. Inhale through your nose. Exhale with a long, slow and even breath out your mouth as you pull your belly button to your spine to stabilize, pulling the stretch band apart. Imagine your arm is a door hinge, spiraling open.
Do not pinch the shoulders together. You should feel like your shoulder blades are flat on your back, in a gliding motion. Do 10 reps.
What is the most common concern pregnant women and new mothers have when coming into one of your classes?
Most women are concerned about the safety of their baby and making sure the workout is right for them. Having confidence in your instructor is key — knowing that they have the experience and knowledge to instruct you on what is best for every stage of your pregnancy.
How do you stay focused, aligned and centered as a busy mother and business owner?
It can feel chaotic and hectic at times, for sure, having two little ones and a business to run, but I try to keep a good work-life balance and ensure I have some "me" time every now and then. I started meditating at the beginning of the year, and it has improved my focus and sense of calm 1000%. It's now part of my morning routine, and I try to never miss it.
Do you have any personal sayings or mantras that keep you grounded?
"Everything is just a phase, and this too will pass." As a mom, this saying has been hugely helpful in helping me go with the flow and not sweat things as much. Also, "treat others as you would like to be treated." And lastly, "Remember the pearly white teeth." This last one is for my brother — it's his favorite. It's about a guru who only ever sees the best in someone, no matter how bad they are; then, they become only the best part of themselves – the pearly white teeth.
p.s. Are you doing your planks properly?


text:
Pioneer Platform
The sleek, stylish design of our new Pioneer Platform Rack suits a range of 4WD and utilities. So whether you're getting away for the weekend or a embarking on a serious 4wd trip, this Pioneer Alloy Platform Rack is the perfect solution to carry all your luggage and equipment. With load's of space you will be able to carry everything from camping equipment, to the kitchen sink. The Pioneer Alloy Platform Rack will fit all Rhino legs that take a heavy duty bar, except CXB or 2500. Our "C" channel design located in the centre of each plank enables the option to carry a range of existing Rhino-Rack accessories; Including Luggage Bags, Jerry Can holders, Spare Wheel holders, Shovel and High Lift Jack holders and more...
Made with strong and durable materials such as reinforced nylon and aluminium, these non-corrosive alloy platform racks have been tested in the harshest of outdoor 4WD conditions. Featuring an open design, the platform rack allows loading and unloading of your luggage and equipment with total ease. The revolutionary design of the Pioneer Alloy Platform Rack complements the Discovery 3 and Nissan Navara with its aerodynamic design. Perfectly suited for a rooftop tent, a small luggage bag, or a selection of Pioneer specific accessories, including jerry can holders, shovel and gas bottle holders, spotlights and spare tyres.
Further to this, our unique optional load rail system lets YOU decide how YOU want to carry YOUR load! This new revolutionary design of adjustable side rails can be configured in many different ways to suit all your load carrying needs.


text:
Clarke & Severn Electronics introduces the new Yantel T Series terminations featuring a frequency range of DC to 6000MHz and power rating of 5 to 600 watts.
The T series terminations are suitable for applications such as high power amplifiers or filters, isolators, broadcast, military, satellite communications, splitter/combiner and instrumentation.
Yantel T series terminations are packaged as a low profile, low cost, high performance surface mounted format, a flangeless or flanged package, as a chip or in a coaxial format.
Conforming to several military standards, Yantel T series terminations are also available in a non-50 Ohm termination value, and the material options are BeO or AIN.


text:
Navajo Pottery- Red Ceramic Hand Painted and Etched 5x7 Inch Vase - Now 60% OFF
$119.99 $47.99
This Etched Vase was made in America by an American Indian artist. This red clay etched pottery measures 5 Inches tall and 7 1/2 Inches across. This etched vase is unique American Indian Clay pottery which has a variety of colors including black, red, green and blue. Each etched pottery piece is original and crafted by the American Indian artist Marielle G. who has created original pieces of art. This etched pottery is a piece of art and not suggested to drink from. Each etched vase is original and unique by design, the vase you receive may vary slightly from the picture.


