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Prose & Poetry - Sir Winston Churchill
Statesman, historian, and biographer (1874-1965), whose five years of war leadership (1940-45) secured him a central place in modern British history.
Churchill is widely considered the greatest political figure in 20th-century Britain. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953. It was an open secret that he would have preferred the Nobel Peace Prize. Churchill's career was anything but predictable: he supported the Zionist movement in Palestine (1921-22), during the Abdication crisis (1926) he was loyal to Edward VIII, and during the 1945 election campaign he tried to brand Labour as a totalitarian party.
'Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, the whole world, including the Unites States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age, made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, "This was their finest hour."' (Churchill in his speech on June 18, 1940)
Winston Churchill was the son of conservative politician Lord Randolph Churchill and his American wife, Jennie Jerome, and a direct descendant from the first Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722). Churchill was at the bottom of his class in school. He attended Harrow and Sandhurst, from which he graduated twentieth in a class of 130. Shortly after his father's death in 1895, he was commissioned in the Fourth Hussars. He soon obtained a leave, and worked during the Cuban war as a reporter for the London Daily Graphic.
"It is better to be making the news than taking it; to be an actor rather than a critic." (from The Malakand Field Force)
From 1896 to 1897 Churchill served as a soldier and journalist in India, and wrote the basis for The Story of the Malakand Field Force (1898). "Writing is an adventure," Churchill once said. "To begin with, it is a toy and amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase it that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public."
In 1898 Churchill fought at the battle of Omdurman in Sudan, depicting his experiences in The River War, an Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan (1899). Churchill's several books dealing with his early career include My African Journey (1908) and My Early Life (1930). Churchill resigned his commission in 1899, and was assigned to cover the Boer War for the London Morning Post. His adventures, capture by the Boers, and a daring escape, made Churchill a celebrity and hero on his return to England in 1900.
In 1900 Churchill was first elected to Parliament. He switched from the Conservatives to the Liberal Party in 1904. In 1908 he married Clementine Ogilvy Hozier, with whom he had one son and three daughters. This relationship brought much happiness and security throughout Churchill's lifetime. Between 1906 and 1911 Churchill served in various governmental posts, and was appointed Lord of the Admiralty in 1911. As Home Secretary (1910-11) he used troops against strikers in South Wales.
After the outbreak of First World War he supported the Dardanelles Campaign, an operation against the Turks. He had encouraged the development of such weapons as the tank, and was generally credited with the British Fleet's preparedness in August 1914. But abortive expeditions to Antwerp and Gallipoli and the failed action at the Dardanelles did great harm to Churchill's reputation and career. Reduced in 1915 to minor office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, he resigned. Churchill rejoined the Army, and rose to the rank of colonel. In 1917 he was appointed Lloyd George's minister of munitions, subsequently becoming the state secretary for war and air (1918-21), and colonial secretary (1921-22). During the post-war years he was active in support of the Whites (anti-Bolsheviks) in Russia.
At the election of 1922 Churchill was defeated as an Anti-Socialist. A rabid anti-Bolshevik, he further alienated critics by a third abortive military expedition - to help the White Russians on the Murman Coast. He left Parliament in 1922, returning to the House in 1924 as a Conservative. From this period he is remembered for his role as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1924-29) for the part he played in defeating the General Strike of 1926 as an opponent of organized labour when the latter came into direct conflict with the principle of public order and government.
Whilst out of office, Churchill began writing The World Crisis, which appeared in six volumes (1923-31). The work was attacked by the eminent poet and critic Herbert Read in English Prose Style (1928). He described Churchill prose as being high-sounding, redundant, falsely eloquent and declamatory, sharing his view with the younger post-war generation of writers who praised the virtues of simplicity. In 1924 Churchill was elected to Parliament, and appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer. Churchill's defence of the gold standard earned him the wrath of the economist John Maynard Keynes, who saw the policy as the cause of deflation, unemployment, and even the General Strike of 1926.
After the Conservative defeat of 1929, Churchill was again out of office. His absence from government lasted a decade. During this time he wrote a four-volume biography of his ancestor, Marlborough: His Life and Times (1933-1938).
"I cannot forecast to you the action of Russia. It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma." (from a radio broadcast, October 1, 1939)
With the outbreak of World War II Churchill was appointed first lord of the Admiralty. On May 10, 1940, he became Prime Minister, and established close ties with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Yalta meeting with Roosevelt and Stalin resulted in the dissection of Europe into opposing political jurisdictions. His strategic misjudgement was blamed for the wartime success of Germany in Africa, Norway, and the Aegean. He had difficulty tolerating Charles de Gaulle, and he told a friend: "Of all the crosses I have to bear, the heaviest is the Cross of Lorraine."
On 8 May Churchill announced the unconditional surrender of Germany. His Conservative party was defeated by the Labour party in the 1945 election, but he continued as Opposition leader in the House of Commons: against Indian independence, and in favour of the United Nations, a unified Europe, and manufacture of the hydrogen bomb.
Churchill emerged from WW II as a national hero, but was out of the office for several years. However, he led the Conservative opposition, and remained active as a political thinker. His history The Second World War appeared in six volumes (1948-54). The work was received with mixed critics, praised for its grandeur, but Volume 2 (the period through 1941) was considered poorly arranged, and Volume 5 (through 1944) seemed to most critics a falling-off from earlier volumes.
"The quality of Churchill's volumes on the Second World War is that of his whole life. His world in built upon the primacy of public over private relationships, upon the supreme value of action, of the battle between simple good and simple evil, between life and death; but, above all, battle." (Isaiah Berlin in The Proper Study of Mankind, 1998)
In 1951 Churchill again became Prime Minister, and was knighted in 1953. Next year he was acclaimed by the Queen and Parliament as 'the greatest living Briton'. Churchill's efforts to bring an end to the first phase of the Cold War by a summit conference between himself, Eisenhower and Stalin (1952-55) turned out to be fruitless. He resigned from the Prime Minister's office in 1955 and was succeeded by Anthony Eden. He had suffered a paralytic stroke a few year before. After his retirement he published the monumental A History of the English-Speaking Peoples (1956-58), which concentrated on politics and war. At Westerham, Kent, Churchill concentrated in painting, masonry, and horse racing. He frequently dictated letters to his secretaries half-dressed and often roamed around his rooms at Chartwell nude when he awoke.
"I am ready to meet my Maker," Churchill said on his 75th birthday. "Whether my Maker is prepared for the ordeal of meeting me is another matter." Churchill died on January 24, 1965, after suffering cerebral thrombosis. Later historians have been critical of Churchill's actions and relationships with world leaders, and the opening of British government files in the 1980s have brought new material into daylight. The conviction that Churchill was among the most important men in modern history has remained unchanged.
Article contributed by Petri Liukkonen, website Author's Calendar.
A "listening post" was an advanced post, usually in no-man's land, where soldiers tried to find out information about the enemy.
- Did you know?


