text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|PCT number
|Publication date
|Jun 13, 1989
|Filing date
|Jan 8, 1987
|Priority date
|Jan 8, 1986
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Hans Betz, Herman Mader, Joachim Pelka
|Original Assignee
|Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Forderung
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Non-Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (25), Classifications (7), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
The present invention relates to a laserinterferometric process intended for use in etching layers and to a laserinterferometer for the examination of a layer, in particular for carrying out said laserinterferometric process.
Interferometric examinations are often employed in the examination of thin layers. In this application, laserinterferometers have become quite predominant. They are used, e.g. in the etching of thin layers to determine the etch rate and the termination of etching, which will be made more apparent with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The layer to be etched 2, which is placed on a substrate 1, is radiated by a laser. With transparent layers, the incident laser beam 10 is partially reflected at the surface of the layer 2 and partially at the interface of layer 2 to substrate 1. The reflected laser beam, thus, is composed of two beams, designated 20 and 22. The phase difference of the two reflected beams depends on the thickness of the layer 2 to be etched. Depending on the phase relation or phase difference, the beams 20 and 22 become stronger or weaker. If the thickness of the layer 2 changes, as is the case in etching, the resulting reflected laser is of changing intensity. A periodicity of the intensity of the reflected laser beam ensues, which is illustrated in FIG. 2. The etch rate can be ascertained from the temporal course of the intensity of the reflected laser beam, i.e. from the period T. When the layer 2 has been etched away, so that the incident beam 10 only strikes the substrate 1, the result is usually a lack of change in the reflectivity, so that the intensity of the reflected laser beam produces a bend in the intensity curve. This bend or stand value indicates the termination point of the etching process, designated 3 in FIG. 2.
Furthermore, deflecting a laser beam by a modulator is known. Such devices, called laser scanners, are employed, by way of illustration, in health care technology or in certain holographic processes.
A disadvantage in the known laserinterferometer devices is that the fixing must be precise in order to analyze specific locations of the layer to be examined.
The object of the present invention is, proceeding from the aforegoing state of the art, to provide a laserinterferometric process and a laserinterferometer, which permits an "on-line" analysis of the surface to be examined, particularly at selected points.
With the present invention, it is possible to obtain a visual representation of the surface to be examined by a laserinterferometer. The laser beam passes over a defined surface of the layer to be examined, whereby it is deflected two-dimensionally. The intensity of the reflected laser beam can be ascertained for the entire examined surface point by point according to the laser passing over point by point or line by line and evaluated via the linked-up data processing system. The invented process simplifies the use of laserinterferometers as no complicated fixing of the location to be analyzed is required prior to the examination, but rather an electronic localization. Thus even very small zones can now be analyzed, e.g. contact holes. Laserinterferometers can now also be employed in cases of a very small ratio of etching surface to masking surface.
In the invented laserinterferometer, it is expedient to employ a HeNe laser or a UV laser. Naturally other types of lasers can also be used. For example in a number of cases, a laser with a wavelength of variable frequency has proven to be suitable.
In the invented process, the laser beam is deflected electro-mechanically, permitting low power input and rapid scanning of the surfaces to be examined.
In an expedient variant of the process, the laser beam is deflected by an electrically modulated crystal.
Optical means are preferably used for the deflection or imaging of the laser beam. In this connection semi-permeable mirrors, by way of illustration, can be employed. It is particularly expedient to direct the laser beam to the layer to be examined via glass fiber optics, whereby the light wave conductor is expediently directed over the surface to be examined. The local resolution power of the laser beam can be increased by a lens system via which the laser beam is visually represented and focused on the layer to be examined.
In order to improve the signal-to-noise ratio, the laser beam is modulated with a frequency that can be fixed and the reflected laser beam at this narrow band frequency is detected.
Another measure is to separate the mixed signals electronically and to suppress the signal noises.
The invented scanning of the layer to be examined permits, on the one hand, an analysis of the entire layer using a data processing system to produce visual representation of the surface of the layer to be examined. On the other hand, the present invention permits making an analysis at any desired point of the layer to be examined, particularly electronically.
Thus, etch rate can be determined for any desired point of the surface of the transparent layer to be etched when etching thin layers.
In another variant of the present process for etching thin layers, the point of termination of any desired point of the surface is detected. Furthermore, the uniformity of the etch rate and the termination point in the layer to be etched can be determined.
In the variant of the process, the selectivity is determined locally resolved on the layer to be etched.
An advantageous method of analyzing the reflected laser beam "on-line" is provided. This method permits rapid adapting of the treatment, particularly of the etching, of the layer to be examined or treated. Moreover the entire surface can be visually represented by timing and examined in connection with the whole. The signals from the data processing system are advantageously employed, to process control, permitting adapting of the etching step directly to the actual condition of the material and especially precise work.
A display screen and/or a plotter is preferably used for the data readout. The intensity of the reflected laser beam can be shown on the display screen, which, thus, delivers a visual representation of the surface to be examined. In order to make this visual representation of the surface to be examined more lucid, the different intensity values can be assigned different colors. In this manner, a multicolored visual representation is shown on the display screen, yielding a rapid surface analysis of the surface to be examined. Naturally, the local etch rate or the local termination point of the etching can also be visually represented.
In particular, the invented laserinterferometer is advantageously suited to carry our the invented process. For construction as an imaging laserinterferometer, only a modulator and a data processing system are additionally employed. Said construction is not substantially much more complicated. Preferably the modulator contains an electromechanical deflector system, which contains an electrically modulated crystal.
To direct the laser beam to the surface to be examined, it is advantageously provided with the lightwave guide. The respective deflector unit is steered over the surface to be examined and adjusted. In order to increase the resolution, it is expedient to insert an appropriate lens system in the path of the beam, to focus the beam to the surface to be examined.
A preferred embodiment of the invented interferometer contains a device to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. A modulation device can be provided for this purpose, which modulates the amplitude of the laser beam with a fixed frequency. The frequency corresponding to a narrow band of the modulation frequency is detected. Moreover, electronic devices can be provided, which separate the mixed signals and suppress the noise.
The invented laserinterferometer is preferably provided with a display screen. The display screen permits advantageously the adjustment of the surface to be examined, in such a manner that an overall impression is given of the surface, by illustration during treatment, particularly an etching process. In this way the operation can be observed and examined "on-line". A plotter can be provided as an alternative for or additionally to a display screen.
The invented interferometer is preferably used to determine the etch rate and the termination point in the etching of thin layers. It can be employed particularly advantageously for process control as data on the entire surface to be examined or to be treated can be ascertained.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the principle of a laserinterferometer to determine the termination point and the etch rate.
FIG. 2 is a diagram, in which the intensity of the reflected laser beam during the etching of a thin transparent layer is shown versus the time t, and from which the etch rate and the termination point can be determined.
FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the construction of an imaging laserinterferometer according to the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic representation illustrating the local relationship of the surface to be etched and the etching masking as well as of the radiated area.
FIG. 5 is an example of a representation on a display screen connected to the data processing system, and
FIGS. 6a and 6b are examples of diagrams read out via a plotter connected to the data processing system, depicting (a) the temporal behavior of the intensity Ir of the reflected laser beam, and (b) as the local change in the etch rate dependent on the coordinate x.
The construction of an invented imaging laserinterferometer is described in the following with reference to FIG. 3. A laser 100, which may, by way of illustration, be a gas laser, is provided as the source for a laser beam 10. A modulator 30 represents a deflector unit and serves the purpose of deflecting the laser beam 10 two-dimensionally as is illustrated by the crossed arrows at 31. The modulator 30 may be an electromechanical deflection system including an electrically modulated crystal. The intensity of the laser beam 10 is modulated with a fixed frequency. A signal line 32 leads from the modulator 30 to a data processing system 40 to provide the modulation frequency to be used for detection and noise reduction. Inserted in the path of the beam is an angularly positioned semi-permeable mirror 50, which steers the laser beam 10 to the target, i.e. to the surface to be examined. Arranged behind the semi-permeable mirror 50 above the surface to be examined are optical means 60, which may be, by way of illustration, a lightwave guide, for example glass fiber optics, and/or a lens system. The optical means 60 focuses the beam 10 to increase its resolution and guide the beam 10 over the surface to be examined. The power lines leading to the modulator 30 and to the data processing system 40 are not depicted in this schematic representation for reasons of clarity.
