text:
Loreto College, Manchester
|Guiding You To Success
|Sixth form college
|Roman Catholic
|Ms A. Clynch.
|Loreto Sisters
Chichester Road
Greater Manchester
|Local authority
|North West LSC (although in Manchester LEA)
|DfE number
|DfE URN
|130503 Tables
|Loreto College
Loreto College is a sixth form college in Hulme, Manchester, England which caters primarily for Roman Catholics in the 16-18 age range. The key values derive from the educational philosophy of Mary Ward, a 16th-century Englishwoman, who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the order of nuns who started the college in 1851.
During Ofsted's inspection in 2010, Loreto was adjudged to be "Outstanding in every respect"[1] with a Grade 1 rating in all the inspection criteria which no other college has equalled.[1]
- Awards/Achievements 1
- Location 2
- Admissions 3
Notable people associated with Loreto 4
- Alumni 4.1
- Teachers 4.2
- See also 5
- References 6
- External links 7
Loreto College was rated as "Outstanding in every respect" Ofsted 2010.
Loreto College has also achieved the AoC Beacon Schools Award.
The college has had 5 students gaining places on the prestigious Prime Minister's Global Fellowship programme. It achieved its first student in the inaugural year, 2008.
Based on ALP's analysis between 2011 and 2013 (Advanced Level Performance) Loreto College has been placed in the top 1% of college's nationally.
Highest A-Level Results of any Manchester College.
Loreto is ranked as the first sixth form college in the country for value added, according to Government legal tables, three years on the run.
In 2013 21 Loreto Students gained offers from Oxford & Cambridge Universities.
Manchester Evening News named Loreto as "The Best in Britain".
Ofsted recognizes that the majority of students achieve Grades A & B at advanced level.
The school is situated on the western edge of Manchester, next to Trafford and St Mary's Church in Hulme. It is accessed via Princess Road, the A5103.
The college campus was redeveloped from 2002 to 2014 when four buildings were constructed. The campus has two smaller buildings, the Chapel which is home to the Art & Design Department and a Sports Hall. Most of learning faculties are situated in the four main buildings on the campus.
- Ball Building - Theology, Business Studies, Accounting, Economics, Modern Foreign Languages, Travel & Tourism, History, Politics, Classical Civilisation & Science.
- St. Joseph's Building - Mathematics and Science.
- Ward Building - Law, Sociology, Health & Social Care and Psychology.
- Sports Hall - Physical Education.
- Ellis & Kennedy Building - Library, Graphics, 3D Design, Photography, Media Studies, Film Studies, Music, Music Technology, Dance, Drama, English Language, English Literature, I.C.T., Computing and Geography.
- Chapel & Creative Arts Building - Art & Design and Textiles.
Loreto College is an oversubscribed college and a priority system exists for applications. Approximately 52% of the students at Loreto College are Roman Catholic but the college is open to all faiths who share the same values of Excellence, Freedom, Internationality, Justice, Sincerity, Truth and Joy.[2]
The hierarchy of priority is:
- Pupils from Roman Catholic partnership schools across Greater Manchester (guaranteed a place).
- Pupils from other Roman Catholic Schools.
- Pupils from Trinity Church of England High Schools.
- Roman Catholic pupils at Non-Religious Schools.
- Pupils from all other Schools.
Pupils studying at Roman Catholic partnership schools in Greater Manchester are guaranteed a place at Loreto if they wish to go.[3] The seventeen Roman Catholic partnership schools are (in order of proximity to Loreto College) are as follows; Loreto Chorlton (South Manchester), St Peter's (South Manchester), The Barlow (South Manchester), St Paul's (South Manchester), Our Lady's (South Manchester), St Matthew's (North Manchester), Our Lady's (North Manchester), St Ambrose Barlow (Salford), St George's (Salford), Blessed Thomas Holford (Trafford), St John Vianney (Trafford), St Patrick's (Eccles),[4] St Monica's (Bury), St Damian's (Tameside), St Thomas More (Tameside), St Philip Howard (Derbyshire).[3]
Prospective students must also meet GCSE entry requirements to study AS Level or BTEC Qualifications.[3]
Notable people associated with Loreto
- Chris Bisson - Actor
- Michael Johnson[5] - Footballer who formerly played for Manchester City
- Micah Richards[5] - Footballer currently playing for Manchester City
- Jason Manford[6] - Comedian
- John Harris - The Guardian Columnist
- Mike KaneMember of Parliament for Wythenshawe and Sale East Constituency
- John Leech[7] - Member of Parliament for Manchester Withington Constituency
- Karl Lucas - Actor/Comedian
- Pat McDonagh (1934-2014) - British fashion designer who became an important figure in Canadian fashion.[8]
- Michaela Morgan - Author
- Matthew Williamson - Fashion Designer
- John Bradley-West - Actor, Samwell Tarly in Game of Thrones.
- Pete Postlethwaite (1946–2011) - formerly Head of Drama at Loreto[9]
See also
- Loreto College, St Albans.
- Loreto Grammar School in nearby Trafford (known as Loreto Convent).
- ^ a b Outstanding in every respect." OFSTED 2010""". Loreto College. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ^ "The college that gets 11-plus 'failures' into Oxbridge. How?". The Guardian. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ a b c "Apply to Loreto". Loreto College. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ^ http://www.stpatricksrchigh.co.uk/
- ^ a b "Sport at Loreto"
- ^ "Comedian Jason Manford escapes high-speed tyre blow-out". Manchester Evening News. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ^ "John Leech - FAQs". john-leech.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ^ "Pat McDonagh, award-winning designer, dead at age 80". CBC. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Pete Postlethwaite OBE". loreto.ac.uk. 5 January 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2010.
External links
- EduBase
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Sixth form colleges in Greater Manchester
- Education in Manchester
- Educational institutions established in 1851
- Defunct grammar schools in England
- Roman Catholic secondary schools in the Diocese of Salford
- Roman Catholic universities and colleges in England
- 1851 establishments in England