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Halloween season is the perfect time to pick up a new horror game. There's nothing like immersing yourself in an interactive spooky story to get you in the mood. Whether you like to get your thrills and chills alone or with friends, there's a perfect horror game for your console. From classics like Silent Hill to iconic series like Resident Evil, the creepy possibilities are endless.
There's a wide variety of horror types available in games. The most popular ones include survival horror, psychological horror and sci-fi horror. If you enjoy puzzles and jumpscares, survival horror is a great way to go. Sci-fi horror often features villains like zombies and aliens. These tend to have quality storylines as well. Psychological horror is great for getting deep into your head, but those games may be best to play with friends.
Some horror games are a lot more intense than others. Some primarily feature jump scares, while others are heavy and psychological or gory and bloody. It's important to take into consideration the level of horror you're going for when choosing the best one for you to get into. Otherwise, you may get in over your head. If you're unsure if a game is going to be too intense for you, consider playing it with a friend first or leaving the lights on the first time.
Most horror games are either designed to be played alone and with friends, but there are a few rare gems that allow you both options. These are usually online co-op horror games. These are a lot of fun to play with your gamer friends from all over the world, especially ones that allow you to terrify each other.
There are also multiplayer horror games for PS4, Xbox One and other consoles for playing in person with your friends. You can help each other survive or try to kill one another. Single-player games can intensify the spookiness and tenseness as well when you're all by yourself.
This can make a huge difference in the fear level. The first-person point of view puts you right up close with the action. You can't see anyone sneaking up behind you. These elements greatly increase the terror. The third-person perspective gives you a little bit more distance from the situation but lets you see more of the world. First person is better suited for jump-scare-centric horror games, while third person is great for puzzle games and exploration-based experiences.
Until dawn is an interactive drama horror game set in third person. It takes place at a lodge in Black Water Mountain. The player controls eight characters and makes impossible life-threatening decisions. The realistic gameplay makes the game intense and shocking. It's available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
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If you're looking for intense, visceral horror, this is the game for you. This game is set in a rural mansion through a first-person perspective to keep the horror up close and personal. It features puzzles and a tense atmosphere to heighten the experience of trying to survive. It's available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
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This classic horror game is reimagined for a new audience. It offers a realistic horror survival scenario in which you must explore the world and discover secrets of the haunted past. Your goal is to remain stealthy and distract your enemies from discovering your presence at all costs. This single-player experience hosts a deeply chilling atmosphere designed to stay with you long after you turn the game off. It's available on PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One.
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This online co-op horror game traps you on a map as either a survivor or a killer. Survivors play in third person, while killers operate in first person. You can play alone or with friends, whether you want to help them or make them terrified for their virtual lives. You can buy expansions that feature other classic horror characters, such as Micheal Myers and Cheryl Mason. It's available on a variety of platforms, including PC, Nintendo Switch and PS4.
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This is another survival horror game set on a decommissioned training station in space. You play as Amanda Ripley 15 years after the events of Alien. You must scavenge resources and improvise solutions as you search for her mother. It's available on PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360.
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This Lovecraftian story is creepy and deeply psychological. The game's mechanics are designed to make you doubt your senses and sanity. You develop your character's abilities and skills to discover the truth of the open exploration world, all while facing horrors and monsters. It's available on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One.
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This is a heavy psychological horror game that's grim and filled with mind-boggling puzzles. It takes place in a mirrored version of our known reality in which secrets and evil urges take on physical form. Discover lost paths and long-buried memories of the dark past. This game contains heavy themes and violence. It's available on PS5 and Xbox Series X.
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If you're a fan of Left 4 Dead, you'll love Back 4 Blood. It's a four-person co-op game in which you must work together to survive increasingly challenging missions unless you choose to fight against each other instead. You have access to a wide range of cool lethal weapons to combine for endless unique surviving experiences. It's available on PS4, PS5 and Xbox Series X.
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subset: commoncrawl


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May 27, 2011
American Women In Sailing Story Project
Welcome to the debut of our American Women In Sailing Story Project.
The Story Project has been initiated to collect and make public the rich collection of stories of American Women in Sailing. The collection will include films & videos, written and audio-recorded narratives, as well as photo galleries.
If you have a story you'd like to share with the American Women In Sailing Story Project, please contact Lee Tawney .
The Mrs. Charles Frances Adams Trophy - The Adams Cup Women's Championship
The Adams Cup was the competition for the United States Women's Sailing Championship. First held in 1924, it was organized by US Sailing and was raced annually until 2011.
The National Sailing Hall of Fame has partnered with The Gowrie Group to collect and archive Adams Cup stories and memories, as well as work toward organizing reunions of its participants. Learn more about the Adams Cup.
Visit our Adams Cup Facebook page.
"Uncharted Waters" - a Nine for IX Shorts on ESPNW
A short documentary on the America3 - an all-female team bidding to win the 1995 America's Cup. This team was the idea and was backed by 1992 America's Cup winner Bill Koch.
"WIMRA - Driving Women's Match to 2012"
An exciting preview of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which for the first time will feature Women's Match Racing. Take a look at the team the US has put together, and what they'll be up against.
Video: 47 minutes.
"The Story of the Salty Sisters" (1951 - present)
In the fall of 1951, a group of 10 women, all wives of St. Petersburg Yacht Club members, formed a new sailing group at SPYC known as the Salty Sisters.
From just 10 members at the beginning, their comaraderie and racing exploits quickly attracted new members and sister groups at neighboring yacht clubs, which fostered a series of annual regattas known for their fierce competition.
Click here to read more about the Salty Sisters.
Or you can jump ahead and read the entire story of the Salty Sisters by clicking here (PDF 2.3mb).
Written narrative with photos. 4 pages.
"The Story of Mary Patten" (1857)
Mary Patten was a nineteen year old and four months pregnant when her husband collapsed in a storm as they approached Cape Horn.
Since no other member of the crew could navigate, she took command of the vessel, a clipper ship the size of the Cutty Sark, and sailed her around the Horn to San Francisco.
Written narrative: 1 page. This story is also part of our Learning American History Through Sailing Initiative .
"Rocking the Boat: Women Race for the America's Cup" (1994)
A 1994 Lifetime documentary chronicling the story of the women of America 3 - the first all-female team to race for the America's Cup. Hosted by Christie Brinkley.
Video: 46 minutes.
"The Women of America 3 " - Chevy Commercial (1995)
Chevrolet was a sponsor of the 1995 America's Cup, and broadcast this commercial to introduce the nation to the all-women America 3 Team.
Video: 30 seconds.
Preserving America's Sailing Legacy
Engaging Sailing's Next Generation
Stay Connected to the National Sailing Hall of Fame


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The Epidemic Of Sedentary Behavior
"I never worry about action, but only about inaction." — Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill was right: Experts are saying sedentary behavior is an epidemic, with the resulting health effects potentially devastating.
Lack of muscular activity is associated with higher incidence of obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer, as well as a heightened risk of death. And this is regardless of one's level of structured physical exercise, according to the authors of an article published [recently] in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The team from Stockholm, Sweden, says that sedentary behavior has become synonymous with lack of exercise, but that this is inaccurate and misleading. Rather, sedentary behavior should be defined as whole body muscular inactivity. Read more »


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Neurological disorders is a catch-all term that includes medically complex diseases that attack the body's central nervous system. Diseases such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Lou Gehrig's disease, commonly called ALS, require specialized treatment plans. Our hospital uses a team approach to provide patients with an individualized plan that meets those specific needs. The team is made up of an independent private practice physician working in conjunction with a HealthSouth rehabilitation nurse, respiratory therapist, dietician, case manager, physical therapist, occupational therapist and speech/language and speech/language pathologist.
Our therapy team works with each patient and his/her doctor to assess what debilities can be improved with therapy. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the patient's doctor may refer the patient for inpatient rehabilitation (overnight hospital stay) or outpatient therapy (daily visits to the hospital).
In either situation, rehabilitation can address a number of issues including:
Join us for a virtual tour of our hospital where you will see our patient rooms, exercise facilities, and more. You can also set up a personal tour by calling our hospital.
Learn more »
You don't want to say you enjoy a hospital stay because certainly you don't enjoy it, but I knew he was well cared for.
Other patient testimonials »
Contact us to learn more about our rehabilitation programs or to set up a tour at our hospital.


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The local brewery has been transformed into a mixed-use development complete with office, residential, and retail space as well as a spa hotel. The Google offices take up a large portion of said space, reflecting the company's rapid expansion. But nobody wants a cramped work environment with no personality so Google handed over the reigns to the Camenzind Evolution team, who were tasked with something completely original for the Zooglers.
Despite the fact that Google is one of the best-funded companies on the planet, both time and budget were constrained, so the designers had to be creative. They incorporated small and heterogeneous pods for smaller office space, thereby maximizing efficiency, and created open plans for larger collaborative areas. Also, by using glass to demarcate boundaries – and allowing plenty of daylight to pulse through this lively environment – Camenzind gave energy consumption the chop. And finally, because everybody needs to breathe, a healthy dose of greenery has been scattered throughout.
+ Camenzind Evolution
Via Architizer


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- Premium grained leather / suede
- LWG Leather working group certificate
- Coolmax lining
- 100% recycled polyester laces
- Hiking lace details
- Rubber outsole
- Antibacterial memory foam in-sock
- Padded heel counter
- Logo on tongue
Coolmax lining move moisture away from your body, keeping you cool and comfortable.
* ArneFlex: 100% breathable and antibacterial insoles. ArneFlex insoles provide long-lasting comfort, breathability, and shock absorption. They ensure comfort and healthy feet. Besides improving the breathability these insoles also minimize unwanted odors.
ArneFlex is a polyurethane foam made of 100% recycled materials. The foam is breathable, anti-bacterial and anti-static and has carbon as its key component. Carbon is a vegetable substance that absorbs, chemicals, gases, heavy metals, proteins, waste and toxins and is used as an antibacterial. In addition, breathability and absorption are properties that allow to eliminate moisture and unwanted odors.
ArneFlex insoles are made with Ergo Comfort - a system that places the foot load on the heel area, allow the sole to rest and also gives shock absorption while standing, walking and running.