In the shown preferred embodiment, the invented laserinterferometer is employed in connection with an etching reactor 6. In the etching reactor 6, a to be treated semiconductor disc, i.e. a substitute 1, is arranged on a sample plate 4 held by a support device 5. On the substrate 1 lies a layer 2 which is to be selectively etched away. For this purpose, an etching masking is customarily used.
The optical means 60 and the semi-permeable mirror 50 let pass the laser beams 20, 22 reflected from the surface to be examined. A detector 70 is provided in the optical path behind semi-permeably mirror 50. The detector detects the reflected laser beams 20, 22 and transforms the optical information into data signals. The detector 70 is connected via a line 72 with the data processing system 40.
A display screen apparatus 80 having a display screen 82 is linked up to the data processing system 40. A visual representation of the surface to be examined is schematically depicted on the display screen 82. The display screen apparatus 80 also contains means, by which other representations from the data processing system can be requested as is illustrated by the double arrow at 84. In this respect, the display screen apparatus is operable as an active terminal. Linked up to the data processing system 40 is also a plotter 90. For demonstration purposes, an example 92 of a diagram reproduced by the plotter 90 is depicted. As the single arrow 94 shows, the plotter 90 is only conceived as a readout device.
The invented imaging laserinterferometer operates as follows: the laser beam 10 emitted from laser 100 is deflected two-dimensionally by modulator 30. The laser beam 10 is reflected at the semi-permeable mirror 50, being bent 90 degrees in the described preferred embodiment. Subsequently, the laser beam 10 is directed by the optical means 60. The reflected laser beam is composed of two displaced-in-phase beams 20, 22, corresponding to the reflection of the laser beam 10 from the surface of the layer to be etched 2 and its interface to the substrate 1. These beams 20, 22 are directed through the semi-permeable mirror 50 and received by the detector 70. The optical information is transformed into electrical signals in the detector 70 and fed to the data processing system 40. The data processing system 40 also receives the signals from the modulator 30, which concern its deflection function and which make a temporally correcting correlation of the data received and their evaluation possible. Since the intensity of the laser beam is modulated with a fixed frequency, the reflected laser beam is detected at a narrow band about the modulated frequency. The combined or united signals from detector 70 are separated electronically and signal noise is suppressed to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The electric signals are processed in the data processing system 40 readout in peripheral units, such as, by way of illustration, the display screen apparatus 80 and the plotter 90 and/or used in a process controller 96.
In this manner, the data of the surface to examined can be ascertained during the operation and the surface to be examined or to be treated is visually represented. In an etching operation, by way of illustration, the etch rate, the termination point, the selectivity of the etching can be processed and read out during the etching operation, i.e. "on-line" in this way.
FIG. 4 shows in more detail a surface to be examined by the invented imaging laserinterferometer. The substrate 1 is schematically indicated, where as the layer 2 and the etching masking 7 are depicted in cross section. The etching masking 7 does not cover the entire layer, but includes an opening exposing an area uncovered 8 of layers, which is to be etched away. The selected surface to be examined comprises both the exposed area 8 and parts of the etching masking 7 as is illustrated by the marginal beams (a) and (b) for laser beam 10. This area is illustrated once more--one-dimensionally--by the designation 11. With such an arrangement in etching reactor the 6, the following information can be read out via the display screen: the etch rate of the layer 2 or of the etching masking 7 at any desired points, the termination point of layer 2 at every desired point and, if necessary, the point of termination of the etching mask 7 at every desired point of the examined surface. Moreover, the uniformity of the etching operation can be monitored. By passing over the etching masking 7 and the layer 2 at area 8, it is possible to visually represent the selectivity of the etching operation layer 2 with reference to the etching masking 7.
FIG. 5 shows very schematically a readout visual representation 82 on the display screen apparatus 80. Shown at 84 are, by way of illustration, surface representations of the etching masking 7, and at 86 are the surface representations of the area 8. The individual representations differ in lightness and/or color, depending on whether the different intensity values are assigned different grades of lightness or color values. When the lightness or color no longer changes on the display screen, the termination point in the etching operation has been reached.
FIG. 6a and 6b show examples of readout diagrams on the plotter 90. FIG. 6a illustrates a diagram similar to the schematically depicted diagram 92 in FIG. 3. The intensity Ir of the reflected laser beam is depicted versus time t. The temporal course of the intensity of the reflected laser beam is periodic until the etching process has terminated as is illustrated by the bend or flat curve portion at 3 in the depicted curve, which graphically reproduces the point of termination. The etch rate can be ascertained at a selected point from this diagram.
FIG. 6b illustrates the course of the etch rate along the examined surface. The etch rate is shown versus the local coordinate x. Yielded is a continuous, but not completely constant etch rate course. This curve makes it possible to determine the uniformity of the etch rate, the local selectivity of the etching film as well as the point of termination of the etching.
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Oct 31, 1966
|Aug 12, 1969
|Du Pont
|Heating apparatus
|Sep 19, 1966
|Sep 2, 1969
|Canadian Patents Dev
|Method and apparatus for dielectric heating
|Feb 26, 1973
|Jan 21, 1975
|Xerox Corp
|Inferometry readout of phase information
|Apr 19, 1978
|Jun 10, 1980
|Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd.
|Activated gas generator
|Sep 2, 1981
|Nov 22, 1983
|Black Jerimiah B
|Microwave water heating method and apparatus
|Apr 13, 1984
|Oct 21, 1986
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Laser interferometer system and method for monitoring and controlling IC processing
|Jun 28, 1980
|Apr 1, 1982
|Mann & Hummel Filter
|Vorrichtung zum beseitigen von russ aus den abgasen einer brennkraftmaschine
|Title not available
|Title not available
|Article "Thin Film Monitor for In Situ Measuring of Silicon Etch Rates", from IBM Technical Disl. Bulletin, vol. 24, #9.
|Article from Solid State Technology, "Methods of End Point Detection for Plasma Etching", vol. 24 (1981).
|Article from Solid State Technology, Methods of End Point Detection for Plasma Etching , vol. 24 (1981).
|Article Thin Film Monitor for In Situ Measuring of Silicon Etch Rates , from IBM Technical Disl. Bulletin, vol. 24, 9.
|IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics and Control Instrumentation, vol. IECI 27, No. 1, Feb. 1980.
|IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics and Control Instrumentation, vol. IECI-27, No. 1, Feb. 1980.
|Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 8, #72 (P-265), (1509), Apr. 4, 1984 (Abstract).
|Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 8, 72 (P 265), (1509), Apr. 4, 1984 (Abstract).
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jan 17, 1990
|Nov 20, 1990
|Tritec Industries, Inc.
|System for detecting a film layer on an object
|Nov 17, 1989
|Mar 5, 1991
|Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
|Method of detecting an end point of surface treatment
|Dec 5, 1988
|Jun 11, 1991
|Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
|Method of determining the depth of trenches formed in a semiconductor wafer
|Dec 26, 1990
|Jul 6, 1993
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Plasma constituent analysis by interferometric techniques
|May 14, 1992
|Jun 20, 1995
|Texas Instruments Incorporated
|Method for rapidly etching material on a semiconductor device
|Sep 25, 1997
|Sep 21, 1999
|Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
|Method of end point detection using a sinusoidal interference signal for a wet etch process
|Apr 17, 1998
|Jun 27, 2000
|Applied Materials, Inc
|Endpoint detection for semiconductor processes
|Jan 26, 1998
|Dec 12, 2000
|Speedfam Co., Ltd.
|Plasma etching method and plasma etching system for carrying out the same
|Apr 5, 1999
|Jun 18, 2002
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Endpoint detection in the fabrication of electronic devices
|Dec 13, 1999
|Sep 10, 2002
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Detecting a process endpoint from a change in reflectivity
|Mar 6, 1998
|Mar 18, 2003
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Apparatus and method for endpoint control and plasma monitoring
|Feb 20, 2002
|Nov 2, 2004
|Zhifeng Sui
|Endpoint detection in substrate fabrication processes
|Jul 7, 2003
|Jun 14, 2005
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Interferometric endpoint detection in a substrate etching process
|Feb 5, 2005
|Oct 10, 2006
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Microwave fluid heating and distillation method
|Feb 5, 2005
|Oct 7, 2008
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Distillation and distillate method by microwaves
|Aug 24, 1999
|Feb 26, 2004
|Michael N. Grimbergen
|Monitoring a process and compensating for radiation source fluctuations
|Jul 7, 2003
|Jan 13, 2005
|Applied Materials, Inc.
|Interferometric endpoint detection in a substrate etching process
|Mar 18, 2003
|Jun 2, 2005
|The Boc Group, Inc.
|Semiconductor etching process control
|Feb 5, 2005
|Jan 12, 2006
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Distillation and distillate method by microwaves
|Feb 5, 2005
|Jan 12, 2006
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Microwave fluid heating and distillation method
|Jul 7, 2006
|Dec 28, 2006
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Microwave fluid heating and distillation method
|Nov 4, 2008
|May 28, 2009
|Sedlmayr Steven R
|Microwave nucleon-electron-bonding spin alignment and alteration of materials
|Mar 18, 2003
|Oct 2, 2003
|The Boc Group Inc.
|Improved semiconductor etching process control
|Mar 18, 2003
|Apr 8, 2004
|Boc Group Inc
|Improved semiconductor etching process control
|Sep 7, 2005
|Mar 16, 2006
|Scalar Technologies Ltd
|Method and apparatus for thin film metrology
|U.S. Classification
|356/504, 204/192.33, 216/60, 204/298.32
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Dec 7, 1992
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Jan 21, 1997
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jun 15, 1997
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Aug 26, 1997
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 19970518