text:
A portrait is a kind of public performance, a one-person show calculated to seduce, astonish, confound, or repel its audience. The artist making that portrait must sustain, subvert, or otherwise manipulate and wrest control of the sitter's act to satisfy his or her own ends. But a self-portrait, even one destined for eventual display, is a closed-circuit event, a private affair that unites artist and subject in a moment of unobserved and, ideally, unguarded revelation—a flash of the soul. But when photographers are alone with their cameras, they're likely to expose a lot more than inner beauty. Though solitary self-regard isn't necessarily masturbatory, the process of self-portraiture often has a distinctly sexual undertow, a hot zone that contemporary artists have made more and more explicit.
At a moment when Natacha Merritt (in her book Digital Diaries) and Ron Amato (in his current show at Richard Anderson) are leaving nothing to our imagination with pictures of themselves having a Kama Sutra's worth of sex, the sexual self-portraits of Pierre Molinier and Robert Mapplethorpe might seem a bit old-fashioned. But the work these sexual outlaws made nearly 40 and 30 years ago can't be overshadowed by 21st-century raunch. Though period pieces now, Molinier's and Mapplethorpe's photographs remain as outrageous, as unsettling, and as touchingly human as ever.
Lucas Samaras's early-'70s nude Polaroids—antic, ballsy, relentlessly inventive—set a brilliant, hard-to-beat precedent for images of the self in transformation. Molinier's work from roughly the same period looks musty by comparison, as if preserved in some time capsule of midcentury French bourgeois taste. His studio props—an antique armchair, gilt mirrors, a velvet-covered daybed, a toile de Jouy screen that matches his wallpaper—are oddly prim backdrops to the sexual tableaux Molinier stages on and before them. The Bordeaux-based artist, a painter who'd been taken up by the French surrealists in the '50s, turned to photography when he was 64 as a means of realizing and recording his fantasies, most of which revolved around an all-consuming fetish for the perfectly turned, black-stockinged leg. Nearly all of his paintings, and many of his photocollages, featured dark-haired, disembodied women who radiate legs like spiders or multiply with alien regularity into monstrous mandalas of wide-eyed faces, bare asses, splayed thighs, and spike heels.
In his self-portraits, Molinier became this ideal woman, clad in dark stockings, a garter belt, a bustier, and fetish heels, often with a black half mask or net veil obscuring his face, sometimes with a neatly shaped black beehive wig. But in many of the photos this feminine disguise coexists with an aggressively masculine presence: between those lovely legs juts a big, hard cock—in some cases Molinier's own, but usually one of the many handmade silk dildos he employed in his work. Molinier also attached a dildo to the back of one of his stiletto heels—very William Burroughs meets Betty Page—and photographed himself, one leg curled expertly beneath him, impaled on this unlikely member. Even when softened by the veil and careful retouching, Molinier's expression in these pictures is one of fierce contentment, an almost feline avidity that sometimes breaks into the horrifying rictus of a fun-house clown.
Perhaps because the bulk of these photos were private performances, they have an air of breathtaking, almost animalistic freedom. Molinier, bent forward over a high stool in stockings and heels, presents his spread ass above the fat sack of his balls like a freshly unwrapped gift. In one pair of heavily doctored photos, he stands full-length in his usual getup, holding apart a pair of dark curtains as if stepping out onstage. His modified penis, pointing straight up, is outlined by the luminous back lighting; a pair of perfect breasts—miracles of retouching—thrust triumphantly into the soft shadows before him. In one of the most surprising pictures in the 138-item Shafrazi show, Molinier, posing jauntily on his daybed, appears as a lithe, handsome, utterly undisguised male nude. Surrounded as it is by Molinier's satiric perversions of ladylike poise and a general air of hermaphroditic omnisexuality, this image finds the artist stripped of artifice but ready, clearly, for anything.
In an early manifesto on "how to create a work of art," Molinier concluded with the advice to "be irrepressibly, bitterly individualistic," and there's no question that he was all that and more. Though he made a brief alliance with the Viennese Actionists, mainly through a favorite female model who had also worked with Herman Nitsch, he had little in common with that group's blood-and-guts body-art performance work. Since very little of Molinier's photo work was seen during his lifetime, it was only after his 1976 suicide (arranged meticulously in his own bed so the gunshot left only a trickle of blood on the pillow) that the pictures began to seep into the art world. But even after all the pointedly "transgressive" work dealing with gender, identity, and body issues in the past two decades, it's hard to think of anyone who can match Molinier for sheer obsessiveness and sexual verve.
Robert Mapplethorpe, especially in his early hardcore period, comes close. The Polaroid self-portraits he made between 1972 and 1974, 56 of which are up now at Cheim & Read, were his first wholly photographic work, following collages and constructions that incorporated images from male physique magazines and gay porn. Like Molinier's photographs, they involve elements of performance, fetish, and interior decor, and they have a similar sense of private experimentation. On one level, they look like anyone's first time alone with a Polaroid. Mapplethorpe takes off his clothes and plays with himself, holding the camera at arm's length to photograph his pained, pretty face or using a time release for more calculated poses. His theatrics run, not surprisingly, to light s/m—tying his cock in leather laces or banding it with a series of metal rings; wearing a black head mask, studded leather collar, tit clamps, and other custom gear. Absent the stark, stylized drama of his later s/m photographs, these pictures look halfhearted and a bit sad; the artist rarely seems caught up in a genuine moment of sexual heat.
But Mapplethorpe was trying out more than his sex toys in these pictures. His previous assemblage work displayed a real sophistication in its use of readymade materials (everything from men's underwear to a crucifix) and appropriated images. With the Polaroids, he began developing his own photographic aesthetic—one that owes something to '70s minimalism and conceptual art, but is more closely aligned to the classic modernist photo work of Weston, Outerbridge, Cunningham, and Man Ray. (Though Richard D. Marshall, in an essay for Cheim & Read's announcement brochure, makes a provocative connection between Mapplethorpe and Vito Acconci, Bruce Nauman, Chris Burden, and Matthew Barney, these artists' self-portraits were only incidental to their performance documentation, whereas Mapplethorpe's were the primary focus of his work.)
The Cheim & Read show has its share of sexy, throwaway snapshots of Mapplethorpe sprawled naked in bed, but the most striking and successful images here are of isolated body parts: a clenched fist resting on a stone ledge, bare feet extended toward a wood-slat wall, an arm holding a length of white bedsheet across a bare, striped mattress, and that same skinny arm, cuffed in leather, grasping the bulb of a shutter-release cable in front of a white-painted brick wall. The butch, bare-bones chic of the decor is worth noting, particularly in contrast to Molinier's femmy airlessness, but Mapplethorpe is onto much more than cool style here. He's learning how to pare his image down to essentials, replacing lazy narcissism with iconic zap. He's training, frame by frame, one of photography's most savage, most elegant eyes. And you are there.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Do You Donate?
This is Champs or as I like to refer to him...Champers! When he first showed up at our house obviously abandoned, we couldn't tell if he was a boy or a girl cat because he wouldn't let anyone near him. He did develop a knack for showing up for meals on time though. Then he would hide again.
As he started to get braver, he would climb on the porch for small periods of time, but before you knew it, he was gone again!
It took time and patience, but now he is much more trusting. He's still a big fraidy-cat and loud noises tend to send him scurrying from sight. I believe there are some bad memories hidden away that come out to plague him from time to time for he will find a dark corner to hide sometimes.
These days Champs is doing great! This is a recently picture of him napping on the diagonal counter that separates the dining area from the living room. It's become his favorite spot!
Cats are wonderful, loving creatures if you just give them a chance. It's too bad that many are abandoned when they get too big or inconvenient to have around.
Every time I go to PetSmart, I make a point of donating a dollar to help the PetSmart charities when going through the checkout line. Can you imagine how many cats and dogs could be helped if everyone donated just one dollar?
Posted by Unknown at 10:24 AM
Labels: cat rescue, cats, donating, pet donations, PetSmart
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
- Page 1 Sony Ericsson K800i Review
- Page 2 Sony Ericsson K800i Review
- Page 3 Sony Ericsson K800i Review
- Page 4 Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation Review
There is only 64MB of built in memory, which doesn't seem a great deal for a handset designed with snapping in mind, and certainly won't cater for much music. Expansion is achieved via Sony Memory Stick Micro cards. These are as tiny as microSD and as fiddly to use. The slot is on the left edge of the casing and it is protected by a cover.
The K800i has a generally strong range of non-camera related features on offer. There is calendar and contact software that will share information with your PC using the provided PC Suite software and cable. There is music playback (of course – this is a Sony Ericsson handset), and its quality is good enough for listening to while travelling.
The range of additional software is so strong that there isn't room to do much more than just list the highlights. As well as being able to make your own ringtones you can play three games, one of which, a Tennis game, shows off the handset's 3D rendering nicely. Web browsing on the 240 x 320 pixel, 262,000 colour, 2in display is made easier by the fact that you can flip between portrait and landscape screen modes.
An RSS reader works independently of the browser and is an absolute treat for getting information really quickly. An FM radio augments the music playback. There are image and video editors, and the usual other stuff like alarms, notes management, sound recorder, and stopwatch.
During testing I ran an MP3 looping test and got eleven and a quarter hours of music. On standby the handset lasted at least week between charges. I'd probably want to charge it every other day in the real world, but it should happily survive a long weekend away from mains power.
The only disappointments are that the phone uses Sony's proprietary flash memory formats and its own, proprietary headphone connector preventing use of regular 3.5mm headsets.
Sony Ericsson seems to have thought quite carefully about what people want from a cameraphone and done its best to oblige both in terms of hardware controls and software extras. It is the imaging extras as much as the raw megapixels that should justify the purchase of this handset. Even without those this is a neat, tidy and very impressive 3G handset.
Unlike other sites, we thoroughly test every product we review. We use industry standard tests in order to compare features properly. We'll always tell you what we find. We never, ever accept money to review a product. Tell us what you think - send your emails to the Editor.


text: The 43rd president, George W. Bush, gave a tear-filled eulogy Wednesday remembering his father, the 41st president — George H.W. Bush. The state funeral took place at the Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump sat in the front pew alongside the three living former presidents and first ladies as Bush detailed his father' life — both as president and parent.


text:
AllianzGI expands UK fixed income team
Allianz Global Investors has appointed Kacper Brzezniak as a junior portfolio manager to its London-based fixed income team.
Brzezniak spent three years as Interest Rate Derivatives and FX Options trader at the National Bank of Fujairah in Dubai. Prior to that, he worked among others as global fixed income trader at RBS.
In his new role, he will report to Mike Riddell, manager of the Allianz Strategic Bond Fund.
Mike Riddell comments on his appointment: "Kacper joins us with a highly relevant portfolio of global fixed income experience. Joining us just a few weeks after we launched our new, cutting edge Strategic Bond Fund, he starts at a really exciting time for our fixed income business in the UK. I am sure Kacper will be a great asset to the team, as we can continue to build out our fixed income capability in London."


text:
iflix for PC, the laptop offers amazing streaming experience. This is known as Asia's Netflix. The media streaming application to categorize new and old movies. You can access different movies on your laptop. iflix app contains lots of categories to entertain the online streaming lovers. You have a wonderful platform to access all media streaming for Android smartphones/Tablets.
Must Learn: Download Vmate on PC Windows & Mac laptop.
In order to, iFlix for PC Windows has nice user experience to attract more users. The biggest streaming TV to offers all premium quality shows and serials. Add new arrivals of TV shows, movies, episodes, and lots more. It is the best and popular entertaining hub for movie lovers.
Do you love to watch movies of iflix on PC? Then, download the latest APK file of iflix media streaming TV channels on your Mac laptop. The Android/iOS app has a large number of videos to cast on their smart TV. The Samsung, LG, Lenovo, HTC, Hisense, Nokia and Micromax brands are good to use iflix app.
- A new app to Download Free ringtones on your PC or laptop.
Apart from that, the iOS 11, 10, 8, 9 users have a nice trick to use the iflix app on laptop. The iPhone X, 8, 7s, 6s, 5s, 4s devices also have a nice experience. The iPad or iPod touch Apple pencils access a lot of movies streams in HD quality. Your favorite choice to watch movies, TV channels list, music, TV shows and much more.
Similar app: Download Showbox on Chromebook to cast any video or TV Sports channels.
Iflix app on PC is a worth application to cast any videos. It does not require speed internet or WiFi Connection. It works fine at low bandwidth connections. And also make sure to access your lovely video streams on their specific devices. You can watch movies later in offline mode.
The iflix Asia's Netflix app is the perfect place to find HD premium quality videos. The pro version of iflix APK has special offers to watch your favorite movies or Premium TV channels. The premium iflix app provides ad-free video streams on their devices.
Download iflix for PC always provide better quality sports live channels across the world. Special categories of iflix have worthy videos for premium users. Easily upgrade free to Premium on the iflix Apk file for Windows 10, 7, 8 and Mac OS.
Download iflix for PC/laptop on Windows & Mac
Iflix app specially designed for Android smartphones and Tablets. Even iflix grant permission to use on iOS and Windows systems. But you have to follow the simple tricks to use iflix APK on your Windows 10, 7, 8, XP, Vista and Mac OS X.
- Download the Android emulator Nox app player for PC. You can choose any android emulator apps for PC windows.
- On downloading the Nox app player install it on your laptop. And then launch Nox App player offline player.
- Looking to the Google Play store app on your Nox app offline player on your desktop.
- Type the iflix in the search field of Google Play store. And then click on the install button to launch the application.
These are the simple steps to install iflix for PC or laptop. Even you can install iflix APK on Mac laptop or Windows 10, 7, 8, XP, Vista and Linux systems.
Also Read: Free Download VivaVideo on PC Windows & Mac laptop Click Here.