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Rockies Spring Training Tickets
We are the Lowest Total Price. We scan dozens of competitors daily to ensure we have the cheapest total price after shipping and service fees are included.
Last price scan: Jan 19, 12:48pm EST. Report lower price.
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Colorado Springs Pueblo |
- Colorado Rockies Spring Training Ordering Information -
- 2024 Colorado Rockies Spring Training Schedules Information -
- More MLB Baseball Tickets -


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Welcome to the home page of the Quality Inn Colonial, a local leader in Bendigo motel accommodation. We offer comfortable, clean and convenient Bendigo accommodation that's perfect for families and business travellers. Our friendly and professional staff make each and every guest feel welcome and well taken care of.
The Quality Inn Colonial is perfectly located in the heart of Bendigo on High Street. Only a few short minutes away from the city centre, we are situated in an incredibly quiet and peaceful part of town. Bendigo Stadium is also nearby for any sporting events or corporate functions. Explore the best that Bendigo has to offer from our front doorstep. The Quality Inn Colonial has the best location out of all the hotels in Bendigo.


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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Don't be shocked if you can't find your favorite salad dressing or mouthwash on your next trip to Wal-Mart.
Large retailers -- including Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), the world's biggest -- are wrestling with having too many types of brand-name products. At the same time, shoppers are buying less and looking for bargains.
So unless a particular brand is a top seller in its category, it's getting knocked off the shelf -- and sometimes getting replaced by a cheaper store brand.
For example, Wal-Mart recently removed Glad and Hefty-branded storage bags from shelves, replacing them with its own lower-priced Great Value brand, according to the parent companies of both products.
In the case of Hefty, parent Pactiv Corp. (PTV) told CNNMoney.com that Wal-Mart reversed its decision, and will return its products to shelves this spring -- after Pactiv agreed to make the Great Value bags that will sell alongside the competing Hefty product.
"Hefty was off Wal-Mart's shelves, but we are being brought back," said Matt Gonring, spokesman for Pactiv Corp.
Bill Pecoriello, CEO of market research firm ConsumerEdge Research, expects Wal-Mart and other sellers will trim several name-brands across categories in coming months, or negotiate deals to get better pricing.
According to Pecoriello, those categories at greatest risk of losing brands are everyday-type purchases such as household products, toiletries and food staples.
These are also categories in which retailers have aggressively pushed their own house brands.
"If you consider the economics of this, if Wal-Mart can build customer loyalty for its own brand, which is also cheaper-priced and cheaper to stock than name-brands, then it will," he said.
Moves such as this are significant given Wal-Mart's heavyweight status in the retail industry.
"Any change that Wal-Mart makes with its product assortment has enormous implications for the entire industry," said Ali Dibadj, senior analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.
Wal-Mart declined comment for this story.
Wal-Mart is not the only one doing this, according to Dibadj. He says leading drug store chains, including CVS and Walgreens, grocers such as Kroger (KR, Fortune 500), and Wal-Mart's rival discounter, Target (TGT, Fortune 500), are also looking to simplify their store shelves.
In good economic times, product variety is a must for retailers. But in down times, when shoppers aren't buying much, variety can be a burden.
"Wal-Mart's a little fed up," said Lora Cecera, retail expert and partner at strategy consulting firm Altimeter Group. "I think the feeling is that as these companies keep extending their [product] lines, it's only causing confusion for shoppers and not really driving them to buy more products."
As a consumer, she asked, "Do I really need to decide between 15 different types of toothpaste when I go to a store?"
Dawn Willoughby, vice president-general manager of Glad brand for the Clorox Co. (CLX, Fortune 500), agreed.
"On an industry level, we've been talking about simplifying product assortment for a long time," said Willoughby. "If you walk into a Wal-Mart or another large retail chain, there are so many products on shelves that it does make it harder to shop."
Besides cutting clutter, industry experts say Wal-Mart and other retailers are looking for more lucrative deals from suppliers on both prices and advertising.
In one recent example, according to published reports, Wal-Mart removed Arm & Hammer liquid laundry detergent from most of its stores. But the discounter brought back the product after Arm & Hammer boosted its advertising for the product at Wal-Mart.
Arm & Hammer parent Church & Dwight (CHD) did not return calls for comment. Other consumer product makers -- including Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble -- either declined comment or did not return calls.
Said Dibadj, "Perhaps one consideration in which product to cut is based on which company gives [Wal-Mart] the best deal."
Citing the Hefty example, he said "these threats can become quite aggressive, such as delisting and subsequent relisting after a compromise.
Altimeter Group's Cecera believes consumers stand to win from the retailers' moves.
"In this recession, consumers have certainly become less discriminating with what they buy," said Cecera. "Consumers have rushed to value prices, and they are buying generic brands."
She said retailers' own brands have grown their market share by between 2% to 6%.
This newfound affection for store brands is "sticking," said Dibadj. He cites his firm's recent survey finding that 77% of consumers who traded down to less expensive private label products are happy with their decision.
Talkback: Are you about to become ineligible for federal unemployment benefits? What will you do if Congress doesn't extend the deadline to apply for additional benefits? E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com and you could be part of an upcoming story.
Index | Last | Change | % Change |
Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
Company | Price | Change | % Change |
Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More |
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More |
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More |
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More |
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More |


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Richard Hadlock Annals of Jazz Collection
The Richard Hadlock Annals of Jazz Collection consists of selected tapes from jazz historian and educator Richard Hadlock's venerable radio series Annals of Jazz, as broadcast on radio station KCSM in San Mateo, California from 1982-1991. Hadlock, a musician, publisher (Record Changer magazine) and author (Downbeat, Metronome and the book Jazz Masters of the Twenties), began Annals of Jazz on KJAZ in 1959, followed by eighteen years at KQED, and has been at KCSM for over twenty years. The tapes in this collection appear to have originated at KQED but were labeled and numbered by KCSM with new air dates. The programs examine musicians, composers, performance styles, movements, and instrumentation, largely from the classic era before free jazz, jazz rock and fusion became prevalent. Outside of Hadlock's commentary, the series contains little unpublished content, although there is an interview with clarinetist Bob Helm from 1984 (which aired on KCSM 5/6/89).
This collection has been processed with generous financial support from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission.


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Title: Constitutional Renaissance
Author: Richard Monts
Publisher: XLibrisUS
Genre: Political Science/Government
Format: Ebook
Have you had enough? When will the United States government stop growing? All constitutionally enumerated activities should have been in place long ago. There should be no more expansion in scope, yet there is. What we have now is an overbearing out-of-control central government—expanding far beyond constitutional limits—imposing on member states' sovereignty. The result is a reduction in competition among states, a stifling business environment, and citizens and businesses suffering under complex taxation and regulations. On top of that, a litigious environment depresses economic activity further. There is an alternative! This book presents one that is very business friendly, establishes competition among the states, and provides a positive environment for the individual to strive for their potential while honoring the genius of the Constitution.
Mr. Monts has been concerned about continued expansion of the United States government since the Kennedy administration. He deferred to others, constitutional and legal experts galore, for the correct interpretation of the Constitution. He assumed they were right. During the Affordable Care Act discussions, he had heard enough. He determined to answer two questions to his own satisfaction. First, what is the role of the United States government? Second, what is the best environment for the individual to realize their own potential? After reading the Constitution and other contemporary writings, using his own common sense, putting intellectual integrity and honesty before ideology, ignoring case law, using correct meanings of critical words, he had his answers. The results are in this book.
Monday, November 20
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Opening of Binghamton University Confucius Institute offers new campus and community cultural, language opportunities
BINGHAMTON, NY — Binghamton University will officially open its latest global partnership initiative, the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera, in an opening celebration scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday, November 6, in the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts. The festivities, which are free and open to the public, will be followed by an opera performance by a troupe from China's prestigious National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts (NACTA).
Jointly formed by Binghamton University and NACTA, and sponsored by the Confucius Institute headquarters in Beijing, China, the Confucius Institute of Chinese Opera at Binghamton University is expected to further international education and cultural ties with China.
"We are tremendously excited about the opening of the Confucius Institute at Binghamton University," said President Lois B. DeFleur. "We are looking forward to the intellectual discoveries, artistic performances and cultural bridges that will develop out of this relationship. The Confucius Institute is a noteworthy addition to the University and will enrich the academic and cultural life of both the University and the entire Greater Binghamton region."
Joining a network of over 300 Confucius Institutes worldwide, the Binghamton University institute will promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture both on campus and in the community.
"The opening of the Confucius Institute at Binghamton is a great opportunity for the University and our community," said Zu-yan Chen, who will serve as the University's Confucius Institute director. "It is built upon a strong foundation of teaching in Chinese language and culture on our campus as well as a rapidly growing interest in Chinese language in local schools. China has become a major player in the world economy and there is a growing need for American students to be fully prepared to participate fully in this environment. The Confucius Institute will allow us to deepen those experiences by serving as a bridge between our cultures."
Funded by a start-up grant and the assurance of ongoing financial support, and a large selection of books and audio-visual materials from the institute's headquarters, coupled with teaching resources from NACTA, the Confucius Institute will offer courses on the Binghamton campus as well as organize lectures, workshops and a range of cultural activities. As host to the only performance group in the United States to feature Beijing Opera artists, the Confucius Institute at Binghamton University is expected play a major role in the promotion of Chinese opera, performing arts, and culture on college campuses and in communities nationwide.
In fall 2010, NACTA is expected to send five faculty members to the Binghamton campus – two language teachers, two Beijing opera professors, and a Chinese instrumental musician. They will join faculty in Asian and Asian American Studies program, the Theater Department and the Music Department in expanding course offerings and Chinese cultural activities. One of the language teachers is expected to assist with the development of a Chinese program at Broome Community College. Preparations concerning specific course offerings and other activities will begin in earnest during the spring 2010 semester.