text:
Welcome to accessibleplayground.net new Playground Directory. We are still working on migrating all of the information from the old directory. Unlike the original directory which only listed playgrounds in North America, the goal of this directory is to be international. The best part is that you can add playgrounds as you find them!
If you have information about an inclusive playground that you feel should be listed, please contact: email@example.com
Meadow Crest Park Meadow Crest ParkHome 3000 NE 16th St. Renton WA 98056 home
|Show Notes | Show Bio
|Visit Website | Show Map |
The Renton Accessible Playground is an exciting joint effort between the City of Renton, the Renton School District, Renton Rotary and is also supported by multiple community funding partners and individual contributors. The accessible playground is being designed for all ages and abilities. It will share property between the new Meadow Crest Early Learning Center (formerly Hillcrest Early Childhood Learning Center) and the North Highlands Neighborhood Center. And there's an official name,Meadow Crest Playground.
This playground opened in 2014. The equipment comes from Landscape Structures and includes:
For more pictures, visit Landscape Structure's website

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Traveling Luck for Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site, Idaho, United States
Where is Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site?What's around Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site?
Wikipedia near Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site
Where to stay near Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site
The timezone in Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site is America/Whitehorse
Sunrise at 07:07 and Sunset at 16:30. It's Dark
Latitude. 45.0358°, Longitude. -114.2950° , Elevation. 1645m
Weather near Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site; Report from Challis, Challis Airport, ID 66.7km away
Weather :
Temperature: -5°C / 23°F
Wind: 0km/h North
Cloud: Solid Overcast at 5500ft
Weather :
Temperature: -5°C / 23°F
Wind: 0km/h North
Cloud: Solid Overcast at 5500ft
Satellite map around Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site
Loading map of Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site and it's surroudings
Geographic features & Photographs around Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site, in Idaho, United States
- stream;
- a body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land.
- Woodtick Creek (1.8km)
- Moyer Creek (2.1km)
- Little Woodtick Creek (2.4km)
- Musgrove Creek (2.4km)
- Ostrander Creek (4.6km)
- Copper Creek (4.7km)
- Dummy Creek (4.9km)
- Porphyry Creek (5.4km)
- Blackbird Creek (6.4km)
- Salt Creek (6.7km)
- Fawn Creek (7km)
- West Fork Blackbird Creek (7.4km)
- Fourth Of July Creek (8km)
- South Fork Porphyry Creek (8.6km)
- Spring Creek (9.5km)
- Slippery Creek (9.8km)
- Corral Creek (9.8km)
- South Fork Moyer Creek (10km)
- Cabin Creek (10.9km)
- Goodluck Creek (11.3km)
- South Fork Cabin Creek (12km)
- Blue Creek (12.9km)
- Deep Creek (13.9km)
- Little Deep Creek (14.2km)
- valley;
- an elongated depression usually traversed by a stream.
- McDonald Gulch (0.1km)
- Petes Gulch (4.8km)
- Indian Gulch (5.3km)
- Sawmill Gulch (5.6km)
- Treloar Gulch (7.1km)
- Ludwig Gulch (7.2km)
- French Gulch (8.1km)
- Prairie Basin (12.2km)
- Local Feature;
- A Nearby feature worthy of being marked on a map..
- Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site (0km)
- Cobalt Ranger Station (4.6km)
- Degan Ranch (5.2km)
- Miller Ranch (6.3km)
- Merritt Ranch (8km)
- Kingsbury Ranch (9.2km)
- Cobalt Mine (10km)
- Deep Creek Recreation Site (13.8km)
- mine(s);
- a site where mineral ores are extracted from the ground by excavating surface pits and subterranean passages.
- Musgrove Mine (3.2km)
- Blackpine Mine (8.5km)
- Blackbird Mines (11.3km)
- Blackbird Mine (12.6km)
- Sunshine Mine (13.6km)
- ridge(s);
- a long narrow elevation with steep sides, and a more or less continuous crest.
- Porphyry Ridge (8.2km)
- Leacock Point (12.7km)
- Little Deer Creek Ridge (12.7km)
- Pepper Creek Ridge (13.7km)
- mountain;
- an elevation standing high above the surrounding area with small summit area, steep slopes and local relief of 300m or more.
- Swan Peak (9.9km)
- Moyer Peak (10.8km)
- Red Rock Peak (13.1km)
- Quartzite Mountain (14.2km)
- basin;
- a depression more or less equidimensional in plan and of variable extent.
- McGowan Basin (9.4km)
- Moyer Basin (10.2km)
- Rooker Basin (13.3km)
- flat;
- a small level or nearly level area.
- Squawboard Meadow (14.4km)
- dam;
- a barrier constructed across a stream to impound water.
- Blackbird Tailings Dam (9km)
Wikipedia entries close to
Mcdonald Flat Recreation Site
- Idaho
- Lemhi County Airport airport airport
- Salmon, Idaho city city o
- Challis, Idaho city city o
- Lemhi Pass mountain pas
- Nez Perce Pass mountain pas
- Lost Trail Pass mountain pas
- Gibbons Pass mountain pas
- Leadore, Idaho city city o
- Clayton, Idaho city city o
- Beaverhead crater impact crate
- Wisdom, Montana city city o
- Trapper Peak (Montana) mountain mountain k
- Stanley, Idaho city city o
- Lost River Range city city o
- Darby, Montana city city o