text:
- Boss SY-1000 Roland showed their continuing committment to guitar synthesizers with the announcement of the new Boss SY-1000.
- Behringer Deep Mind 12 The New Roland GR-700? Vintage Sounds in a Modern Analog Synth
- GR-300 Case Rare spotting of the Original Roland GR-300 Case!
- Roland Ready Les Paul Photos of Bob Welch's Custom Shop Les Paul Paul with Roland electronics.
- Peter Frampton With Roland G-303 Thank you Eric Fisher for finding this rare live video!
- Picture This 30th Anniversary Release - Wayne Scott Jones Album from November 1989.
- Converting the M-16C into an M-64C - Detailed tips on converting the M-16C into a M-64C with four times the memory capacity!
- Roland G-33 Major Update! 18 new photos, PLUS 4 YouTube videos!
- Switch Roland-Ready MIDI Guitar Complete details on the Switch Wild-IV, PLUS all the Switch Guitars!
- Boss GP-10 and Hex Fuzz Details on great hex fuzz sounds from the Boss GP-10
- Steve Hackett - Roland GR-500/GS-500 Performance - Please Don't Touch From the 'Please Don't Touch' tour, November 8, 1978. Great GR-500 showcase!
- Vintage Roland GR-300 Review from Electronics & Music Maker - Nov 1981
- Roland GR-77B for Reaktor - Download a modeled Roland GR-77B for Native Instruments Reaktor 5!
- Roland GR-700 Blue - Remake with 'GR-300' blue finish, new handles, and handsome natural wood end blocks! Thank you Chuck Nin!
- PG-200 - Updated NOS New-Old-Stock photos of the Roland PG-700, programmer for the Roland GR-700. Thank you Eric Rusack!
- G-707 White Ever wonder what a G-707 would look like redone in a brilliant white finish? With Steinberger folding leg rest!
- 3D Printing Vintage Roland Guitar Parts - 24-to-25 pin Plate - Courtesy of Jusin Casey
- David Gilmour - Solo with Roland STK-1 and GR-700!
- Moog Voyager XL (with Casio MG-510 Cameo) Space Music - Melodic Downtempo, Ambient, Ambient& PsyChill Mix.
- Roland GM-70 Guitar-to-MIDI Converter - Review by Paul White, Music Technology Magazine, April 1987
- Theme from M*A*S*H. Arranged using only the ARP Odyssey for all sounds, synths, drums, efx, etc.
- Ibanez IMG2010 - Owned by George Benson. Rare 'Endorsee' finish with Silver hardware.
Sound-On-Sound Roland SPV355 P/V
Imperfect Pitch
Originally published May 2001
The SPV355, launched in the late '70s, was intended to allow the pitch of instruments such as guitars and saxophones to control analogue synth sounds -- which it does with varying degrees of success. Fortunately, it has other tricks up its sleeve, as Chris Carter explains.
The late '70s were exciting times for analogue synthesis. MIDI was still a few years away, and legendary names such as Moog, EMS, Serge, Oberheim and Sequential were releasing innovative and exciting gear.
But it was Roland that always had a special place in my affections, and much of my early years were spent lusting over Roland catalogues... yeah, me and Roland go back years. Hanging out at Rod Argent's and Macari's music stores in London's West End, tinkering with the new Roland gear while trying to convince sales staff I was a serious buyer. Little did they know I was on my lunch break with just a few bob in my ocket and only a couple of quid in the bank. Roland were on a roll: Bossa Nova-stylee drum machines and weedy-sounding keyboards were a thing of the past, and seriously specified analogue synths and studio gear were appearing on a regular basis. Those were the days...
The Roland Rack
The SPV355 Pitch-to-Voltage Synthesizer was launched in those very days -- 1979, to be exact -- as part of the Roland Rack series of 19-inch studioquality effects units, amplifiers and specialist preamps. The most famous of these are probably the Roland Vocoder and the Dimension D spatial chorus. The P/V Synth is a bit of a curiosity, because it seems to have been released on the one hand as a rackmounting analogue expander module (indeed, it's said to be one of the first rackmounting synths), but on the other as a budget alternative to the Roland GRseries guitar synthesizers. These synths were quite expensive, specialised instruments; the GR system consisted of a high-quality, specially adapted guitar connected via a 24-way cable to a floor unit containing a rudimentary, six-note polyphonic synth engine. The SPV355 alternative scored points as it didn't need any special interface hardware (pickups and so on) and you could, in theory, use any old guitar to play the synth. The 1979 Roland catalogue states: "The SPV355 P/V Synthesizer is specially designed for use with guitars", which is ironic, as this is probably the P/V Synth's least effective and most problematic mode -- more on this later.
Fortunately, the SPV335's uses were not confined to guitar synthesis, and for its time (and compact size), it was quite well specified: two VCOs, a sub-oscillator, VCF, VCA, envelope generator, two audio mixers, and a multitude of interface sockets. As with other Roland Rack units, the 355 is housed in a 2U steel case and weighs nearly 6kg, which makes it a pretty hefty beast to lug around. And as for build quality, well... the word 'tank' springs to mind, as does the phrase 'heavy duty'. They don't make 'em like that any more...
Pitch To What?
The 'P' of the P/V Synth's title stands for pitch, and the 'V' stands for voltage -- but what is this scary pitch-to-voltage technology they speak of? Well, its main function is to translate an audio signal, from an instrument such as a guitar, voice or wind instrument, into musically-related control voltages and triggers capable of playing a CV/gate synthesizer. The SPV355 does the translation and uses the voltages to play its own internal synthesizer.
There are a couple of points to consider when using a pitch-detection system: they can't decipher chords, and they have a ard time with harmonics. Unfortunately, these are two things at which the guitar excels. The SPV translates solo voice and some woodwind instruments quite well, but guitars, even playing single notes, can give rise to jumpy, unstable pitch-tracking, especially if the sound contains complex tones. You have to keep it basic, clean and monophonic -- but then you might be surprised at how accurate the SPV355 can be.
Well Specified
The SPV's front end starts off with the Input (pitch detector) and a three-way switch for selecting input signal type: Guitar (pickup), Voice (microphone) or Brass (transducer). There are a couple of useful LEDs to indicate activity -- green for Gate triggering and red for audio overloading -- plus a Threshold control for adjusting the Gate trigger sensitivity to the Envelope generator. Too high a setting will produce spurious multiple triggering; too low and you'll end up with ignored or missed notes.
The synth's dual (monophonic) VCOs are switchable over three pitch ranges (4', 8' and 16'), and each VCO can generate Saw, Square and Pulse waves. Unfortunately, both VCOs share the same controls for Range, Waveform and Tune. However, VCO2 also includes an additional, footswitch-controlled A/B tuning function, which makes it possible to offset its tuning relative to VCO1 by up to plus or minus one octave. VCO1 also has a separate square-wave sub-oscillator output (at minus one octave), and all three outputs (VCO 1, 2 and sub) are fed into Audio Mixer 1, which allows one to create some interesting tones and textures by mixing the outputs of the three oscillators in varying amounts. A footswitch-controlled variable Portamento function is available for the VCOs, but unfortunately this only works internally and not when they're under external CV control.
The SPV355 features a well-specified voltage controlled filter, a 24dB/octave type with a range of 10Hz-20kHz and the ability to self-oscillate, in which case it becomes a third VCO. It has the usual Frequency andhe SPV355 features a well-specified voltage controlled filter, a 24dB/octave type with a range of 10Hz-20kHz and the ability to self-oscillate, in which case it becomes a third VCO. It has the usual Frequency and Resonance controls but also includes sliders for Pitch Follow and Envelope modulation depth; usefully, both of the last work in positive and negative directions, for inverted or reverse-type effects. The VCF is one of the P/V Synth's jewels, and gives it a lot of its character. Like the filters on many Roland synths of the time, it sounds sweet and musical, and very analogue -- it's just a shame that there isn't a way of feeding external audio through it.
The VCA section is minimalist, with just a single switch to select control via the Envelope Follower or the Envelope Generator. The Envelope Follower works by generating a control voltage that closely follows the amplitude of the input signal. It has no controls itself, but altering the Input Threshold control has an effect on the level of the Envelope Follower -- the Threshold control works almost to set depth amount for the EG. The Envelope Follower CV signal can modulate both the VCF and VCA, and is also available via a jack socket on the rear interface panel, to be used as a control voltage source for external devices. Mine's hooked up to a voltage-controlled phase shifter at the moment. The EG is an ADS (Attack, Decay, Sustain) type, without the usual Release function. This doesn't make much practical difference to the kinds of sounds the SPV can produce, and in fact the EG is extremely good at shaping short, punchy bass and similar envelopes. If I were the cynical type I could suggest Roland omitted a Release stage because of the inherent pitch drift that shows up when you use the Pitch Hold function (see 'CV/Gate Hold' box), but hey, this was before digital...
Using The P/V Synth
Using the P/V Synth successfully with a guitar requires a lot of patience, plus a pretty unnatural style of playing. I have to admit that I've rarely used it this way, the main reason being that I'm not a guitarist, but even my partner (who is a guitarist) gave up on it years ago. More satisfying results can be achieved with voice and brass. But although I've used the SPV355 live on a number of occasions I couldn't really recommend this, unless you're playing experimental music, because of the synth's tendency to unpredictability and instability.
Fortunately, although its main purpose in life was intended to be pitch-to-voltage conversion, the SPV355 doubles as a very good and very hands-on analogue expander module. The relative simplicity of its operation and editing means that it needs no menus or multi-mode switches, and with its versatile interfacing options it integrates well into most old and new CV/gate-based modular systems and setups. (With the help of a sophisticated modern MIDI-CV interface, such as Kenton's Pro4, it should also be possible to access most of the SPV's capabilities via MIDI.) It's ideally suited, too, for partnering something like a Roland SH101 analogue monosynth, or even a Roland Vocoder, for real-time synth pitch following (see 'Using The SPV355 With A Vocoder' box for more details). Admittedly, it lacks a few useful features, such as independent waveform controls, a Noise generator and an LFO (although many MIDI-to-CV converters have built-in LFOs), but with its dual VCOs, suboscillator, well-specified VCF and logical layout, the SPV355 is very good at quickly producing bass, lead and authentic analogue synth sounds with plenty of character and bite.
Things To Make And Do
Almost because it's such an oddball, the SPV355 can be used in a variety of interesting ways. For example, it can take on the role of a rudimentary MIDI-to-CV converter, by virtue of its pitch-tracking function. Connect the audio output of a MIDI synth to the SPV, play a line (manually, or via a sequencer), and the SPV can extract its pitch and convert it to a control voltage, which in turn can play an analogue synth with a compatible CV input. Synth sounds are very suitable for SPV355 pitchtracking, as the feature works best when driven from a clean, strong (monophonic) signal. The SPV355 will respond surprisingly accurately to vibrato, pitch-bend and portamento contained in the audio signal, although the SPV's own portamento will probably work more effectively. (The best thing is probably not to bother with portamento on your synth, and have it set on the SPV instead.) Sounds that are rich in harmonics, below 70Hz, or in the very high kHz range, are best avoided, as they will introduce noticeable tracking errors.
Voices are also fun to work with, off tape or live, and I've often found that the cheaper the microphone used, the better the results. I use an old Coloursound dynamic mic through a preamp for the most accurate pitch and envelope tracking. A few lines of wordless 'doo wop wops' can be transformed into very effective bas lines or sequencer patterns, particularly after a few effects are added. Just make sure you're recording to tape or hard disk as you go along; this kind of 'on the fly' experimentation is hard to reproduce at will. Feeding spoken dialogue (taped or otherwise) into the SPV355 is also an interesting way of generating seemingly random pitches, gate triggers and envelope signals. You can even connect a drum machine to the SPV's audio inputs, and this creates some interesting and strange results. Cymbals and snares don't translate too well, but some bass drum, tom and short percussion sounds can produce very usable effects.
As mentioned elsewhere, the SPV has five frontpanel performance control sockets: Portamento; VCO 2 A/B; CV/Gate Hold; Mix/Direct, which switches the direct input signal in and out of the audio chain; and VCO/VCF Sensitivity, which adjusts how much the input signal is modulating the VCO or VCF, via a variable foot controller rather than a footswitch. These sockets are primarily meant for use with footswitches and pedals, but if you have access to a CV/gate modular system it's worth experimenting with controlling these functions automatically from sequencers, triggers, gates and LFOs. Similarly, the rear Pitch CV/Gate and Envelope Follower CV outputs can be used to govern the functions of all kinds of other analoguecontrolled modules.
Finally, if you're handy with a soldering iron, take a bare jack plug and solder a small on/off toggle switch to the earth and tip tags. Make a couple of these 'jack switches' and they can be used instead of foot switches in the front-panel sockets, to directly select the features mentioned above.
Impulse Power
I bought my SPV355 on a bit of an expensive whim, after seeing a very polished Roland demo involving a guitar and a saxophone (if I remember rightly). Although since I'm neither a saxophonist or a guitarist I'm not sure what was going through my mind at the time! Within hours I had it hooked up to a tape deck, a microphone, a drum machine and a Roland 100M modular system -- in fact, anything with an audio output or CV/gate connections.
Over the last 20 years the SPV355 has become an integral part of my analogue modular system, along with my Dimension D chorus, and apart from a few racking scratches is almost as good as the day I bought it -- but then I've only used it live a couple of times. Ten years ago it was serviced, mainly to tighten up some excessive pitch-drift. This drifting effect is quite common in the SPV355, but fortunately is only apparent when using the CV/Gate Hold function in P/V mode. When controlled from an external CV/Gate control source, used as an analogue expander, I've always found the P/V Synth to be stable and accurate, and eminently capable of producing a wide range of classic analogue synth sounds without much effort. In fact, it's almost everything a good analogue synth should be.
Copyright © May 2001, Sound-On-Sound