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The Adena people were the first Native Americans to build ceremonial mounds. In other parts of the world, ceremonial burials had occurred much earlier. The Egyptian pyramids date to 2700 BCE; in England, stone chambers called barrows were used as early as 2000 BCE; between 1700 and 1400 BCE, keirgans were used in central Siberia; and the burial mounds of the Choo Dynasty in northern China date to 1000 BCE.
We know little about how or why the mounds were built. Historian Otis Rice suggests these early Americans "built mounds over the remains of chiefs, shamans, priests, and other honored dead." For their "common folk," the Adenas cremated the dead bodies, placing the remains in small log tombs on the surface of the ground. Virtually all of these graves have been destroyed by nature and later settlement. Therefore, the more substantial mounds are our only physical records of Adena burials.
Grave Creek Mound
The Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville (Marshall County) is
the largest conical type burial mound in the United States,
approched in size by only the Miamisburg, Ohio mound. The mound, 62 feet high and 240 feet in diameter,
contains approximately 57,000 tons of dirt and originally stood
nearly 70 feet high. The digging of so much earth left a sizeable
moat or ditch surrounding the mound, no longer in existence. By
testing the soil, archaeologists estimate the mound was built
between 250 and 150 BCE by the Adena culture, which occupied the
area from about 1000 BCE to 200 CE. The mound and two forts were
the essential features of an Adena village in the shape of a
triangle. "The mound construction probably began with the death of
a very important person. There is no way to know who this person
was -- great warrior, chieftain or religious leader. We know that
25-30 years later another important personage died and his remains
were placed in an 8 by 12 foot vault on the top of the mound when
it was approximately 35 feet high. The natives then covered this
with dirt until the mound reached its maximum height."1
The first person of European descent to discover the mound was early settler Joseph Tomlinson, who literally stumbled off the top while hunting in 1770. In 1838, descendants Jesse and Abelard Tomlinson, and Thomas Briggs gutted the mound, destroying much of the archaeological evidence provided by the scientific study of other mounds. Tunneling from the side and top, the two men discovered a burial chamber in the center containing two skeletons and large amount of jewelry and another room with one skeleton and jewelry. Tomlinson opened the center chamber as a museum, charging 25 cents admission. Five years later, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft mapped the area. In 1909, the state acquired possession of the mound, placing it under the care of West Virginia Penitentiary warden M. S. White. In 1975, Dr. E. Thomas Hemmings of the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey conducted the first scientific excavation of the area, locating among other items the previous existence of a moat. During the last two hundred years, the top of the mound has been home to a saloon, dance platform, and artillery pieces during the Civil War. Today, the state operates the Grave Creek Mound State Park and Delf Norona Museum and Culture Center, featuring numerous Native American artifacts from the mound and region.2
Criel Mound
The Criel Mound in South Charleston is the largest of
approximately fifty conical type mounds of the Adena culture in an
area west of Charleston extending to Institute. The precise age of the Criel Mound is unknown,
but archaeologists believe it dates to the time of the Grave Creek
Mound in Moundsville, probably built between 250 and 150 BCE. It
was the burial ground for an Indian village located on the site of
the city of South Charleston some 2,000 years ago. It is unknown
when the village disappeared, although some have suggested it
remained until as late as 1650 CE In West Virginia, the 35-foot
high and 175-foot diameter Criel Mound is exceeded in size only by
the Grave Creek Mound.3
The Criel Mound was first excavated by Professor P. W. Norris of the Smithsonian Institute in 1883 and 1884. Tunneling from the top down, the archaeologists discovered the following:
At the depth of 3 feet, in the center of the shaft, some human bones were discovered, doubtless parts of a skeleton said to have been dug up before or at the time of the construction of the judges' stand. At the depth of 4 feet, in a bed of hard earth composed of mixed clay and ashes, were two skeletons, both lying extended on their backs, heads south, and feet near the center of the shaft. Near the heads lay two celts, two stone hoes, one lance head, and two disks.4
As they dug to a depth of 31 feet, numerous other skeletons were found, including a burial vault containing the remains of eleven Native Americans thought to have been killed in battle. There was also evidence that some may have been buried alive. As was the custom, various jewelry and weapons were placed in the buried vaults. Today, all the artifacts and skeleton remains are maintained at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.5
1. History of Marshall County West Virginia 1984 (Marshall County Historical Society, 1984), 6.
2. History of Marshall County West Virginia 1984, 6-7; Phil Conley and William Thomas Doherty, West Virginia History (Charleston: Education Foundation, Inc., 1974), 51-52.
3. Stephen B. Preston, "An Introduction to the Mound Builders and the Criel Mound, `D' Street, South Charleston," in J. Alfred Poe and Albert Giles, "The History of South Charleston, West Virginia, Volume I," (hereafter Preston, "Mound Builders"), 16, 18.
4. "Ancient Works Near Charleston," U. S. Bureau of Ethnology, Twelfth Annual Report, 1890-91 (Washington, D.C.), as quoted in Preston, "Mound Builders," 14.
5. Phil Conley and William Thomas Doherty, West Virginia History (Charleston: Education Foundation, Inc., 1974), 52-53; Otis K. Rice, West Virginia: A History (Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1985), 5-6.