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- Home
- Vietnam Tours
- Vietnam Discovery
- Impression of Vietnam - Hanoi to Saigon highlights
Impression of Vietnam - Hanoi to Saigon highlights
Category: Vietnam Discovery
Duration: 14 Days/ 13 Nights
Depart From: Hanoi City Return To: Ho Chi Minh City
Destinations: Hanoi City - Ho Chi Minh City - Halong Bay - Sapa - Hoi An - Can Tho - Da Nang - Mekong - Cai Be.
Price from 1130 $US
Hanoi to Saigon Highlights tours - Discover the highlights of Vietnam in two weeks:
Travel from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, including the 1,000 year old capital Hanoi, experiencing tranquil Halong Bay, northern highland town Sapa and the stunning scenery in the north. The Central Vietnam with Forbidden city namely Hue, the most developed city Danang with beautiful beaches nearby, Hoian Ancient Town and the south with historic Saigon, the lush Mekong Delta
Day 1: Arrival - Hanoi
Upon arrival in Hanoi, you will be picked up from Noi Bai airport and taken to a hotel in Hanoi for a relaxing evening and dinner at one of Hanoi's best restaurants. Overnight at the hotel.
Includes: Ground transportation, hotel in Hanoi, tour guide, welcome dinner
Day 2: Hanoi city tour
After breakfast at the hotel, start your city tour at the Ho Chi Minh complex, visiting the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh Museum, the iconic One-pillar pagoda and the historic Tran Quoc pagoda. Continue with a visit to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's first university established in 1076, then have lunch in one of Hanoi's famous restaurants. In the afternoon, visit the Museum of Ethnology then ride in a traditional cyclo around the famous Old Quarter, stop at Dong Xuan market, and enjoy a water puppet show before dinner.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Hanoi, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch.
Day 3: Hanoi – Ha Long
Our car will pick up at your hotel in Hanoi at around 8:00AM and drive you to Ha Long, arriving around noon. Our crew in Ha Long will welcome you aboard a junk with a complimentary drink and help you check into your cabin. A seafood lunch will be served and at 13:00 the 3.5 hour cruise on Ha Long Bay begins, visiting the famous karsts including Mat Qui (Monsters' face) islet, But Moc islet, and Cap De islet, as well as Trong (Drum) and Trinh Nu caves and a floating fishing village for insight into a unique way of life. Explore Luon cave from 16:40 to 17:30 and enjoy plenty of time for swimming and sun bathing. Savour a beautiful sunset dinner and relax under the starlit sky before retiring to the comfort of your cabin.
Includes: Transportation, accommodation on the boat, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 4: Ha Long - Hanoi - Lao Cai
Early risers can enjoy a morning view of Ha Long Bay's landscapes with a cup of tea or coffee and fresh fruit. From the upper deck of the junk you will be amazed at the breathtaking beauty of the rocky islands rising up from the crystal-clear water. The quiet is quite eerie; you can hear birds singing and cicadas chirping onshore accompanied by the gentle lapping of the waves against the boat; the perfect soundtrack to the fresh air and gentle breezes. Explore the Sung Sot (Amazing) cave for an hour, then swim and relax at Titop beach before cruising back to the mainland at 09:30 while enjoying a brunch buffet from 10:30 to 11:30. Return to in the harbor around noon then drive back to Hanoi, arriving around 16:00. Free time to relax and have dinner at restaurant before being escorted to railway station for the overnight train to Lao Cai, departing at 21:10.
Includes: Transportation, tour guide, entrance fees, train tickets from Hanoi to Lao Cai in an air conditioned cabin with four soft berths, breakfast, lunch
Day 5: Lao Cai - Sapa - Cat Cat
Arrive in Lao Cai around 06:00, transfer to Sapa by car. After breakfast at hotel, your guide will meet you at the hotel for a short trek to Cat Cat village that belongs to the H'mong ethnic people in the valley. The village has remained generally free of outside influences and provides excellent views of the valley, the magnificent limestone mountains and lush paddy fields. Enjoy visits to local families and observe some of their traditional customs then travel down into the valley to see the stunning white curtain of the Cat Cat waterfall surrounded by the flowery valley and deep green pine trees. The rocks near the river and waterfall are a popular place for taking picturesque photos and sunbathing during good weather. Return to Sapa for dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Sapa, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch.
Day 6: Sapa - Lao Chai - Ta Van - Hanoi
Have breakfast at the hotel before travelling in a private car to Lao Chai village of the Black Hmong people. Take a short trek down to the river to visit a hill tribe house and see local women making their traditional costumes, then move on to the Ta Van village of the Dzay ethnic minority. Trek back to main road to meet the car back to Sapa then transfer to Lao Cai for dinner and overnight train back to Hanoi
Includes: Transportation, tour guide, entrance fees, train from Lao Cai to Hanoi, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 7: Hanoi - Hue
Upon arrival in Hanoi around 5:00am, you will be picked up by our car and driver to have breakfast and enjoy free time and have lunch yourselves in Hanoi until transferring to the airport for the 12:40 flight to Hue. Our guide will meet you at the airport in Hue to take you to your hotel. Free time in Hue after check-in; dinner yourselves
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Hue, tour guide, flight tickets from Hanoi to Hue, breakfast
Day 8: Hue City tour
In the morning, tour the Hue Royal Citadel, constructed by Emperor Gia Long in the first decades of the 19th century, and now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visit the Imperial Museum containing many historic artefacts from the Imperial city then travel to the tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh and have lunch at restaurant. Take a leisurely boat trip along the Perfume River in the afternoon to visit the Thien Mu pagoda, the tomb of Emperor Minh Mang and the famous Dong Ba market. Dinner at restaurant, evening free.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Hue, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast, lunch.
Day 9: Hue - Danang - Hoi An
After breakfast at the hotel, drive to the ancient town of Hoi An over the Hai Van Pass to Da Nang, stopping at Lang Co Beach, the Cham Museum and Marble Mountain en route. Lunch in Hoian. In the afternoon, take a walking tour of Hoi An, a major Asian trading port in the 17th and 18th centuries, and enjoy the traditional architecture and relaxed lifestyle. Visit the centuries-old homes of merchants, the 400 year-old Japanese Covered Bridge and the colorful, bustling market…..Evening free to have dinner and explore the town.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Hoi An, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast and lunch
Day 10: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City
Have the morning free in Hoi An to relax, go shopping and enjoy the atmosphere of this intriguing ancient town, then transfer to the airport in Da Nang for the 13:30 flight to Ho Chi Minh City. You will be met at the airport by our representative and taken to your hotel to spend a free evening in the city and stay overnight.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, tour guide, flight tickets from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City, breakfast.
Day 11: Saigon City tour
After breakfast at your hotel, take a full day tour of this historic city visiting the former Presidential Palace, the War Remnants Museum, and the famous architecture of the city center including Notre Dame Cathedral, the City Hall, the Municipal Theater and Xa Loi pagoda, as well as Ben Thanh market and China town (Cholon).
Evening free.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, tour guide, entrance fees, breakfast, and lunch.
Day 12: Saigon - My Tho - Can Tho
8:00 pick up at your hotel after breakfast to transfer by car to My Tho where you will travel in a motorized boat along the Bao Dinh canal lined with stilt houses and fruit plantations. Visit the My Tho wholesale fruit market and Turtle Island and eat lunch served in the heart of an orchard. Enjoy the continuing boat ride through the Tan Trach canal in Ben Tre, cruise under the shadow of the water coconut trees, and visit family businesses to experience a taste of the agricultural lifestyle. Trek through the fruit plantations on Thoi Son island and row among the numerous creeks before returning to My Tho by rowboat. Transfer to Can Tho and check in to your hotel on arrival. Evening free.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Can Tho, tour guide, entrance fees, boat trips, breakfast, and lunch.
Day 13: Phong Dien - Cai Rang - Ho Chi Minh
After breakfast, take a boat trip at 8:00am to see the famous Phong Dien floating market bustling with activity in the morning hours. Cruise through the intricate system of small channels, visit a village that specializes in making rice noodles and see the delicate "monkey bridges" of the Mekong Delta. Visit a second floating market at Cai Rang then break for lunch. Drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping to visit the bonsai garden in My Tho along the way. Arrive back in Ho Chi Minh City around 17:30 for a free evening to relax, have dinner, or go shopping.
Includes: Transportation, hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, tour guide, entrance fees, boat trips, breakfast and lunch.
Day 14: Ho Chi Minh City Departure
After breakfast at the hotel, your day is free to enjoy the city until you transfer to the airport for your outgoing flight.
Includes: Airport transfer, breakfast
Dear Ms Thuy Hang,
On behalf of our small group, I'd like to say "Thank You" for a wonderful trip to Vietnam. You have been very patient with us, and you have done a marvelous job. We are very satisfied!
Now we feel that we have seen big parts of your beautiful country, - the South in 2014 and the North this year. Still we know that there are many other places to visit, - so maybe we will come back another year. At least we will tell all our friends about Vietnam, and we will really recommend Vietnam Paradise Travel.
All over the country we met nice and friendly people. The guides you picked out for us were all friendly and knowledgeable. The one in Sapa had a very good pronunciation of the English language which made him very easy to understand.
We are also very satisfied with the hotels you found for us. The last night in Hanoi we even got the hotel's honeymoon suites which made us feel young and very much in love again.
Now we are safe and sound back in Norway. My wife and I have already had two nights in our cabin up in the mountains. We have been skiing, and temperatures were as low as minus 16.
A big contrast to Vietnam.
I wish you, your guides and Vietnam Paradise Travel all the best.
Jon Hovda
Prices are in USD, per person
Validity: From 01 January 2018 To 31 December 2018
|2 guests
|3~4 guests
|5~6 guests
|7~8 guests
|9~12 guests
|Single surcharge
|3 Star
|4 Star
|5 Star
- Hotels at places as indicated (double/ twin room)
- Private tours with English speaking guide for the entire trip except leisure time
- Entrance fee to any applicable tourist sites - Hotel as indicated
- All transfers with our A/C transport
- Meals as indicated (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
- Train ticket: Hanoi - Lao Cai - Hanoi
- Flight ticket: Hanoi - Hue, Danang - Saigon (Vietnam Airlines, Economy class)
- Government tax - Service charge - Accommodations
- International flight ticket
- Visa arrangement
- Other meals not mentioned
- Tips & personal expenses
- Laundry
- Other not stated above
- Travel insurance
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agoabout 18 hours ago
Friendly, professional services for individuals, the self-employed and small businesses. Tax Returns, Payroll, Automatic Pension Enrolment, Bookkeeping, Accounts, Probate.
Please contact me for friendly advice or visit on Mobile No. 07595 22026807595 2202...(click to reveal full phone number), Landline 01323 44932701323 4493...(click to reveal full phone number) or email me: click to contact. You will find more information on my website at www.marleenj.co.uk
agoabout 18 hours ago