text:
I have a new outlet on Redbubble … it's fab ! You can get my artwork printed onto all sorts of groovy things … take a look here https://www.redbubble.com/people/lesleyjanenixon?ref=account-nav-dropdown&asc=u
I have a new outlet on Redbubble … it's fab ! You can get my artwork printed onto all sorts of groovy things … take a look here https://www.redbubble.com/people/lesleyjanenixon?ref=account-nav-dropdown&asc=u
After painting the hilltop that is Shuttlingsloe, I moved on to a more imposing and dramatic landscape. The wind weathered sharp fingers of Ramshaw Rocks are one of Leek's most recognisable local beauty spots.
I wanted to portray the eerie, sometimes menacing nature of the rocks in this piece. The rocks are often shrouded in low cloud during the autum, winter and early spring. It gives them an almost mystical quality.
Here's a few progress shots and a reference image so that you can see where I am coming from.
Here's a couple of quotes to set the scene …..
Ramshaw Rocks
40 x 50″
First composition choice … I decided against this, so changed it to …
Composition number 2 … more emphasis on the iconic 'Loaf and Cheese' with some moody crags in the background
I worked on the background first
Then concentrated on the foreground detail
And decided to pretty much leave this one here …
Photo reference …
After what has been a bit of a roller coaster ride recently, I finally managed to get down to the serious business of painting for my graduation exhibition at Astound 2017 … without going into details, I have had to work extra hours at my day job and wasn't able to start working on my pieces until 2 weeks ago.
I finally have enough materials to make a serious attempt at furthering my painting career and (hopefully) start improving.
Anyway … here are a few progress shots of Shuttlingsloe plus a source image of the location itself.
Shuttlingsloe .
40 x 50″
Composition roughly sketched in … hill, horizon and pathway.
Some rough textured underpainting is added.
After many layers of paint and texture medium, it's finished.
Source image of Shuttlingsloe showing the path leading up to the hill itself.
Learning new skills and making glass beads like a woman possessed, in order to be able to dedicate my next month to painting and finishing off Uni work … Our end of year exhibition is fast approaching … I'll post more about that soon enough, but May 20th at The Nicholson Institute will be the place to see Astound:2017 !
What I've been up to today
I'm thinking office desk colour … nice as themed sets … discount for multiple purchases ?? I do like that these are bright, cheerful and (when out Christmas shopping), very easily portable
I'll be taking a selection of mini paintings (both framed and unframed) to Leek's Christmas Market on Friday evening … come say hi if you are local .. we'll be by Oxfam in the Market Place
Wrap up warm though ! Brrrr
Yes … it's time to switch on the Christmas lights in town !
Leek Town Council Christmas Lights Switch on.
Abbas Angels will be heading the line up for Leek's Christmas lights event this year and the Mayor, Cllr. Rebecca Done will switch the lights on at 7.30pm.
The evening starts wilth a "heroes" parade led by Santa and 5th Leek Scout & Guide Band, starting from Stockwell Street through the town centre, with children (and adults!) dressing up as their favourite heroes.
Carols from the Salvation Army band will be getting the crowd in a festive mood, the Totally Locally market stalls will be in Market Place selling unique gifts and food, John Collins funfair rides will be in High Street and Market Street
Festivities start from 6pm … I'll be on our College market stall (further details to follow later) .. come say hi !
We're in the Market Place, opposite Oxfam.
See you there … don't forget your woolies !!
Hi there … well I did a bit better this time, didn't I ? Just a few weeks between posts instead of a few months (gold star for moi) !
Well, after a flurry of print making, reflective journal catch ups and sketch book annotations, I managed to get all my work in for assessment … phew ! I can't quite believe that I've completed year two of my foundation degree. It all seems to fly by so quickly !
There's not much let up in busy-ness though, oh no ! We now need to get the end of year show up and running. Planning and exhibiting is the main focus of the third year on our course.
Our graduating third years are doing a marvellous job of planning, logistics, inviting, hanging and launching the exhibition. We have to do it all next year …eep ! Anyway …while lots of squirrelling is going on behind the scenes, here's a sneaky peek …. a few pictures of our graduates' exhibition pieces :
Ilsa Elford's wonderful banners
Jon Green's lighting installation
Cathey Yardley's fused and slumped glass dishes.
(I am yet to see the final 'reveal' of her finished piece!)
Its all go at the moment ….
Our Private View is on Thursday … not long now ! I must remember to polish my dreads, locate my dress and pick the paint from under my nails !
Wish us luck!
In the meantime, I'd better get a wriggle on and paint more artwork for our Take Ten Exhibition in Buxton, Derbyshire over the bank holiday weekend.
No rest for the wicked, eh
It's been a while … again … I am SO going to start giving this blog site some much needed attention from now on.
Well …. I can't believe that year two of my Foundation Degree is almost over already. This course seems to be racing away and just burning up the years. It's a bit scary if I'm honest with you !
As far as my artwork goes, I have decided, for this final module of the year, to depart from my safe (ish) space that is painting and give another technique a try before committing to my final year. So I chose print making. Collograph print making to be precise.
We had a day's workshop with the wonderful Mary Wardle during our first year. A collograph print is basically a print taken from a texture collage. These can be made using all sorts of materials, from fine sand to scrunched up paper. Once the print plate is dried and sealed, the ink is rubbed on, into all of the nooks and crannies made by the collage. Excess ink is then removed before the print is taken. I am still a bit hit and miss with this process, but I am learning with each print I pull from the press.
I had one proper attempt at this technique over a year ago. I enjoyed it immensely and figured I'd delve a little deeper 🙂
My first ever collograph print .
It's not very contrasty, but I was pretty pleased with it 🙂
I am currently, frantically working on a new series of print for imminent assessment. These are all based on a local set of standing stones, Nine Stones Close, in Derbyshire.
I am limited to black and one accent colour at the moment, as my budget is very tight. This explains the lack of technicolour in my newest prints !
And I thought I'd also have a go at an abstract composition.
Assessment is on the 12th … I am still having technical issues with wrinkles appearing in my paper (eek!), so I am starting to panic a little … fingers crossed I get it all sorted and ready to exhibit in our end of year show, Astound ( coming up in a separate post)
It's about time I caught up with things on here !
Blimey, it's mid February already … where did the time go ?
Well … Christmas was mega busy … I had work exhibited in two, two day exhibitions. It is always a nervous time, showing your work to the public, especially when you spend most of your time creating it either home alone or cushioned in the supportive atmosphere of college.
I was so pleased with the results though. I couldn't attend both events, as I had to be at the Foxlowe show as part of my degree course. I had more sales than I expected at both venues !
What did surprise me was the number of unframed pieces that I sold. Some were not of a standard size, so the buyers would have had to go to the trouble of using a bespoke picture framer, but they didn't mind … that was a real confidence boost, I can tell you !
It was also great to spend time talking about art / my art to prospective buyers. I do find it difficult, talking to strangers about my work, but it's something I really do need to work on.
Fast forward to now, and I am still busy with things.
I have just recently had some mega hand in's for uni, but they have now been graded and feedback was all good … phew ! Now we need to embark on our final module for this academic year. I am going to have a go at printmaking this time, as we are advised that this is our last real opportunity to experiment before our final year.
Other cool news, too …. I have just taken on a studio in town !!
It's right in the centre of Leek and in a beautiful building !
Well … when I say I, I mean WE … I am going in with my partner and his brother. It's all very exciting, but I am hoping that soon, I can get in and sort the space out … I'll have storage … a table and running water !!
Watch this space !
Some of my available pieces are still, well available to buy …. here's a few to keep you going 🙂
If you are interested in any of these pieces, then please drop me a line via email, at firstname.lastname@example.com and I'll be able to tell you more 🙂
Christmas is fast approaching ! I haven't even thought about making a start on the shopping yet, though … I should really pull my finger out !
Anyway … I promised to mention another exhibition to you.
This year's address is : 67 Albert Terrace, Wolstanton, Newcastle, Staffs ST5 6AY
Exhibition : Home is a fantastic annual show. I love the concept of it. Each year, somebody turns their whole house over to the exhibition an it becomes a gallery ! The ambience and atmosphere are just perfect for some relaxed gift buying. There is always something different to be found. From beautiful glass work, to delicate ceramics or original artwork, there is something for everybody.
Stag Teatowel by Lauren Van Helmond
Beautiful porcelain tea lights by Perry Walmsley-Pitts
I am also feeling honoured to have been invited to exhibit a few paintings, including this one (above)
The exhibition runs from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th of December …. the address is further up this post, just below the banner image.
All are welcome … bring heavy purses 😉 !
Happy Shopping x
Another reason for being so very busy is our annual Christmas fair in Leek, Staffordshire.
The Staffordshire Contemporary Artist and Designers Fair is a fantastic Artist and Designer fair, set in a beautiful venue, The Foxlowe. The building is set at the top of the town's ancient market place and acts as a focus for all things related to the arts. They have a rather smashing fine art café, too !
The event is a fantastic chance to start your Christmas shopping with a huge range of beautiful objects of desire !
The Artist & Designers Fair is a showcase for original and contemporary art, craft and design from both local and National artisans.
Anyway, I digress … busy … yes !
As part of my Foundation Degree studies, I am part of the year 2 team who is coordinating our college submissions … as well as finding the time to create our own artwork to show, we are holding planning meetings, talking with the press and liaising with college press officers … phew ! It's a great opportunity to get hands on experience of exhibition planning though. Fingers crossed it all comes together on the day, eh !!!
Here is a quick preview of what I'll be exhibiting …
Photobombed by my cat !
As if this event isn't keeping me busy enough, I am also exhibiting in ANOTHER exhibition … on the same weekend …. eeek !!
(see my next blog post … phew !)
After months and months of procrastinating, I have listed on …..
Etsy UK
I have been so incredibly busy with my art studies and facebook selling, that my poor shop has been languishing in a dark corner. I do solemnly swear that I will be much kinder to my little shop
You can visit my shop to see what I have on sale by clicking the link below:
MY ETSY UK SHOP will gradually fill up over the next few weeks … I promise 🙂
These pretty beads were listed earlier today 🙂
*Although this post is relatively short, I have taken ages to write this and include as many SEO optimisations as possible …. I think I deserve coffee … and maybe some therapeutic spinning *
In the Cairngorms and up on Ben nevis, heh !
I saw this, posted by Cairngorm Mountain Company, earlier …
It makes me think of snow days and crunchy, icy walks.
There are so many delicate, pale colours reflected by snow. It is far from plain old white.
I am looking forward to the challenge of painting snow, this winter.
Here's hoping we get a white-ish one !
Last year was a good one for snow 🙂
Welcome to my first blog post.
Hi … I figured I should start my shiny new blog with a short introduction … My name is Lesley .I am a lampworker (I make hand crafted glass art beads for jewellery designers), and I am currently studying for a foundation degree in Art at Leek School of Art (part of Leek and Buxton College).
I have always loved being creative for as long as I can remember.
After many years spent living in the city, I finally relocated to the highest village in Britain, in the Peak District a few years ago. It was to be the best move that I ever made. It was also the most interesting move I ever made … especially in the winter !
My career has taken on a whole new direction since the move, so alongside my glass work, I am now studiously training to become a fully fledged fine artist.
Here's my artist statement … It all sounds very grown up !