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With a sentiment for the sound of Disco and Deep House, Mario Basanov rose to popularity alongside his production partner, Vidmantas Cepkauskas (Vidis), with acclaimed underground hits such as I'll Be Gone, Who's Shot the Silence and Changed.
The duo's subsequent album, alongside various solo releases and remixes, led Basanov to universal plaudits and a Producer of the Year award in his home country of Lithuania. With his reputation as a DJ and producer forever increasing, Basanov now spreads his wings further still with the release of a debut solo album, Journey. Breaking through Dance music's self-imposed boundaries, its 16 cuts demonstrate a genre-defying versatility that points towards an even brighter future.
Are you proud to be one of the few well-known producers from Lithuania?
"Yes, extremely. Although I don't forget that there are better producers than me, not only in Lithuania, but all over the world.
How did your interest in DJing develop?
"Previously, I was only making music. However, after working with Vidis I felt the need to promote my own music to the world - not only through the records, but through live performances as well. It was Vidis that suggested I try DJing. I liked the idea and after practicing at home I moved to the dancefloor. Currently, I spend most of my time playing DJ sets all around the world. It gives me new thoughts and fresh ideas, which are later transformed into music. The audience inspires me and allows me to experience sensations that lead to new ideas and creativity. "
Do you use vinyl, or are you 100% digital now?
"Right now I play only with CDs, even though at home I have turntables. I also collect records as they have far more lasting value than CDs. When travelling it is just more convenient for me to carry a CD case or USB with stored music. Not all music is released on vinyl, so I have to use CDs anyway."
Do you try to slip your own music into the set?
"Of course! I love seeing how people react to my music! I often play unreleased tracks so that I can improve them later in the studio. I hear how these tracks affect the crowd and I pay attention to the technical nuances as well. You can often discover from the dancefloor what should be improved from the technical side in order to get the best sound quality and technical performance."
What mood do you create with your DJ sets? Do you react to the audience, or is it more pre-planned?
"My moods are very different when I DJ and mostly depend on the crowd and the venue I play at. I also take into account the country and its market. I try not to become too accommodating; although to each audience I give my version of what I think they believe is trendy and makes them move. Sometimes I try to prepare for my sets in advance. I put down a playlist in my mind, but the reaction of the audience usually leads me to change the process. I can't remain indifferent to the crowd's reaction, because I play for them and my task is to fascinate those who come to see me DJ."
What have been your favourite locations to DJ?
"I really enjoy playing in Berlin, because the audience understands good music. I also loved playing in Brazil. I can't single out certain locations as it depends on many things. I enjoy playing where people come to listen to what you do on stage, instead of having an indifferent attitude."
How did you get involved with producer Vidmantas Cepkauskas?
"When I was working as a producer, my friends suggested that I should collaborate with Vidis. He was also looking for somebody who might help him to make music. We started right away, it was all quite spontaneous. After meeting and working together at the studio we soon realised that we complemented each other. We are constantly looking for new solutions and ideas to implement into the music."
You collaborated together on the album Changed, were you surprised by its underground success?
"I demand a lot from myself. Even though I cannot predict success or failure, as a producer I want to be listened to and understood. I give a lot of energy to everything I do, and take my work very seriously. Therefore, I believe that the quality of my music will be always valued."
Can you tell us about the concept or inspiration behind your debut solo album, Journey?
"For 15 years I produced music, but only recently did I feel ready to release a solo album. The ideas were collected one after the other until the time came when I felt ready to present a serious product to the world. The album title is not accidental - it is like the soundtrack to my life. The musical arrangements are the real journey; some tracks have already been released and are well known to listeners, but on this album they have a new colour. Other tracks were made specifically for the album. Journey has its own start, prelude and a separate end and is available on vinyl for DJs as it contains extended versions. Without doubt there will be a digital version too."
For a Dance record, the album features quite an eclectic range of songs, was that the plan?
"Part of the idea was for the album tracks to be very different in nature. Maybe it was not always deliberate, but it certainly went in that direction. I was not trying to unify it. On the contrary, I wanted to create more colours and styles. I am very versatile, and was trying to reveal that versatility through the songs on the album. One half of the album is slow tempo and the other is fast."
What can you tell us about the featured vocalists?
"The vocals certainly provided more soulful colours. All vocalists who were recorded for the songs are wonderful with different personalities and vocal styles. Surprisingly, every time I was making an instrumental version of a track I received invitations from another vocalist to produce the track together.n such cases, I was sending them instrumental versions and continued to work on the track after the vocals were recorded; together with their vocal parts they were bringing new ideas for the arrangements to the table.
"On Journey we have vocal contributions from Miss Bee, Minalga, Edwin Williamson, Athena Radford, Stee Downes, Rahjwanti, and Jazzu. It's difficult to say why I chose one vocalist over another on certain tracks; I think it had something to do with musical intuition."
Is the lyrical content left to the vocalist, or do you like to guide them into a theme?
"Completely, I gave total freedom to which ever vocalist I happened to be working with. Only by having total freedom to write their lyrics can a vocalist sing with feeling, emotion and meaning, and impart that with their voice to allow the listener to fully perceive their capabilities as a vocalist and the emotions they choose to express on the track."
Were the vocals recorded in your studio, or were they sent electronically to you?
"Most of the vocalists were sending me recorded vocals and we later discussed what needed to be revised and rewritten. Some of them, like Jazzu, Minalga and Edwin Williamson, had the possibility to come to my studio where we could work together. If I could, I think I would rather participate in the ocal recording of each singer, but these circumstances are not always possible. Vocal recording is very important and I often tell vocalists what kind of melodic twists and style I want."
Do you work on the music at a home studio?
"My studio is separate from my home. I don't want to take my studio work back home because I believe I will never have time for a personal life. At the moment I have expanded my studio. I have lots of new machines that need space. Acoustics are also very important, and I would probably fail to implement that at home. It's nice to have an independent workplace and I often grab new ideas while travelling to the studio."
I know you like to use a lot of synth hardware, what are your favourites?
"I have a vast array of synthesizers, both soft and hardware. Some of my favourites include the Dave Smith Prophet '08; I think its sound is very well suited to Disco music. It has very good bass and especially good brass synth sounds, which is exactly what you need for Nu-Disco. I also have a Moog Voyager - a super analogue mono synth. It has fantastic lead and bass timbres. The Vermona MARS has a really weird and original sound and an easy to use editor. It's good that it's not very popular, so the sound is always original. The Waldorf Pulse and Microwave are my latest purchases, and I really did not expect I would use them so much! The last four tracks on my album are produced almost exclusively with these machines.
"My current favourite is the ARP Odyssey; you can't confuse it with other synthesizers. Maybe it's not used everywhere, but the sound seems to be extremely widespread. And finally, my good old Soviet synthesizers: the Aelita and Polyvox. Of course they're not German quality, but they still sound really interesting. Occasionally I use those strange, noisy sounds they produce."
And software?
"The most popular software stuff I like to use is FXpansion's DCAM: Synth Squad. I like to really explore this one. It is one of the things that, without exception, I can always end up finding great arp and bass sounds in, and it has a very user-friendly editor. Sylenth is already such a soft synth classic, too. You can find everything you want in there, from good pad leads to percussion."
Tell me about your production - what editing toolsare you using at the moment?
"I produce my music with Cubase 6.5 and have been using Steinberg's products for about the best part of 15 years. In this time I have created lots of handy shortcuts that I use, so I am really fast while making music with this software. Overall I think that the best programmes to make music with are Cubase and Logic. I would also say that Ableton Live is extremely convenient to use, but when it comes to pure sound quality, it falls behind. So I do not plan to change to using any other programmes for my main production work at the moment. I'd also say that, without exception, my mixing and mastering is done using an Avalon VT-747SP tube compressor and TC Electronic's Finalizer 96K. I think that they just have a great sound to them."
What about monitors? Are they customed to fit your environment, or is it more a case of allowing your ears to adjust to them?
"Currently I use Quested S7 speakers for monitoring, which are just perfect. I think they are the best out there. The rest I leave to what is given to man by nature - my ears. Technique is not as perfect as the human ear, which always tells you exactly how much you need, what you need, and when you need it. My musical intuition, along with my hearing, rarely disappoints me."
Do you collect and use a lot of plug-ins?
"Yes, I use Wave plug-ins a lot. They help to process the sounds that I have really well. Of course, the aforementioned FXpansion's Synth Squad is great. It has four synths and two of them have great data banks of arps. It gives me a lot of opportunity to pull out nice timbres, and I can create some very special sounds with those. I would say that I'm not a physicist; I'm a musician. I can't explain everything in numbers, but I strongly recommend testing these plug-ins as they are fantastic!"
Do the ideas come quickly to you?
"Sometimes it seems that I am the idea myself, so I do not need to stick with a new idea for too long. The most important thing for me is to catch the right mood and then let the work run free. Often I can make a track through the night, but the next daywhen listening back to it with a fresh mind I need to make corrections. Sometimes after I hear a song or melody, I already know what my next track will be. Somehow my senses are aroused, and that helps the music flow much more freely."
How do you go about sourcing sounds for the album? Do you work with custom sounds to begin with, or collect a library of sounds over a period of time with the intention of using them?
"Sounds appear in the same way as ideas. Every mood or thought needs a separate sound that is able to convey it. So while making music, I like to look for colours and timbres that together create the process of making music. Every sound is individual. Sometimes while hearing a certain timbre I know what melodic lines I could use it for, the style, and how they can tie in with other sounds and their order of importance. Of course, over the many years I have collected a considerable library of sounds, so I often use sounds I already have. I prefer analogue sounds as it's highly important that the sounds I use are as real-sounding as possible - it gives the music a sense of certainty and completeness."
Do you EQ as you go along? How much of that is left to the mixing process?
"I always mix the track while making the music - that way I can hear everything as a whole and decide whether it has the right musical timbres and sounds or if it is lacking in something. I master the tracks at the end, which is where I put my amp compressors to work. Right now, everything is mixed in the box."
What is your most essential piece of studio equipment right now?
"My Avalon VT-747SP tube compressor. I am doing my mastering with Avalon right now. What I really like about it is that it has this warm colour to it. It also has an amazing EQ that helps me when mastering, especially when I'm dealing with higher frequencies. I want to keep my Avalon for mixing and I soon be mastering with a Tube-Tech LCA 2A, which is arriving shortly. Working with this hardware you get the quality you need, and the harmonics to expand the sound. For example, when playing the piano, all the notes vibrate; it's called overtones. It's the same with hardware; you get lots of extrinsic sounds that expand the overall harmonics of your music."
What equipment would you like to add to the studio?
"A Buchla or ARP 2600. Buchla is my dream, but it's currently too expensive. The ARP is moderate in price and I really want to have it. I remember when I was working with a soft version of it; I could pull out lots of things, so it's not hard to imagine what I could do with the hardware. I'm also waiting for the arrival of a Korg Synthe-Bass, Korg Poly 800 and a customised 42-channel Soundcraft 600 mixer console that's been modified by a very famous Italian sound engineer! I want to change to Soundcraft 600 for audio mixing. I want to buy three RME Fireface 800 sound cards, link them and have 16 inputs and outputs - then connect them to the console and do mixing through it.
"It would be nice, for example, to connect the mixer to a Studer Tape Machine. If I could combine everything, like analogue synths, tube compressors, analogue mixers and tape machines, I could extract some truly luxurious sounds, which is a rare thing in Dance music. There are a lot of artists with extremely poor sound. I don't think they care about how important it is. The leaders for me are people Metro Area, Owusu & Hannibal, Jazzanova and Todd Terje. I want to follow their example."
What would you say is the most satisfying aspect of making music?
"I think that creation is the most pleasing element. After all, making music is a way of life. I live for the process and it gives me the greatest pleasure. There is nothing more enjoyable than working in my studio all fired up with ideas that I can then turn into sounds. The final version is also important, but the creative process is much more important to me. When a track is completed it's given over to the audience, although during that time I'm already working on new tracks or remixes."
What is your priority as an artist - to DJ, remix or focus on your own music?
"Hard to say. I love what I do. I couldn't just be a DJ. I need to release my thoughts and turn them into sounds. However, it is extremely pleasing to watch the crowd and how they respond to my music. Remixes have their charm as well. I feel it is like giving the same person a new look, as if to dye his hair, change his haircut or dress him with some other set of clothes.
"With remixes I have the opportunity to give new colour or mood to a track that has already been made. Nevertheless, I can put a tiny piece of myselfin there. It might sound strange, but I'd love to make a remix or just work with Kylie Minogue. She is not only a great singer, but I also love her attitude and understanding of music."
Is DJing a financial requirement in the Dance music domain? Would you prefer to focus strictly on the music if you could make a living from that?
"I love DJing, playing DJ sets give me new ideas for my work. It's not just for financial terms. It's extremely exciting making the crowd move on the dancefloor. I've never had another job, I've always worked at the studio. My clients were numerous Lithuanian music artists, but I am done with them and now focus only on my solo career as well as the Mario & Vidis project. Each weekend I play in Europe, Brazil, Mexico, Dubai and many other countries. I earn enough for a living and the development of my studio - this is the most important thing for me."
How do you envisage your career developing - what's the perfect scenario?
"I haven't thought about it. I do what I like to do and just want to do it further. Everything else is just the colours of life - and we need all kinds of them. Although I do have one career-related dream, I would love to make music for computer games. This is my passion, and I know that I could do it very well. I have made a soundtrack for one Lithuanian movie, which was a completely new experience. Music for movies has no limits. When you make Dance music it has its limitations and rules. Disco, House, Drum & Bass or Dubstep are all the same music, only with different rules. With movies you have complete freedom."
So, you're a big games fan?
"I've played games daily for 14 years, currently with my Xbox 360. Today there are plenty of good soundtracks for computer games like Assassin's Creed, Limbo, Machinarium, and my favourite, the very modern Mass Effect. These days, the gaming industry is more profitable than the movie industry. Some games cost twice as much as a movie. If people like Hans Zimmer can make soundtracks for Assassin's Creed and Call of Duty it shows how profitable it is. Making music for computer games is very interesting, as are the games themselves."
Mario's debut album Journey is out now on Needwant Records. For all other things Mario Basanov check out: www.mariobasanov.com