text:
Fresh off the back of an impressive victory in the featured Grafton Cup (2350m) at the Clarence River Jockey Club last week, trainer Gai Waterhouse has revealed in-form stayer Queenstown has briefly returned to the spelling paddock ahead of a 2014 spring preparation geared towards the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) on October 4th.
Running on from the rear of the field to finish third in the Octagonal Handicap (1400m) first-up on May 31st, Queenstown has quickly built to the task over three starts this time in; unlucky to be blocked for a run and fifth in the Listed Mercedes Benz Centenary Mile (1600m) in her only other appearance prior to the Grafton Cup triumph.
In the same week as confirming classy stable mates The Offer, Diamond Drille and Sweet Idea for barrier trials, Waterhouse told The Daily Telegraph the current racing schedule doesn't suit Queenstown, who will instead take a brief break before returning for spring.
"I've had a look at the programs in Sydney and Melbourne and there is nothing for her at this time of year," Waterhouse said.
"We will have to give her a little break and then look at races like the Newcastle Gold Cup, The Metropolitan and even the Caulfield Cup."
Claiming a total of five wins and eight minor places from just 16 competitive race starts to date, Queenstown was a notable performer over the 2013 Spring Racing Carnival; claiming back-to-back second placings in her first two starts, including the Group 3 Angst Stakes (1600m) on October 12th.
Returning to the winner's circle in the City Jeep Handicap (2040m) on October 25th, the Stratum mare was unlucky to finish second by a nose in the Group 2 Momentum Energy Stakes (2000m) on November 9th before running on from the rear of the field to finish third behind Sertorius and Epingle in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m).
Leading online bookie Ladbrokes.com.au is currently offering the best early odds on all major races through the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival!
Open an account and sign up for the all-new Ladbrokes Card today to take advantage of your winnings just seconds after your pick has passed the post!