text:
FriYAY FEA BASAA Happy Hour!
Come join us for Friyay happy hour directly after the BASAA Spring 2018 Conference to help us fundraise for the FEA BASAA Scholarship fund! The Lansdowne Pub has generously donated the use of a gorgeous event space and appetizers for our cause. We are asking $5 cash entry fee and encourage all those that can to donate more to this valuable cause.
Event Location: The Lansdowne Pub
9 Lansdowne St, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
Event Time: Friday, April 20th 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM, directly after the BASAA Spring Conference
Can't Attend? Please donate here: http://fundforeducationabroad.org/donate/
*Make sure to select BASAA Scholarship when making donations online
EUSA – Academic Internship Experts have sponsored the event and donated a sizeable donation to the scholarship fund as well as additional appetizers!
Raffle Item Sponsors:


text:
K2Vital Vitamin K2 1500ppm Oil
ProTec Nutra Ltd
- Datasheet (英语)
ProTec Nutra Ltd目前只在以下作出标识的区域展示其产品资料:
K2Vital Vitamin K2 1500ppm Oil is a high quality and high purity vitamin K2 MK7 ingredient with a standardised concentration of 1500ppm in an oil carrier of medium chain triglycerides. Vitamin K2 is essential for bone development and maintainance. Novel foods approved under brand name K2Vital. It is vegetarian friendly designed for tablet & capsule use with applications in tablets, capsules, powder preparations, liquids, foods, food supplements and pharmaceuticals.
ProTec Nutra Ltd is a supplier of functional ingredients for the food industry. ProTec Nutra Ltd has a wide range of products such as botanical extracts, minerals, vitamins, and phospholipids. ProTec Nutra Ltd focuses on creating high quality products that have many applications including increased tolerability and absorption, vegetarian friendly, food fortification, and chelation.
产品类型 Categories
应用领域 Categories
ProTec Nutra Ltd
希望在赛百库经销商/贸易商板块进行展示推广?请立即联络我们 !