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Risk of flooding in West Yorkshire over the weekend
North and West Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, are the areas currently most at risk of significant river and localised surface water flooding on the evning of Saturday, November 14 and into Sunday, November 15.
The flood risk comes as heavy and persistent rainfall – a month's rain could fall on localised high ground – affects parts of northern England. Many northern parts of the country are already saturated after days of wet and windy weather and the outlook is set to remain unsettled into next week.
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Hide AdEnvironment Agency teams are already working hard to prepare by checking and maintaining flood defences, clearing blockages in watercourses, monitoring water levels and issuing flood warnings where necessary.
This week saw a test of the flood warning siren at Walsden, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd, in Calderdale, as part of its annual maintenance tests.
If any of these sirens are sounded during the weekend, then it is not a test, and people should take action because flooding is expected. This also applies to the siren at Wyke Beck in Leeds: if this is sounded, it is not a test and people should take action.
If travelling the public should not attempt to drive through flood water – 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.
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Hide AdCraig Woolhouse, Environment Agency Director of Incident Management, said: "River levels across northern England are already high and are expected to rise with this further heavy rainfall, bringing with them a significant risk of flooding. We are working closely with the emergency services and partners to prepare ahead of the weekend. Our teams are already in action clearing watercourses, maintaining existing defences and standing ready to deploy temporary pumps and defences where these can be effective.
"We urge people to be prepared by checking their flood risk and keeping up to date with the latest situation at www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding or follow @EnvAgency and #floodaware on Twitter for the latest flood updates."
Flood warnings are now being sent to more people directly thanks to a ground-breaking scheme involving EE mobile phone users. This project was also completed this week with more than 400,000 people registered around the country.
EE customers registered in specific flood risk areas across Yorkshire will receive a welcome telephone message from the Environment Agency's Floodline Warnings Direct service over the coming weeks.
Residents and businesses are advised to check their flood risk and keep up to date with the latest situation at www.gov.uk/check-if-youre-at-risk-of-flooding, or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BEIRUT (AP) - Through decades of conflict, there has been one thing all Lebanese could agree on: their adoration of the country's iconic singer Fairouz, who stood unquestioned above the fray with her anthems to Lebanon and Palestine and songs of love.
Now the 78-singer has been dragged into the thick of the country's bitter political and sectarian divisions after her son said in an interview that she loves the leader of Hezbollah, sparking an uproar among opponents of the Shiite guerrilla group.
Angry critics on Twitter and Facebook and in Lebanese newspapers have said Fairouz should stay out of politics, some even accusing her of treachery, while supporters have indignantly replied that she is free to support whomever she chooses.
Fairouz herself has remained silent. Throughout her career, she has never expressed her political opinions, and she rarely gives interviews.
The storm has brought warnings from politicians that Lebanon's society itself is fraying _ a measure of just how prominent a national symbol Fairouz is.
"This surprising campaign is an indication that the country is heading toward destruction," parliament speaker Nabih Berri, head of a Shiite party allied with Hezbollah, told the As-Safir newspaper.
The comments by Fairouz's son exposed the increasing divisions in the country over Hezbollah.
The Syrian- and Iranian-backed group gained prominence and support in Lebanon and around the Arab world for its fight against Israel. But it has long had opponents in Lebanon, particularly among the Sunni community, because of its domination of the country's politics and its state-within-a-state status, backed by its guerrillas, who are even more powerful than the military.
The criticism increased this year when the group sent fighters to back Syrian President Bashar Assad against rebels in that country's bloody civil war. Since openly joining the war in May, battle-hardened Hezbollah fighters have helped Syrian forces capture areas near the capital Damascus as well as the strategic town of Qusair near Lebanon. That has infuriated Sunnis in Lebanon and elsewhere in the region, who largely support the rebels.
In mid-December, Fairouz's son Ziad Rahbani, a prominent composer and playwright who openly expresses his support for Hezbollah, told a news website linked to the group that his mother loves Hezbollah chief Sheik Hassan Nasrallah "a lot."
He added that his mother "will be angry with me as she did last time when I gave a TV interview and revealed some of her personal matters. She boycotted me." Last year he told the Lebanon-based TV station Al-Mayadeen that his mother's political views are "not far from mine."
After the uproar began, Rahbani gave an interview to Lebanon's pro-Syrian Al-Mayadeen TV, saying Nasrallah and Fairouz are Lebanon's two most important figures over the past 60 years. He said those who criticize them are indirectly "defending Israel."
Fairouz, who is Christian, has been an icon Lebanese of all stripes can agree on, with her music touting love of the country above its divisions. That reputation was enshrined during Lebanon's bloody 1975-1990 civil war, when she stayed in the country. Love for her extends across the Arab world because of her songs to Jerusalem and the Palestinians, supporting their cause against Israel.
But her son's comments threaten to tarnish her.
"If you seriously love Nasrallah, do you know how many .... have been lost in Syria because of the war and Hezbollah's intervention in Syria?" Nadim Koteich, host of a news show on Lebanon's Future TV and a sharp critic of Hezbollah, said on his show recently, addressing Fairouz.
He also pointed indirectly at assassinations of nearly a dozen anti-Syrian figures in Lebanon since 2005, which some have blamed on Hezbollah, though the group denies any role.
"Do you know how many Lebanese were draped in Lebanese flags because of Hezbollah's policies?" Koteich asked, referring to flag-draped coffins.
Rahbani's comments appear to have caused disagreements within his family. His sister, Rima, who is a close aide to Fairouz, wrote on her Facebook page Wednesday that no one can speak for their mother, and she criticized Ziad for pulling Fairouz into "the narrow alleys of Lebanese politics."
Pierre Abi Saab, who heads the cultural section of Lebanon's daily al-Akhbar, told The Associated Press that Rahbani "said something that is probably true, but he had no right and had no authorization from the family to say it." He added that Rahbani is "known for saying everything in interviews without any self-censorship."
Politicians are saying people need to lay off the criticism, given Fairouz's status. Druse leader Walid Jumblatt issued a statement saying Fairouz should be kept out of controversy, describing her as "symbol of national Lebanese heritage."
Even Nasrallah spoke about the issue in a speech last week marking the assassination of one of his group's military commanders, though he didn't mention the singer by name.
"We have reached a point in the country when someone says he loves someone, this could lead to the country's destruction," Nasrallah told hundreds of supporters. "No one is allowed to love."
Follow Bassem Mroue on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/bmroue
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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1 DIGITAL FILE in PDF format of 9 pages containing explanations and photos to make Jolly (in English-US)
This is not a finished product.
Crochet in 2,5mm, the doll measures approximately 30 cm.
Beginner / intermediate level knowing how to work the basic stitches.
Stitches used : row, stitch, single crochet, slip stitch, chain stitch, half double crochet,...
ALL RIGHT RESERVED 2020 Created by AnnaB and translated by LittleHookDesign. This pattern is for personal use only and cannot be (in whole or in part) disseminated, reproduced, shared, translated or sold. The final product (Creation) from this pattern cannot be sold. No refund is accepted on this type of product.
Pattern Jolly Autumn Season
6,10 €Prix