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I can imagine this tribalism and ritualised fighting between "clan champions" is probably as old as Ireland. The grand standing. The formality of "fair play". The fact that these men fight not just for themselves but for the name of their whole tribe. There were moments where it seemes like this is a glimpse of something ancient. Like you could go back to the middle ages and witness a similar contest between villages. Complete with the **** talk, clan rivalries and open ended beefs to be settled "at the next gathering".
The purely personal nature of it makes the drama all that more intense. Sprot fighting is for sport. THese men fight for the very concept of honor and respect. (and a little windfall doesn't hurt either...) They fight for family name. They fight because they live in the shadow of their relatives glory. They fight to establish their own glory. They fight to avenge wrongs. They fight because they have no other healthy way to express their anger.
Really intense. I've seen a lot of dramatic "sport fight" stories with all the strugle and redemtion themes. But I've never seen something as primal and important to the participants as this.
Rurik. To me this doc answered the original question.
Yes, bare knuckle really IS that brutal. On many levels. This is not "sport". This is a marginally healthy compromise in lieu of all out war between blood relatives.
I found it to be more full of pathos than glory. Really sad actually. These people live hard lives. As hard as poor people anywhere do. I'd say they have more in comon with Kimbo Slice than the Marquis of Queensberry. (I.E., back yard boxers risking their health for rep and a betting pool)


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The Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Interior carried out a nationwide raid in Russia where around 50 people had been arrested in part of a hacking ring that allegedly stole $25 million from financial institutions inside the country. The busts resulted not only in the arrest of people, Russian law enforcement authorities seized the computers, other electronic devices, financial documents and a large amount of cash from the accused criminals.
According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab, who helped identify the hackers before they would make their second move for an additional $35 million, the cybercriminal group used a malicious software called "Lurk" on financial institutions' websites. This resulted in the infection of the banks' users' computers. Through this method, the hackers acquired the login credentials of the banking clients and could steal their money using different techniques. Ruslan Stoyanov, head of computer incidents investigation at Kaspersky Lab, made this statement:
"Our company's experts analyzed the malicious software and identified the hacker's network of computers and servers. Armed with that knowledge the Russian Police could identify suspects and gather evidence of the crimes that had been committed. We look forward to helping to bring more cybercriminals to justice."
About six financial institutions were targetted by the hacker group, including Metropol, Regnum, Russian International Bank, and Metallinvestbank, the latter just had a $10 million damage caused by the cybercriminal gang.


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Darth Vader on deck of the second Death Star preparing for the arrival of the emperor. Everything modelled from scratch in 3ds Max and ZBrush, rendered with Octane Render.
Pure render no Photoshop.
Download high resolution render her.
Download Wallpaper 2560×1440.
Download Wallpaper 1920×1080.
You can read an interview on 3DTotal where I talk a bit about my career and how the image was made here.
3D World Magazine, Christmas 2015 issue #202
Clay render.
Exterior render of the entire set I modeled for this picture.
Keep track of my work by following me on Facebook and Twitter.


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The food here is wonderful. A mix of Italian and other worldly food. The mussels are delicious and the salads are fresh with so much flavor. I love the ambiance of this restaurant and recommend this to people traveling to Yuma or through as a...More
11 - 20 of 43 reviews
The food here is wonderful. A mix of Italian and other worldly food. The mussels are delicious and the salads are fresh with so much flavor. I love the ambiance of this restaurant and recommend this to people traveling to Yuma or through as a...More
The staff is so nice, unobtrusive, you don't know they are even around most of the time even when they are refilling drinks! The atmosphere is intimate for having dinner with friends, yet romantic for a special occasion for two. The best calamari ever, and...More
I enjoyed the entire experience coming from scottsdale it not 5* but for yuma should be rated way above chain frizen food & taco & pizza fast food. Dining solo will be back with large group to sample all the mediterrean cuisines.
Little quaint and tastefully decorated restaurant excludes old world charm. We enjoyed Egyptian pork, sea scallops, and seared pepper tuna! Our server Eric took wonderful care- adding an extra scallop so we could share an even number! Salad was fresh, with a wonderful combination including...More
Outside appearance of this restaurant is a dive but inside is okay. Not fancy but more family style arrangement. The prices are definitely higher than any family style restaurant I have ever been to.Food was mediocre. If it was bread to go with your meal...More
From the outside, you're not sure you should do this. But a look inside gives you an idea what to expect. Great food, as well as a clean and well appointed dining area. The entrance area doubles as an outdoor dining area, which could stand...More
I just love the food and atmosphere at Ciao Bella. This is a great place to be on a date or to have lunch with friends. They have a great patio and a beautiful dinning room that make you feel at home. They have a...More
While this place seems not as well known even to the locals, the menu here is Mediterranean and quite good. The prices are reasonable and portions more than adequate. We have taken friends here and everyone has been happy with their meal. The wine list...More
From the outside, the building is unprepossessing, and in a less-than-ideal neighborhood; inside it's a warm and welcoming Italian villa. The service is fine if someone knows you (assuming getting hugged at your table means they do know you), but as a first-timer, expect to...More
This place has a little bit of everything I have gone more than once. My favorite dish by far is the Egyptian Spicy Pork and not far behind are the Lasagna and Osso Bucco the portions are incredible and the prices are even better the...More


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The ultimate guide to dog training : Puppy Training to Advanced Techniques plus 50 Problem Behaviors Solved!. / Teoti Anderson.
Electronic resources
View other formats and editions
Record details
- ISBN: 9781621870999 (electronic bk)
- Physical Description: 1 online resource
- Publisher: [Place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 2014.
Content descriptions
|Summary, etc.:
| Teoti Anderson provides the last word on dog training. The Ultimate Guide to Dog Training is the most comprehensive single volume ever written on the subject and is the one training manual every dog owner needs in his or her home.When it comes to dog-training books, owners can be overwhelmed by choice, with literally thousands of titles available. Finally, the publisher of Dog Fancy magazine has conceived how one book can do the training of thousands-The Ultimate Guide to Dog Training encompasses every topic from the puppy's first lessons and house-training to advance training methods and retraining rescue dogs, rebellious teens, and seniors.Dog trainer and behavior expert Teoti Anderson offers straightforward advice and easy-to-follow instructions for each topic, all based on her success-oriented positive-training methods. From selecting the right training equipment and avoiding common first-time owner mistakes to executing the perfect heel cue and solving...
|Reproduction Note:
| Electronic reproduction. New York : i5 Press, 2014. Requires OverDrive Read (file size: N/A KB) or Adobe Digital Editions (file size: 12818 KB) or Amazon Kindle (file size: N/A KB).
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|Electronic books.