text:
One of the two structural engineers who certified the now sinking Millennium Tower's foundation is apparently refusing to testify at Thursday's hearing in front of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
UC Berkeley professor Jack Moehle had previously told Supervisor Aaron Peskin that he was willing to appear at the hearing of the government audit committee.
Peskin intended to question Moehle about his role as a peer review expert on the foundation of the Millennium building — a role in which he vouched for its soundness in 2006.
"I understand that you are no longer willing to attend the hearing," Peskin wrote Moehle on Wednesday. "As I relayed to you in our phone conversation earlier this week, I have directed our City Attorney to draft legislation allowing the Board of Supervisors to subpoena you and any related documents in your possession."
Peskin then urged Moehle to reconsider. Moehle told NBC Bay Area earlier that he was surprised there was no geotechnical review of the foundation. He did not respond to a call Wednesday seeking comment.
Besides the Millennium project, Moehle who served as a chair of the peer review panel that reviewed a proposed building at 80 Natoma Street.
Outside experts warned that the Natoma project — which like the Millennium was to be built on a concrete slab supported on piles that stopped shy of bedrock — could sink about 11 inches, more than double the geotechnical engineering estimates from the firm Treadwell & Rollo.
The Natoma project was scrapped after city officials halted it for permit questions and the sinking danger.
Records show that in June 2004, with construction halted at 80 Natoma Street, Moehle was hired by DiSimone Consulting Engineers for the Millennium Tower. He later declared the foundation as structurally sound as a peer reviewer for the city's Department of Building Inspection.
On Jan. 29, 2006, just as Millennium construction was about to begin, Moehle declared: "On the basis of my review, it is my opinion that the foundation design is compliant with the principles and requirements of the building code, and that a foundation permit can be issued for this project."
Moehle's peer review colleague, Hardip Pannu, wrote a separate letter vouching for the foundation design but specifying that the peer review did not include an evaluation of the Transbay Terminal, the massive project that Millennium now blames for the worsening sinking.


text:
What did we do before heating and cooling systems? If you want a literal answer, then you can look to the obvious solutions like fireplaces and animal pelts for warmth, and the ingenious ways in which cool water was circulated into homes in the golden age of Rome. But even with this knowledge of the old ways, it seems like people of the past must have been no strangers to suffering due to extreme temperatures.
Modern heating and cooling systems are so efficient and convenient, it seems unthinkable to ever go back to the old ways. This is why proper maintenance of these systems is crucial, especially for those living in places susceptible to very hot or very cold temperatures.


text:
I am discontinuing hosting this blog on https://coldstreams.wordpress.com
and moving to https://coldstreams.com
I originally moved from self hosting at coldstreams.com due to difficulties – then – with getting https and cross posting to Facebook. The https issues are no longer a problem, and I will no longer be cross posting to Facebook due to Facebook being unsafe for anyone to use at this time plus their News filter largely hiding the page from 97% or more of the 221 people following on Facebook.
Plus, it seems that Google search greatly down ranks blogs hosted at wordpress.com web sites. I get more readers finding stuff on the old web site – which had not been updated in a year – than this wordpress.com web site!
Therefore the new URL is: https://coldstreams.com
All the new content has been migrated back over to coldstreams.com.
This change is effective 26 March 2018.


text:
10 Most Important and Desirable Positive Character Traits
It is a well-known fact that it is easier to be negative than positive. To be able to see the good in everything is something we all have to learn. However, all it takes is a little effort to develop some positive character traits.
Puja Lalwani
Last Updated: Mar 7, 2018
Having a positive character is extremely important for personal success and growth. Positive character traits not only help in self-development, but also help cope with various challenging situations one may face through life. Character traits are something we imbibe from our environment, from parents, teachers, and friends. Later in life, we have colleagues, our spouse, and our mentors that we draw certain traits from. What we choose to learn from them, and what we choose to ignore, is completely in our hands.
List of Positive Character Traits
Here is a list of the ten most important character traits, that all of us should necessarily develop for the sake of personal development, as well as at work.
It is only natural that you have to be a positive person if you want to develop good traits. Sometimes, certain situations are out of our hands, but if we slowly learn to see the brighter side of every situation, nothing will seem so wrong. I admit, it is easier to feel bad and depressed, and most of the time that is what we like to do; it's comforting. However, in the long run it can get worse, and if you want to grow, you have to be optimistic.
Patience is important because everything we want does not happen at the drop of a hat. Watching your colleague being showered with all the praise for work, that even you do equally well, can be unnerving. Keep going. By being patient, you are actually portraying the strength you have, to deal with the wait that ultimately leads to your goal.
It's okay to agree when people are praising you for your achievements. On the other hand, blowing your own trumpet is just going to drive them away from you. You may think of it as highlighting your virtues, but they perceive it as pure, unadulterated arrogance. Humility is indeed a virtue, and staying grounded is one of the most important aspects in the development of a positive character.
Do not confuse confidence with arrogance. Being self-confident simply means that you have faith in your abilities, and are completely sure about being able to perform well under any circumstance. Portraying self-confidence also assures people that they can entrust you with any task without worrying about the result.
Yes, we all understand you are sick of your conceited friend/colleague and would love to hit him with a bat! Calm down. Maintaining self-control, especially in the case of negative emotions such as anger, hatred, and jealousy will ultimately lead you to maintain your composure under all circumstances. Soon you will find that the little things that bothered you are now utterly trivial.
Developing a child's personality around these traits will lead the child to become a well-respected individual. Even if you are an adult, it is not difficult to develop these traits. You will also notice a change in the attitude of people around you and your little ones, and a 'positive' one at that.