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As I am now running a Windows 7 partition at 64bit I am looking to upgrade certain programs. As the 64bit does make a lot of difference to speed, I have looked on the C1 website but cannot find a 64bit version - wish they would release one.
The beauty of 64bit from my experience is that being able to access more memory improves performance with less accessing time of hard drives.
... Capture One adresses multi cores...
I vaguely recall that 3.7.x required turning on an option to get it to address both cores. Is that also true of 5.x, or does it do so by default?


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Science lecturers traveling from town to town in the mid-19th century delighted audiences with a device that could be considered the ancestor of the neon sign. They took a glass tube with wires embedded in opposite ends, administered a high voltage and pumped out most of the air. The result: the interior of the tube would glow in lovely fluorescent patterns. Scientists theorized that the glow was produced by some kind of ray emitted by the cathode, but it took the seminal research of a British professor in Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory to finally provide a solution to the puzzle.
J.J. Thomson refined previous experiments and designed new ones in his quest to uncover the true nature of these mysterious cathode rays. Three of his experiments proved especially conclusive. First, in a variation of a pivotal 1895 experiment by Jean Perrin, he built a pair of cathode ray tubes ending in a pair of metal cylinders with a slit in them, which were in turn connected to an electrometer. The purpose was to determine if, by bending the rays with a magnet, Thomson could separate the charge from the rays. Failing this, he concluded that the negative charge and the cathode rays were somehow stuck together.
All previous attempts to bend cathode rays with an electric field had failed, so Thomson devised a new approach in a second pivotal experiment. A charged particle will curve as it moves through an electric field, but not if it is surrounded by a conducting material. Thomson theorized that the traces of gas remaining in the tube were being turned into an electrical conductor by the cathode rays themselves, and managed to extract nearly all of the gas from the tube to test his hypothesis. Under these circumstances, the cathode rays did bend with the application of an electric field. From these two experiments, Thomson concluded, "I can see no escape from the conclusion that (cathode rays) are charges of negative electricity carried by particles of matter."
However, he still lacked experimental data on what these particles actually were, and hence undertook a third experiment to determine their basic properties. Although he couldn't measure directly the mass or electric charge of such a particle, he could measure how much the rays were bent by a magnetic field, and how much energy they carried, which would enable him to calculate the ratio of the mass of a particle to its electrical charge (m/e). He collected data using a variety of tubes filled with different gases. Just as Emil Wiechert had reported earlier in the year, the mass-to-charge ratio for cathode rays turned out to be over one thousand times smaller than that of a charged hydrogen atom. Subsequent experiments by Philipp Lenard and others over the next two years confirmed the conclusion that the cathode rays were particles with a mass far smaller than that of any atom.
Thomson boiled down the findings of his 1897 experiments into three primary hypotheses: (1) Cathode rays are charged particles, which he called "corpuscles. (The term "electron" was coined in 1891 by G. Johnstone Stoney to denote the unit of charge found in experiments that passed electrical current through chemicals; it was Irish physicist George Francis Fitzgerald who suggested in 1897 that the term be applied to Thomson's corpuscles.) (2) These corpuscles are constituents of the atom. (3) These corpuscles are the only constituents of the atom.
Thomson's speculations met with considerable skepticism from his colleagues. In fact, a distinguished physicist who attended his lecture at the Royal Institution admitted years later that he believed Thomson had been "pulling their legs." Gradually scientists accepted the first two hypotheses, while later experiments proved the third to be incorrect, thanks to the efforts of Ernest Rutherford and subsequent researchers. The electron itself turned out to be somewhat different from what Thomson imagined, acting like a particle under some conditions and like a wave under others, a phenomenon that would not be explained until the birth of quantum theory. Physicists also discovered that electrons were only the most common members of an entire family of fundamental particles, which are still the subject of intensive research to better understand their properties.
Thomson's work earned him recognition as the "father of the electron," and spawned critical experimental and theoretical research by many other scientists in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and elsewhere, opening a new perspective of the view from inside the atom. The knowledge gained about the electron and its properties has made many key modern technologies possible, including most of our society's computation, communications, and entertainment.
-Adapted from an online exhibit by the History Center of the American Institute of Physics developed in 1997 to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the electron. To view the full exhibit, see http://www.aip.org/history/electron/.
Birthdays for October:
7: Niels Bohr (1885)
23: Il'ja Mikhailovich Frank (1908)
APS encourages the redistribution of the materials included in this newspaper provided that attribution to the source is noted and the materials are not truncated or changed.