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From the outside, my life looks entirely the same as it did in January. But inside, a lot has changed. Assumptions I had about stability and the path forward have been jostled around, and the pieces are still settling into their new pattern, like the shards of sparkle inside a kaleidoscope in motion before they decide on their positions.
One thing I did is let go of something big in my writing life. I let go of my commitment to and focus on publishing a book. This was a long time coming. You see, two years ago, I signed with a fabulous agent. Then I parted ways with that agent because I realized I needed to write this book before I tried to sell it. So I wrote a memoir. The manuscript sits in a box on the floor of my office. Three dear, brilliant, loyal friends read it (you know who you are, and thank you, again). It is 350 pages long. I queried a few agents. I was rejected by all of them, mostly kindly and often using the excuse that memoir was an incredibly difficult category right now. Whether that was the truth or a gentle way to let me down, I'll never know. What I know is I didn't sign an agent.
And you know what? I let go. In my querying I realized I didn't truly believe in my memoir. My story is quiet, and unremarkable, and while I think it has a universal message, I also very much doubt the validity of it to be published into a book. So I put it away.
The relief was palpable. Almost instant. When I really sat still and thought about what kind of writing I want to do, I always come back to this place. This is what I want to write. I want to blog. I have several essays I'm trying to place, so I like that kind of work, too. I am working on a novel, and I enjoy that process, mostly because I am immensely fortunate to get to do it with Dani Shapiro's wise and excellent instruction. But increasingly, I suspect that what I am is a blogger. I love this form, I love this community, and I am hugely enriched by the thoughtful input of those lovely spirits who read what I write here.
Once I let go of the goal I had attached myself to so ferociously, I felt both sorrow and liberation. Commingled grief and relief, as I wrote to a friend. It is hard to accept that I probably won't publish a book. But it is also a wonder to realize that this, right here, this, that I've been doing for almost five years, this is the writing my heart leans towards.
Two honest and lucid posts about this very topic inspired me to put this into words: Nina Badzin's post about how she's not an aspiring novelist, at least for now and Erin Murray's post that reminds me of Anne Lamott's assertion that the writing itself is the reward. Thank you to Nina and Erin for providing much-needed companionship on an often-lonely road, and for helping me articulate something that i realized several months ago but hadn't yet put into words.
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Sun 31st Mar at 6:00pm - til late
Contrast: An Experiment In Cultural Perspective
@ Van Kahn Gallery, London
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Contrast: An Experiment In Cultural Perspective
"Van Kahn Gallery is showcasing "Contrast: An Experiment In Cultural Perspective" an exclusive solo exhibition hosted by International artist and designer Arman Nobari, from 28th - 31st March 2013. Arman is an emerging artist from Sacramento, California where he has gained popularity for his art pieces and is now setting out to inspire the London art crowd. Free tickets are available to collect at vankahngallery.eventbrite.co.uk.
For more information about Arman Nobari please check out his artist profile page on www.vankahngallery.com."
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→ New Cross 2 min walk


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Download Hero Bears : Christmas Capers apk 1.1 free for Android smartphone
Posted by AppyNation Ltd. in Arcade | Dec. 1, 2013 | 1 Comments
Apk file size: 19.0 MB
How far can you help the Christmas Bears run with their wounded Santa Bear?
Christmas Bears lets you help out real Heroes and have snowballs of fun at the same time! Run as far as you can, tapping and swiping to avoid festive failure, and help the Christmas Bears run their frozen little paws off!
Jump over doves, slide under fences, leap over giant snowballs and dodge Christmas-y catastrophe in the greatest obstacle course you'll ever run! Can you guide the Christmas Bears through acres of traps, complete the challenging missions and score sackfuls of points?
• Endless Christmas fun!
• Cold blue skies, snowy ground and Christmas decorations add to the challenge
• Swinging bears, flying birds, giant snowballs all get in your way!
• Complete all 90 missions!
• Unlock all 21 achievements!
twitter: @AppyNation
AppyNation Ltd. part of our Arcade and have average installs from 1000 to 5000. Last Update Dec. 1, 2013. Google play rating is 71.4286. Current verison is 1.1. Actual size 19.0 MB.
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Morag Ashburn-Pester
Good simple fun for a good cause!!


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Posted on: November 22, 2010
According to the BBC News the rapper Shyne, from P-Diddy nightclub shooting fame has emerged from his 10 year jail sentence as a Chasidic Jew. Born of an Ethiopian Jewish mother in Belize, Shyne, or Moshe ben David-his Hebrew name, decided to put down the guns and pick up the Torah while in prison. I'll be honest, I have no idea who he is but apparently he's a good rapper and hasn't let his tzi-tzit or tallit prevent his pen from scribbling across pages. I wonder if he'll do a collaboration with Y Love? I have to say that I'm a bit jealous of Moshe, having an Ethiopian mother automatically makes him a Jew. I'm presuming he didn't study much Judaism before his time in jail but the 10 years of study allowed him to be a more dedicated and more learned Jew. I'm also a bit jealous that he can pray at the Western Wall…those laments I will save for another day. Mazel tov to Moshe, I hope to see you in shul, although I won't because I'm not Chasidic.
In other news, I've been waiting by the window patiently all day for the UPS truck to deliver my goods. I received Entering Jewish Prayer-A Guide to Personal Devotion and the Worship Service by Reuven Hammer, Minding the Temple of the Soul by Tamar Frankiel and Judy Greenfeld, To Pray as a Jew-A guide to Prayer Book and Synagogue Service by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin as well as Pimsleur's Basic Modern Hebrew Language set (bring on the CD Walkman!) Learn Hebrew Today-Alef-Bet for Adults by Paul Michal Yedwab with Howard I. Bogot as well as a Biblical Hebrew laminated card. I'm still waiting for I Thank Therefore I am as well as a video I purchased on converted Jews from Ruth Diskin Films called Leap of Faith.
So you did get Leap of Faith? You should blog about it after you watch it.
I did! I'm trying to be patient and wait for it to arrive! 🙂