text:
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Republican leaders in the House and Senate say they support extending a temporary payroll tax cut that has provided Americans with a little more spending money in a bad economy.
But Sen. Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the committee that writes tax policy, doesn't appear ready to support that position, arguing the tax holiday first championed by President Barack Obama hasn't worked and shouldn't be continued.
"I cannot support extending tax policies that were intended to be temporary and that have proven to be ineffective at creating jobs or stimulating economic growth," said Hatch, R-Utah.
Last year, Congress at the urging of the president temporarily reduced the payroll tax paid by employees from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. That reduction expires at the end of the month, and the two parties are trying to reach an agreement on how to fund an extension, and possibly an expansion, of that tax relief. The payroll tax pays for Social Security.
Obama and the Democrats want to cut the tax rate to 3.1 percent for workers, while House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell prefer to keep it at 4.2 percent.
On Thursday, the Senate voted on and rejected partisan proposals that would keep the Social Security Trust Fund whole. The Democrats would cover the cost of their $265 billion plan by increasing taxes on millionaires, while Republicans tried a cheaper version funded by freezing federal wages, reducing the federal workforce and making the wealthy pay more for Medicare.
Now party leaders are negotiating a compromise that they hope to push through Congress before they break for Christmas.
Hatch became disillusioned with trying to stimulate the economy in the short term through the tax code after he joined with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in 2010 to reduce the employer side of the payroll tax if the company hired someone who had been out of work for more than two months.
Hatch was discouraged that the limited program didn't result in much job growth and has decided a better tactic is a broader reform of the tax code.
"Instead of a short-term Band-Aid that doesn't help the unemployed, a better approach would be to fundamentally overhaul and restructure our tax code to permanently lower people's tax rates," he said.
For years, congressional leaders have talked about a broad tax reform, but no major proposal is in the offing.
While Hatch doesn't like the idea of extending the payroll tax holiday, which for the average family equates to about $1,000 in a year, he did like McConnell's proposal to pay for it.
But he would like to use the money created by shrinking the federal workforce and having the wealthy pay higher Medicare premiums to reduce the nation's debt.
Twitter: @mattcanham
Tax cut fight
President Barack Obama has made the payroll tax cut extension a priority, warning that if Congress doesn't act before the holiday recess, "we can all spend Christmas here together."
Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled House and the Senate, controlled by Democrats, say some version of the tax cut extension will pass. Republicans fear the political fallout if the break expires Jan. 1 and taxes go up on 160 million wage-earners.
The Associated Press


text:
- 3059010700
Dental Crowns and Dental Bridges
Our doctors at Gables Perfect Smile only use the best materials to assure that our patients' smiles always look their best. This is true for dental crowns and dental bridges as well. Our doctors only provide patients with the best technology, procedures, and care during every appointment. Dental crowns and dental bridges are simple ways to improve the appearance and functionality of your teeth. Whether you just need one crown, or you need a set of bridges, our doctors are here in your Miami, Florida office to deliver you with unparalleled results.
Dental crowns are known as tooth-shaped 'caps' because they cap over a tooth. This crown can restore a tooth's size, shape, strength, and improve the overall appearance of the tooth. Dental crowns are used for a variety of reasons, which include:
Protecting a weak tooth from decay.
Holding a cracked tooth together.
Restoring a worn tooth or a tooth that is broken.
Supporting a tooth that had a large filling. This is to ensure that decay does not ensue.
Covering teeth that are severely discolored.
Our doctors use porcelain based dental crowns for the best look and feel for dental crowns. Because of the porcelain material that is used to create dental crowns, there are usually no issues with gum swelling or inflammation from the dental crowns. As always, our doctors pay careful attention to each of our patients to ensure that dental crowns look natural and make your smile shine at its best.
Dental bridges are used to literarily bridge the gap between teeth. A dental bridge is made with two crowns for the teeth on both sides of the gap. There are the two anchor teeth and a prosthetic tooth that is in-between the two. Dental bridges can be supported by natural teeth or by dental implants. The most common uses for dental bridges include:
Restoring the natural look of a smile
Restoring chewing functionality
Restoring speaking ability
Maintaining the shape of the face (no sunken in appearance)
To distribute the force of a bite evenly across all teeth
To prevent other teeth from drifting out of position (occurs when teeth are missing)
Like with the dental crowns, our doctors take the time to carefully craft a dental plan that works for you. Your dental history, x-rays, and preferences are all taken into account to ensure that your results will best suit your needs.
If you have been searching for a solution to your worn-down or broken tooth, then look no further than Gables Perfect Smile. Our doctors will take every measure possible to assure you that you have the best results when it comes to your dental crowns and bridges. For more information about our procedures, contact our Gables Perfect Smile office. Today is the day that you should start smiling, learn how now!


text:
Tonic Studios - Essentials Strip Die Set - Embellishments
Tonic Studios - Essentials - Embellishment Strip Die Set - 1553E
This is 1 of 4 all new Essentials dies from Tonic Studios; this set has 8 unique and individual designs that you can use on many projects. Each set is also Verso, meaning that the designs can be cut into the card, or removed from the card with the outer edge dies. These dies will create wonderful borders and edges for a range of occasions such as; Birthdays, Christenings, Easter and much more…
Contains 8 dies
Each die measures;
Largest to Smallest
These dies are compatible with all leading die cutting systems including Sizzix Big Shot, Tonic Tangerine, Spellbinders Platinum, Grand Calibur and Many More…
We offer FREE delivery to all UK postcodes on all orders over £25. All customers in Northern Ireland, Highlands and Islands and Channel Islands please Select delivery zone UK Mainland (DO NOT CHANGE IT TO NON MAINLAND) else you will be charged P and P
The level of service that we offer is very important to us, we will aim to dispatch your order within 24 hours of you placing it. Our standard delivery is a 2 - 5 day service although this is not guaranteed. Usually orders arrives within 3 days of ordering We also offer a Guaranteed Next Working Day Delivery at a cost of £5.99 order must be placed 11.00am and will arrive the next working day. If you have placed the order on Friday and selected Next Day Delivery, your order will arrive on Monday.
For orders under £25 delivery is charged at £2.49.
We are happy to send your Parcel to the Parcel Motel Depot in Belfast thus getting free P and P, Parcel Motel will then take your Parcel to the Parcel Motel of your choice for a cost of €3.50 . You will need to have a Parcel Motel Account set up and include your Name and Parcel Motel ID in the address when ordering.
Please visit www.parcelmotel.com for more information.Our standard delivery charge to the Republic of Ireland is £9.99
Postage and Packaging will be charged on all overseas orders at the following rates
France, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Netherland £19.99
Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Switzerland £29.99
Greece, Italy, Malta £39.99
Finland, Norway, Sweden, Turkey USA £49.99
Rest of the World £69.99
It may be possible to send your order more economically please call us with details of your order and we can quote you based on the size and weight of your order.
We want all our customers to be completely happy with both the service and products they receive from Crafty Devils Ltd.
We offer a 14 day no quibble guarantee; in the unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with the goods please call us on 01271 326777.
Then return them to.
Crafty Devils Ltd
Units 22/23.
Howard Avenue
On receipt of your goods, we will happily give you a full refund, replace the goods or issue a credit note.
For goods that are not faulty we will happily issue a refund or exchange. However, if the value of the unwanted item brings the total order value to less than £25, then our standard postage rate of £2.49 will be deducted from the amount to be refunded. Any unwanted items must be returned unused and in their original packaging. If you would like to exchange an item then we will have to ask that you pay the cost of return postage and contribute £1.99 towards the cost of sending the replacement item. Goods must be received back within 14 days of receipt.
Postage costs for sending back goods that are not faulty will not be refunded. However, we will happily refund the cost of return postage for faulty items but only if they are returned using second or standard class Royal Mail.
The Following Products cannot be returned magazines and any Audio/Video tapes or CD's or computer software whose seals have been broken.
If you have any queries, please contact us by email or call us on 01271 326777


text:
Join us as we petition the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for the Outer Harbor Park.
To: Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
Create a park with significant waterfront access on Buffalo's Outer Harbor based upon the ideas of 21st Century on the Outer Harbor's conceptual rendering.
Buffalo's Outer Harbor holds tremendous potential! It should be unleashed through the creation of a significant waterfront park, reconnecting the residents of Buffalo and Western New York to Lake Erie. The park will feature important elements for smart growth and sustainability and allow visitors to experience the natural beauty of Lake Erie through boating, kayaking, sailing, fishing, and sunset views and strolls. It will also dedicate space for an outdoor amphitheater, restaurants, and a promenade, which will serve as a catalyst for additional economic revitalization and tourism. A park on Buffalo's Outer Harbor will also serve as the southern anchor of the Niagara River Greenway, a system of parks and conservation areas linking over fifty miles of bikeways, pathways, and waterways along the Niagara River between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a distinctive, innovative, and ecological sound park that will be accessible for everyone. We must not let this opportunity go to waste or be squandered.
I support the ideas of the conceptual rendering of a modern, approximately 100 acre park on Buffalo's Outer Harbor created by 21st Century on the Outer Harbor, in collaboration with Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper.
I encourage you to do all that you can to make this park a reality.


text:
In early September 2017 I got an unexpected call from a man named Brian Basham. He'd seen my business card in a local running shop and needed someone to coach him to run the London Marathon in April 2018. After a short conversation, we agreed to meet.
As I sat opposite a white-haired slightly chubby old man reclining in a comfy armchair in his cottage in East Sussex, he explained that in his 75th year (he'll be 75 in July), he wanted a new challenge. He also wanted to raise a load of money to support prostate cancer research Please donate here, many thanks for your support. He confessed that he was not a runner but did cycle a bit and occasionally ran to the lamppost down the road 90 seconds away! Oh, and there was also the small matter of his recent heart attack and the pneumonia he had suffered a few years ago that had floored him.
At no point did Brian ever ask "is this possible?", or "do you think I can…?", or even, which might have been the smart thing following a heart attack, "Do you think I should?".
That's the kind of man he is.
So we agreed to train together.
The Plan to reach the Goal
Brian was cleared by his heart doctor to go ahead and train, provided we kept his heart rate below a certain magic number. So step number one, invest in a smart watch with a heart rate monitor.
Brian was cleared by his heart doctor to go ahead and train, provided we kept his heart rate below a certain magic number. So step number one, invest in a smart watch with a heart rate monitor.
Having got that in the bag, it was time to plan the schedule.
If you've never trained for a marathon before, it's easy to think that you need to run as far as possible, as often as possible. Brian was no different and assumed we'd set off on a rigorous 6 day a week schedule. This might be true for a Kenyan man in his mid to late 20s, but for the rest of us, it can be a recipe for fatigue and injury. In running, less is often more.
Recovery from running sessions is vital and is even truer as we get older. So we settled on a plan of 3 good quality sessions per week with recovery days in between. Add in some cross training on the bike, a simple strength training routine to be done twice a week and we were good to go.
Another key element was to plan as much variety as possible. Mixing things up supports injury prevention, but just as important, variety is of course the spice of life. It's important in keeping interest and motivation up over the long training months ahead. This meant variety of shoes (Brian has two different pairs), variety of surface (road, trail, track, treadmill), variety of pace (easy, steady, quick) and variety of intensity (short fast hills, long easy flat).
Armed with the plan, we set out for our first run.
To be continued…
Come and run with us, it might just change your life