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Collection Dates: 1905 -- 1967
112 items
This document describes a collection of materials held
by the
Special Collections Department
University of Iowa Libraries
Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1420
Phone: 319-335-5921
Fax: 319-335-5900
e-mail: email@example.com
Posted to Internet: November 1997
and Restrictions:
Photographs: Box 1
Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but
does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this
collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections
Copyright:Ā Please read
The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on "Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished
Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement.
Biographical Note
Thomas James Bray (1877 -- 1967) was born in Vermont. His parents moved the family to Grinnell, Iowa when he was thirteen years old. There he graduated from high school in 1895. After completing a course in stenography and business at the Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines, Iowa, he returned to Grinnell and took a job as an official court reporter. He remained in that job until 1905, however in the meantime he was studying law with Judge John T. Scott. In 1904, Bray was admitted to the bar. His first law practice was in Grinnell, Iowa. In 1916, he moved his practice to Oskaloosa where he earned a reputation s an excellent trial lawyer. He belonged to the Mahaska County Bar Association as well as both the Iowa State and American Bar Associations. Bray owned a four hundred acre stock farm in Mahaska County and helped organize the Eleven State Corn Belt Convention held in Des Moines in 1926.
Active in the Republican
Party, Bray helped to manage the campaigns of Iowa governor and U.S. Senator
Albert B. Cummins. He also supported the movement to nominate Frank O. Lowden
for U.S. President in 1928.
Scope and Contents
The papers of Thomas
J. Bray date from 1905 to 1967 and consist of 112 items arranged chronologically
within an alphabetical sequence. The papers reflect his political concerns with
speeches on subjects ranging from Albert B. Cummins and Theodore Roosevelt to
farming and Oskaloosa, Iowa. A folder of correspondence includes letters from
Karl M. LeCompte, Jack Miller, Raymond Moley, and Dan W. Turner. A biographical
sketch, photographs, a scrapbook, and clippings provide insight into other aspects
of Brays life and legal career.
Biographical sketch of Thomas J. Bray by his daughter, Josephine Bray Hairston.
Correspondence, 1925 -- 1967 (Including T.L.S. by Jack Miller, Dan Turner, Raymond Moley, Bert Bandstra, Karl M. LeComte, and John Kyl).
Mahaska County Non-Partisan Self Government Club.
Newspaper clippings.
Photographs of Thomas J. Bray.
Photographs used
in Mr. Brays book, Rebirth of Freedom.
Security of Human Rights Speech, 1961.
Speeches, 1905 -- 1952:
Reciprocity as it affects the farmer, Poweshiek County Corn Belt Meat Producers Association Convention, Grinnel, Iowa, December 16, 1905.1906 campaign address.
1912 campaign address.
Introductory remarks at meeting of Governor George W. Clark at Colonial Theater, Grinnell, May 29, 1914.
July 4, 1914, speech.
35th Annual Reunion of Tama County Veterans Association, Tama, Iowa, September 8, 1914.
Memorial address, General Shields Council of Knights of Columbus, Ottumwa, Iowa, November 19, 1916 (two copies).
July 4, 1920, speech.
Address to a convention of supervisors, engineers, and auditors from 12 countries in Southeastern Iowa, City Hall, Oskaloosa, March 10, 1931.
Knights of Columbus, Washington, Iowa, November 29, 1931.
Oskaloosa Rotary Club, August 1, 1933.
Oskaloosa Kiwanis Club, February 16, 1942.
75th birthday party, 1952?
Undated speeches (titled):
Speech supporting Cummins for Senator.Elbert W. Clark Eulogy.
Catholicism and Americanism."
The law as a profession."
Endorsement of Cummins for Senator.
PTA talk on uncontrolled temper among children.
On Theodore Roosevelt.
The American Bar Association.
Bear Creek Drainage Proposition.
Undated speeches (untitled).
of Page


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The "Sweet 16" Finalists have been selected from a group of dedicated elementary and secondary school educators who were chosen by their school districts as candidates for Alabama's 2013-2014 Tea-cher of the Year.
Ivalee teacher Farrah Kilgo is among that select group of finalists, representing District 8.
The field will soon be narrowed down to the "Final Four," with the Teacher of the Year winner being revealed at a ceremony hosted by the Alabama State Department of Education on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the RSA Plaza Terrace.
"The educators nominated for this prestigious award nurture the character, intellect, and talent of Alabama's students," said Dr. Tommy Bice, State Superintendent of Education.
"They exemplify teaching at its best and we are proud to have them teaching in our state."
Alabama's Teacher of the Year spends the majority of the school year serving as the spokesperson for education and the teaching profession as well as presenting workshops to various groups.
Additionally, Alabama's representative is a candidate for the National Tea-cher of the Year.
An elementary and secondary teacher was nominated from each of the eight Alabama State Board of Education districts in March. A member of the Alabama State Board of Education, the local board of education, a local superintendent or representative, the current district Teachers of the Year, and a representative from higher education served as committee members in selecting the finalists.


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Well folks, the long-awaited first edition of SoSG's Puzzle Championship Series (PCS) Rankings - the world's most prestigious and widely-recognized measure of puzzle-solving prowess - has been calculated and released. So without further ado, here they are:
Rank | Player (Wins) | Points |
quadsevens (3) | ||
orel | ||
Loney Fan (1) | ||
erin (1) | ||
benjamin pratt | ||
stolenmonkey86 | ||
steve sax | ||
dangarion | ||
cigarcow | ||
dusto magnifico | ||
chad fonville | ||
alex cora | ||
berkowit28 | ||
fanerman | ||
karina | ||
mike scioscia's t.i. |
As you can see, quadsevens is hanging onto the #1 ranking, but the last puzzle has allowed SoSG orel to close the gap.
Although I can't yet reveal exactly how the rankings are calculated, they are loosely based on the PGA and ATP Tour ranking formulas, with some necessary adjustments. Here are a few guidelines:
- They're as objective as possible, although I sometimes have to make subjective judgment calls.
- They're based on the results of a rolling 7-puzzle span, which at this time goes back to this puzzle. Thus, the results from this puzzle will no longer count after the next puzzle (the SoSG Quiz isn't considered a puzzle).
- For each puzzle, the first correct solution submitted garners the most points. The 2nd correct solution gets the 2nd-most points, and all subsequent correct solutions garner the 3rd-most points.
- Each puzzle is categorized as either easy, normal, or difficult, and a minor adjustment is made to the point totals awarded accordingly.
- There is a small point award for effort/participation, even if you don't get the right solution.
- Rankings will be updated and posted after each new puzzle.
And please keep in mind that while it took NASA almost a decade to come up with the BCS Rankings formula, these PCS Rankings were developed by one guy in about 10 minutes. So they might not be perfect and are subject to possible revision, but I think they're pretty good.
Good luck next puzzle!


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(Versions in
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, Português, Русский)
Today we're in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to release our update to the IMF's World Economic Outlook.
Despite a mild slowdown, the global economic recovery continues but the road to health will be a long one. Downside risks, both old and new, are increasing.
Our world forecast is 4.3% growth for 2011, and 4.5% for 2012, so down by 0.1% for 2011, and unchanged for 2012, relative to April. This figure hides very different performances for advanced economies on the one hand, and for emerging and developing economies on the other.
We forecast advanced economies to grow at 2.2% for 2011, and 2.6% for 2012, down by 0.2% in 2011, and unchanged for 2012. And our forecast for emerging and developing economies is 6.6% growth for 2011 and 6.4% for 2012, up by 01.% for 2011, and down by 0.1% for 2012.
Two advanced countries have seen larger downward revisions. The first is Japan where we now predict negative growth for 2011. Disruptions from the earthquake have been stronger than we anticipated, and account for most of the decline. We expect these problems to go away, and the economy to rebound more strongly in 2012.
The second is the United States, where we have revised our forecasts down by 0.3% in 2011, and 0.2% in 2012. While it is too early to tell, we see this as a bump in the road rather than something more worrisome. Special factors, in particular the effect of oil prices on disposable income, appear to have played an important role. But, assuming oil prices stay broadly stable, in line with financial markets' expectations, spending by consumers and firms should remain steady in what is, admittedly, a weak recovery.
Brakes to growth are still very much present in advanced countries. Fiscal consolidation is needed, but weighs on demand in most countries. Continuing weaknesses in the financial system, in particular undercapitalized banks, are slowing down lending. By contrast, many emerging market countries face the risk of overheating. While they are tightening policy, many of them will need to do more.
Risks to the recovery are clear, and more to the downside than 3 months ago. I shall focus on three such risks.
- The first and obvious one comes from Europe. In the best of cases, improving competitiveness and returning to fiscal health in some of these countries will be a long and painful process. It will require strong policies, namely fiscal consolidation, structural reforms, and policies which protect the most vulnerable. It will also require help and outside financing, official and private. These countries cannot do it alone.
The stakes are very high: failure to commit to and implement policies, or failure to deliver on financing, hold the risk of triggering disorderly financial and sovereign defaults. Contagion through various channels to the rest of Europe then holds the risk of derailing the European recovery and perhaps even the world recovery.
- The second risk is on the fiscal side, and affects a large number of advanced countries. Many countries, including the United States, are yet to put in place a convincing medium term fiscal consolidation plan. Such a lack of adjustment leads markets to worry. Worries lead to higher risk premia, increasing the cost of borrowing not only for the sovereign but also for private borrowers. Or they force countries into precipitated fiscal adjustments, leading also to sharp decreases in demand. In both cases, growth may be derailed.
- The third risk concerns emerging market economies. The difference between a strong and an overheating economy is often difficult to tell in real time, but there are reasons to think that a number of emerging countries may be close to crossing the line. Inflation is increasing beyond what can be explained by commodity and food prices. Credit growth rates and some asset prices are starting to look high relative to historical standards.
Some economies, with both strong domestic demand and strong capital inflows, face difficult policy choices. Some countries, in particular in Asia, should allow for further appreciation of their currency and a reduction of their current account surplus. Others, in particular in Latin America, have already allowed for a substantial appreciation, and their adjustment must take place at other margins. All must use the right combination of instruments at their disposal, fiscal, monetary, and macro prudential, to slow their economies in time and avoid costly boom-bust cycles.
So the global recovery continues. But the road to health is still a long one. And it is surely no time to relax.