text:
Free Delivery over £50*
Ordered before 12:00, shipped today
Delivery within 2-3 working days
Availability: in stock
|Product Name
|Dwarf Beans Delinel - 1 pack of seeds
Availability: in stockdeze
Dwarf Beans Delinel
Delinel is known for its heaving yielding and full flavour of fench or dwarf Beans. Also suitable for freezing!
Highly resistant to disease!
Details Dwarf Beans Delinel
- Edible
- Climbs walls and fences
- Blooms: May - June
- Flower colour: white
- Harvest: July - September
- Full grown: 6 months
- Full grown height: 25 - 50 cm
- Full grown width: 25 - 50 cm
- Plant location: sunny
- Plant depth: 3 cm
- Plant spacing: 8 cm
- Preferred soil: Well drained
How to take care of Dwarf Beans Delinel
Plant the seeds in late spring in seedbed in open ground. Cabbages do best in a sunny location with reasonably firm soil. They do not do well in very acidic soil; if your soil is acid then apply lime during soil preparation.
For best results dig in plenty of well rotted manure or compost the autumn before planting time (this must be done months before planting). Sow seeds 1.5cm deep, rows should be spaced 15cm apart. After germination has taken place, thin out seedlings to 10cm between each plant.
Transplant to their final position when the plants are approx 10cm high and all danger of frost has passed, space approx 50cm apart.
Other people also bought
Customer reviews
Margaret R., Glasgow
Plants were in very good condition and they arrived well packaged. I was pleased with both the prices and the delivery time.
Reginald E., Leeds
Quick delivery,well packaged , healthy plants.Will use again.
Susie C., Devon
The plants were delivered in a secure box and they were healthy and the soil hadn't dried out. I was pleased with the quality of the plants I received.
Buy your Dwarf Beans Delinel direct online from Garden Centre Gardens4You.co.uk
Money Back Guarantee
If you are unhappy with the quality of the bulbs or plants at arrival or they fail to grow in their first growing season we will refund you or resend the products for free. It's as simple as that.
A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.


text:
Our services in this area range from simple functional inspection service to a full service. Special service systems, e.g. for the housing industry, to outline agreements covering specific requirements for service logistics, ensure that every individual need is cared for. Our team of skilled technicians is able to maintain and support virtually all technical equipments and systems in all our lifts.
24 hour emergency hotline*: +49 (0)180 5211144
+43 (0)800201320
* 0180-5 caller tariff from the German landlines incl. VAT. 0,14 € per minute . Calls from mobile costs, regardless of the area code , 0.42 € per minute.


text:
One of the things I like about being a Christian is the absurdity. Basically, it's just another belief system, and goodness knows plenty of those exist. What's special about Christianity is how truly foolhardy it is.
I mean, get this; a week ago a Jewish carpenter turned prophet waltzed into Jerusalem on the eve of Passover. He's celebrated like he was king of the Jews, palm branches and hosannas and such. Then, less than a week later, he's gotten the crap beaten out of him, dying on a cross like any common criminal. His followers were allowed to retrieve his body, set it in a tomb. End of story of yet another alleged messiah.
Now, if you have faith, you take it as fact that a couple of days later Jesus rose from the dead, proving that he was more than a wandering prophet. He stunned his disheartened followers, then ascended into heaven. And over two thousand years later he's still heralded as the Son of God.
To me, that's not the absurd part. Throw enough advertising behind an idea or product or politician and the average Joe is hooked. What gets me is that the night before he's going to be assaulted, tried, then hung, Jesus had dinner with his closest male friends. (I make the gender distinction, because when he was hanging from that cross, the women who loved him surrounded him.) After they ate, Jesus, their teacher and leader for the last few years, got down on his knees and washed their feet. Peter, the most outspoken, was offended, but Jesus brooked no such nonsense. "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
Jesus couldn't have made it any more plain; if the Son of God can wash feet, well… But deities aren't supposed to be that earthy, or die on crosses. Pretty fictional, if you ask me; as a writer, I certainly couldn't have come up with a more far-fetched way to start a religion.
It's supposed to be about power and wealth, palm branches and hosannas and all that business. Yet with Christ, it was always the most unlikely method. Born in a manger to an unmarried teenager. Turns water into wine at a wedding where frivolity already runs rampant. Escaping from crowds who want to crown him king. And on the eve of his death, he's washing these guys' feet, really?
According to John 13:15, that's what Christ did. Then he allowed himself to be arrested. He permitted Jewish high priests to slap him around, then faced the Roman governor Pilate, who could see the machinations behind the charges. Jesus was another messiah-thorn to the Jewish leaders, but washing his hands of the whole mess, Pilate let the story proceed as it would. After getting the snot beaten out of him, Jesus was hung between two condemned men. Women stood nearby, including his mother. Mary watched her son die, another Jew dead under the Romans.
Tomorrow is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter. To many, it's a holiday not much different than Christmas, save the massive commercial build-up. To me, it's a reminder of the absurdity of life, my life. I'm not just a wife, mother, writer. I'm a child of a God of the foolhardy. I'm a daughter of a King who is in three parts. My best friend is a guy who spent thirty-three years on earth, but only during the last three did he make a big deal of his destiny; to save the world through the ultimate act of love.
Are you serious?
Yes, I am.
On my dresser sits a page-a-day calendar, scriptural in nature. Today's quote is from Kevin A. Miller: The reason Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross was so He could reach them around people like you and me.
Who is this Jesus anyways? How in the heck does he even know who I am? And is he even real? There is no tangible proof, no way to ascertain the validity of bibles, or hunches. My very strong hunch is that God exists, Jesus is his son, the holy spirit set deep within my heart. Now, I could be completely wrong, and I won't know until I'm dead. But this world is an odd place. Maybe, amid the media hype, there is room for a guy who washes feet and loves unreservedly.
Wishing a peaceful Good Friday and a very Happy Easter to all.


text:
She's THE most talked about woman in the world right now, and after that amazing, history making performance at Coachella, it's no surprise! In addition to being a fabulous entertainer, Beyoncé is also a mother, wife, designer and businesswoman. Women of the world, we can learn so much from the powerhouse that is Queen 🐝.
In this post, I'm going to be sharing ten Beyonce quotes that I believe will inspire you to live your best life and also to be your best self.
1) On self worth:
' Your self worth is determined by you. You don't have to depend on someone telling you who you are'.
2) On being yourself:
'I don't feel like I have to please anyone. I feel free. I feel like I'm an adult. I'm grown. I can do what I want. I can say what I want.
3) On confidence:
' The most alluring thing a woman can have is confidence'.
4) On taking chances:
' I felt like it was time to set up my future, so I set a goal. My goal was independence'
5) On self love:
' When you love and accept yourself, when you know who really cares about you, and when you learn from your mistakes, then you can stop caring about what other people think'.
6) On power:
' Power isn't given to you, you have to take it'.
7) On self belief:
' I don't like to gamble, but if there's one thing I like to bet on it's myself'.
8) On taking L's:
' If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow'.
9) On letting go and letting God:
' Whenever I'm confused about something, I ask God to reveal the answers to my questions, and He does'.
10) On dating:
' If he invited you out, he's got to pay'
I hope you have enjoyed this post.
Do you have a favourite Beyonce quote or even a song lyric? Feel free to drop a comment and let me know.
Kel xo


text: Get support Find your nearest Support Group Twickenham Support Group Our Support Groups are free to attend and are open to anyone affected by bipolar, including family, friends and carers. Find out more about what happens at a Support Group.Meets: 1st Thursday of every month Time: 7.30pm - 9.00pm Useful Info: Close to York House and near Civic Centre opposite St Mary's Church. The church hall is a modern brick and wood building. It's within walking distance of Twickenham station and the shopping centre. Accessibility Info: Ground floor level access and disabled toilet. Postcode: TW1 3DT


text:
Fox News has really, really crossed the line this time.
The picture shown above is a screenshot from Fox News.
It clearly shows them referring to Michelle Obama as "Obama's Baby Mama".
In what type of bizarre universe would this ever be appropriate?
How can they get away with using racist language like that to refer to the woman who could very well be the next First Lady of the United States?
Please spread this article and this picture everywhere. It is time for Fox News to be held accountable for their reckless actions.


text:
Industrial Products
GPGPUs for Industrial
The A177 Twister, the smallest, most powerful industrial GPGPU, is ideally suited for industrial systems in outdoor and indoor environments, with CUDA and deep learning acceleration capabilities that provide all the power you need for local processing right where you need it.
GPGPUs for Industrial
NightHawk ICU™ Industrial Controller / Data Concentrator Unit
Aitech's new NightHawk RCU™ is a low power, high performance, environmentally sealed and rugged, PC-based controller utilizing Intel's latest low power N270 Atom Navy Pier processor technology.
NightHawk ICU™ Industrial Controller / Data Concentrator Unit


text:
Hi team,
the following song is not playing on mac Desktop or Mobile app (ios)
All other songs in that artists album play back ok. Only the desktop app reports an error message.
Hi there!
I know it sounds simple, but it's often overlooked. Could you try restarting your device? If that doesn't help, try a quick clean reinstall of the app. Just follow these steps.
If you're still having trouble, could you let me know the exact version of Spotify and the exact version of the operating system you're running?
I'll see what I can suggest next!
Yes did all of that already (2 devices) but its not making a difference.
ios 12.1. and mac os 10.13 used with the latest spotify app versions
Hey @matthiaszed,
Could you try it with another Spotify account to see if that helps?
Also, if possbile, please try to update to iOS 12.1.4 and macOS 10.14.3 🙂
Please let me know.
Hi, Thx. Yes same issue on other accounts.
495 Replies
Last update: 2016-06-30
420 Replies
Last update: 2018-03-27
608 Replies
Last update: 2019-09-18


text:
Holmes Report 12 Jul 2015 // 2:15PM GMT
HONG KONG—Strategic Public Relations Group has celebrated its 20th anniversary with the launch Strategic CSR Network Limited, a not-for-profit organisation that brings together different parties including corporations, NGOs/charities and volunteers, to serve underprivileged communities in Hong Kong.
NEW DELHI—20:20 MSL has won 24 new business pitches over the past two quarters, including Marico, for marquee brands Parachute (cooking oil, hair care portfolio, skin care portfolio), Nihar, Saffola (cooking oil, oats and muesli), Bio Oil, Medikar and Revive; Dimension Data, for an integrated social media, media relations and advocacy campaign; Swift Key, an expert in language prediction; and Saavn, for media advisory services and influencer engagement.
BEIJING—Benjamin Ou, former director of Chinese government affairs at United Technologies Corporation, has rejoined APCO Worldwide as senior counselor in China. Ou will counsel clients on government relations, trade and investment and stakeholder engagement. Ou is also the founder of Beijing Tairong Consulting, which focused on China's anti-monopoly enforcement and policies. Before joining UTC, Ou spent 12 years at APCO in various roles.
NEW DELHI—Weber Shandwick has appointed Rafi Qadar Khan as executive vice president, Weber Shandwick India. Based in Delhi, he will report to Valerie Pinto, chief executive officer. Khan brings more than 20 years of communications experience, joining from Cohn & Wolfe in India. He has extensive experience in brand creation and positioning, entry strategy and integrated marketing.
SINGAPORE—Mike Cheong has joined CNBC as communications manager for CNBC Asia Pacific, based at the Singapore office. Cheong joins from Burson-Marsteller, where he was senior associate and managed accounts across the government, corporate and hospitality sectors. Prior to joining Burson-Marsteller in 2012, Cheong worked at Bite Communications, GPA Holdings and as a sports journalist.
MUMBAI—Edelman has appointed Zarif Tapia as head of Cream Events, its specialty experiential marketing unit. Based in Mumbai, Tapia will lead Edelman India's events business and will report to Rakesh Thukral, managing director of Edelman India. He joins from Brand Activation, a division of Wizcraft International Entertainment.
BANGALORE—Aim High Consulting, a PR agency for start-ups in India, has added QwikCilver, MobiKwik, Livspace and Goodservice to its roster of consumer internet clients, as well as wins in the renewable energy, education, health & wellness and enterprise technology categories, including Jungle Ventures, Azure Power, Edutor, TalentPad, Mobikon, Teamchat, AppLift, Schoolguru, Hippocampus Learning Centres, Jack Of All Threads, and Truweight.
MUMBAI—Kesari Tours has appointed Pramod Dalvi as vice president, public relations, responsible for communication with tourism boards, airlines, government bodies, and more. He has previously worked with Thomas Cook India, P & O Travel India, International Travel House, and Korean Airlines.


text:
Dunluce Bed & Breakfast
Environmental commitment
We at Dunluce operate in a unique environment on the edge of a pristine World Heritage National Park, home to numerous endangered native species.
We are committed therefore to act in an environmentally responsible way in our home , our community and our beautiful country Aotearoa New Zealand.
Here are some of the steps we have taken to minimise our impact on the environment:


text:
DAS – Distributed Antenna Systems
Distributed Antenna System (DAS)
Digitechx is a leading provider of DAS systems to the enterprise market. Now more than ever, the enterprise markets rely on our data hungry applications and connectivity. Hospitals, hotels, commercial buildings, stadiums, college campuses and retail shopping malls alike, all need cellular coverage to handle their occupants' data and voice needs. A Digitechx designed DAS network can mitigate these needs. Our solutions range from I DAS ( Indoor DAS) to O Das ( Outdoor DAS) to a combination of Indoor / Outdoor DAS. We have unified solutions, to reduce your entire wireless and low voltage budgets, and maximize your footprint with low overhead solutions.
In Building DAS
It is estimated that 80% of wireless traffic originates or terminates within a building. Despite this, only two percent of commercial buildings have dedicated technology to ensure strong and reliable mobile coverage indoors. With data hungry consumers, this poses a substantial problem, as macro cellular networks are not designed to propagate within most buildings. In Building systems are an essential but mostly overlooked technology that most property owners need to address. Now more than ever, high rise buildings, hotels, campuses, stadiums, malls and crowded public spaces need to consider a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) or an Indoor Small Cell technology.
Historically, a property would have to deploy multiple systems including Wifi, DAS, and public safety. With a Digitechx turn-key solution, building owners can deploy unified system to handle all our client's needs, while reducing capex and overhead. Our systems also reduce head end requirements and space constraints.
Outdoor DAS
Outdoor distributed antenna system solutions enable operators to offer coverage and support capacity requirements in dense areas such as stadiums, malls, campuses and event driven venues. These systems are hi power and hi capacity driven systems, and require flexible platforms to accommodate heavy traffic spikes and extreme capacity issues.
An example of outdoor DAS may be a municipality, that distributes antennae throughout their property or city, and connects to the base station controller, usually with fiber. An outdoor application might consist stealth lamp post strategically located throughout the city to prevent unsightly cell towers, and connect to a single or a cluster of Base Stations to reduce cost and footprint of the head end. Another application may be a stadium that needs to not only improved coverage, but also capacity because of large spikes in traffic during events.
Neutral host systems
A neutral host system is a solution installed by the property owner with access made available to multiple carriers. This type of a system consists of a series of antennas distributed throughout the structure which are all connected to the head end equipment by cable or fiber. The head end equipment distributes the signal out to the antennae, and the antennae broadcast the signal to the cellular device. Carriers will bring their signal to the head end equipment and connect to the system and backhaul to their central office by means of fiber, microwave or by relay to a cell tower.
A neutral host system is generally financed by the building owner or management and space is leased to the carriers. Some of the carriers are willing to pay a small monthly rent to connect to the DAS system if critical mass exists. Although this model has waned for the enterprise-class, some carriers are still willing to pay to play in certain hospitality and hospital markets. Carriers will join the DAS in most cases with BTS only agreements, where they agree to bring in the equipment to connect at their expense, but not pay a monthly lease.
Carrier Funded DAS
Carrier funded DAS models exist where a carrier funds the purchase and installation of the equipment and owns the DAS. They may choose to lease capacity on the system to other carriers to defray some of the costs. These projects are generally large capacity sites such as stadiums, college campuses, large malls, and metropolitan centers.
Enterprise Market
The enterprise market has historically subscribed to the theory that cellular coverage on their property is the burden of the cellular carriers, and not their responsibility. This, however, is not the case anymore. Today's consumer of voice and data demand constant connectivity and they rely on mobile devices for productivity. As 80% of cellular traffic is either originated or terminated within a structure, this is a proclivity that building owners can no longer ignore. In the hospitality industry for example, guests may not rebook if the cellular coverage is bad.
According to the Hotel Business Review, "Ubiquitous cellphone reception does more for hotel owners and operators that make guests happy: it meets the new standard of access to technology that helps retain them. A few years ago, at the dawn of the smartphone age, a landmark survey found that 54 percent of affluent adults aged 35-54 might not re-book at a hotel where cell phone reception was poor."
No longer can hotel owners and management companies ignore the fact that their properties poor coverage, and must shoulder the burden to stay competitive. Hotel properties try to mitigate this phenomenon with WIFI systems. This still falls short of the consumer demand for voice and customers are irritated by the fact that they must pay to get bandwidth comparable to a cellular plan. Furthermore, more than 70% of handsets cannot make a voice call over wifi. The irony of this is a well-planned triple play product such as CommScope's Ion E, which can incorporate a DAS system, wifi and cc tv all in one unit for the cost of a traditional WIFI system.
Signal Source
There are 4 ways to get a signal source. eNode B, Small Cell, Femto Cell, and fiber backhaul. One of the greatest misnomers in the industry is that an enterprise client can use a donor antenna and repeat the cellular carrier's signal, without their expressed written consent. Although these solutions are rather inexpensive, compared to a full-blown DAS system, they require a strong signal, capacity on the targeted Macro site and the carriers must consent. In most cases, the carriers are reluctant to consent to directing traffic to an already planned capacity of a macro site which is usually part of a cluster with careful attention to load balancing. A fiber backhaul solution is usually the desired path for the carriers to bring signal to a neutral host DAS system. This is, however, costlier and a site must qualify in their eyes and represent critical mass for them to allocate budget to each project.
Carrier Negotiations – Site Acquisition
DAS is not a "build it and they come" model, although equipment manufacturers and random integrators would like you to believe that. A project may be too small or not fit with the metrics of a carrier. The process with most of the national cellular carriers is referred to as site acquisition. This is a very comprehensive process and is not without peril. It is important to have the proper representation during this phase or it could be an unmitigated disaster for the property owner.
Each carrier has their own bureaucracy; however, the process is very similar in form. A carrier will first express interest in the project. They determine the market, size of the project, exposure to end users, local capacity on their towers or cluster, and market share. If they are interested in moving forward, the handoff to the RF department and consider what the best way to bring signal, approve budgets and complete the design process. The final step is executing a lease or BTS only agreement with the property owner to connect to the Neutral Host System. After all the administration is complete, the carrier will generally hire a contractor to integrate the system.
Contact Us For A Free Introductory Consultation