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(HT to Exit133)
And a bonus from YouTube's related videos, all outta tune and punked up, courtesy of The Rain City Shwillers:]]>
This is certainly an interesting tactic by Washam in making the allegations public, and some of the comments on a TNT blog post seem to suggest that people are praising him for "transparency". But here's the deal: in calling this an "unnamed person's bogus complaint", Washam is essentially retaliating against HR's duty to fully investigate complaints such as this, and by extension belittling the employee in question, who should not be dragged through the mud. EEO allegations need to be taken seriously, and for Washam to not only make a private matter public, but to do so in order to argue about an unrelated matter (namely, the lack of property inspections under his predecessor) goes beyond being in extremely poor taste, it also opens up Pierce County for a big fat lawsuit. I won't go so far at this moment as to say that Washam needs to be immediately recalled from office, but I'm relatively certain that if he were a county employee rather than an elected official, he would be severely reprimanded if not fired for his handling of the matter.
See also at the TNT.]]>
(From The Seattle Times)
(From Beyond the Best Seat in the House)
Now, this certainly is no panacea. Like any form of participatory government, there is significant risk of, well, lack of participation (or non-representative samples of interested parties) messing up the results. But I think there is some interesting potential to bring new people to the table–whether due to the demographics of Internet users or the availability of citizens to attend meetings–in a way that might promote a more progressive agenda. (And, might I hope, one that looks at whole-city solutions instead of just a bunch of vocal neighborhood groups fighting for speedbumps.)
(via uclahelo@flickr, cc by-nc-nd)
I would be interested to see if Tacoma's government would ever use such tools to try to bring more people to the table. And for that matter, whether the citizens of Tacoma would step up to the plate and get involved. I think we could get a fascinating diversity of opinion, but with that diversity would come neighborhood-specific knowledge from all around the city. And the tools would allow public access to planning data that was currently only available in proprietary planning tools. Seems worth trying…
A few things I would champion:
Read about it at Wired.
Check out The Open Planning Project.
I'm going to post a link to download "People Got A Lotta Nerve", the first single from the album, here. Neko and ANTI will donate $5 to the Best Friends Animal Society for my doing so. They get publicity, we get free music, and animals get saved–everybody wins! (And you can help the animals even more by participating too!)
Download an MP3 of People Got A Lotta Nerve.
A little message from Neko:
More info from ANTI.
The beneficiaries, Best Friends Animal Society.
(And for an extra local bonus, if you want to support local animal causes, check out the Dugan Foundation, which is selling a beautiful 2009 wall calendar to support their work…)]]>
Now, what for Tacoma? We've got a couple of small tech companies around here, but choosing to locate in Tacoma (rather than, say, Pioneer Square AKA startup central) is the exception to the rule. There's not a lot of networking between employees at different companies. There's not "district" where these companies tend to locate. Programming talent is hard to find. (I'm not sure if this last thing is because programmers don't live here, or because they're all commuting to their jobs in Seattle/Redmond/wherever…)
But generally, the question is begged, why isn't there an active startup community in Tacoma. We are within an hour of the Seattle market. There are all sorts of buildings with the cool loft spaces that small software firms like so much. UWT's Tech Institute is by all indications growing, turning out both undergraduate and graduate software developers. UPS and PLU, both excellent schools, also turn out CS graduates in respectable numbers. Sure, there's not the sexiness of being in Seattle, and I don't have any illusions of Tacoma having as broad a tech presence as said neighbor-to-the-north, but it's hard to see what's standing in the way of more of a startup presence here.
I wonder if maybe the funding piece of the pie is one of the factors holding us back. Yes, there's the Tacoma Angel Network (and non-funding-related support from the William Factory Small Business Incubator), but those are a little bit heavy on some of the details that many tech startups tend to scoff at, such as detailed business plans. In all honesty, most of these startups are coming to fruition through the efforts of programmers and designers, not MBAs and marketers, and the value is in the idea (and making it come to fruition), not long term goals and overly-thorough market analysis. Yes, there will be failures, but providing a framework for seed-funding ideas for small companies, without formal business process overhead, simply works for small tech companies. Bay Area venture firm Y Combinator has proven it with companies like Justin.tv, Loopt, and reddit. Curious Office has seen success with Imagekind (acquired by CafePress) and Shelfari (acquired by Amazon). Granted, there's nothing precluding any of these firms from funding a Tacoma company, but to my knowledge it hasn't happened yet.
So what if there were a Tacoma tech startup funder/incubator? It could be an extension of the Angel Network or it could be it's own thing, but the operative thing is that it would provide relatively minimal funding (at least in the venture funding sense), and favor ideas over formal business plans. Picture a shared office of small two-to-three member teams working on a number of projects, each with just enough funding to cover equipment, salaries, and other overhead. An exciting collaborative atmosphere. Tons of new tech jobs for Tacoma residents! If it were connected or closely allied with the UWT Technology Institute (and/or UPS, and/or PLU), even better, because we can tap that talent before it takes jobs elsewhere–a great way to keep one segment of "cultural creatives" in town after they're done with their degrees. (And the area around the UWT would be great, location-wise, for this…) Now, I don't have the money to be a part of making this happen, but I really think it would open up some exciting potential for the future of Tacoma, downtown development, commerce, etc.
Thoughts, anyone?
Hopefully that whets your appetite. Worth watching.
Regarding collecting customer feedback and incorporating it into your software:
People love giving you feedback. Every time you make a mistake they give you feedback. Give people great products and you'll get feedback… You have to take it all in and then you have to make decisions on behalf of your customers. Decide what they're actually trying to tell you. You have to be a museum curator and think about what makes sense for the product. An editor, a curator, looks at an entire universe of options and picks a few of em.
An interesting perspective, but probably worth noting that this is coming from a non-developer (Jason is one of the co-founders of 37signals, and has more of a design background than a programming one). I like that his example puts a lot of stock in the customer needs and wants, while also taking a great deal of pride, somewhat of a near-arrogance, in what's ultimately right for the product. That is right on.
That said, I still like the gardening metaphor better. In both cases (a museum or a garden) you are attempting to create an aesthetic that is pleasing to the visitor, and you are likely to get feedback, some of which you will incorporate. But the museum analogy stops at the choice of whether or not feedback is acknowledged (and ultimately leaves the actual creation of art out of the picture). In gardening, the feedback alters what happens on the ground, in the garden: how the plants are pruned, how all-season interest is maintained, how to attract wildlife, etc.–a truly iterative process that, to me, is a more apt analogy to the actual development of the software.
Maybe from a project management perspective, museum curating is a good approximation of how the customer feedback loop works, but from the trenches, as a programmer, it just feels too simplistic. I'm sticking with the gardening analogy.
Check out notes from Jason Fried's presentation here. (Lots of other great info about 37signals and their "Getting Real" philosophy, too!)]]>
Melissa recently purchased some fine footwear from Shoes.com, and various aspects of the site left some impressions on me. Mostly positive, though I had a couple of observations of things that could be improved, too…
(more after the jump…)]]>


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Toss with garlic and dried chillis for a surefire karate chop straight to the tastebuds.
Crispy and flavourful, these shrimp are perfect as either a main dish or appetizer.
Discover the sweet, subtle tang of chilli in these delectable slow cooker ribs.
A spicy & sweet sauce with tomatoes, onions and red chillies.


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Momentum (2015) 1080p WEB-DL 6CH 1.3GB MkvCage
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Alex, a mysterious thief, is pulled in by her former partner for one last heist. She quickly finds it was never just about the diamonds.
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Mike Compton Private Mandolin Instruction
By Mandolin Cafe
February 11, 2009 - 1:15 pm
Email article Printer friendly
Mike Compton
Nashville, Tenn. — Grammy award winning mandolinist Mike Compton has announced he is accepting up to a maximum of 15 students to participate in individualized mandolin lessons to be held over the internet.
Students interested in an opportunity to study with this music legend and acknowledged mandolin master should have an interest in Monroe style and/or old-time music, and access to reliable and modern up-to-date internet equipment including a web cam, microphone and a high speed connection.
Prior experience and ability to read standard notation and/or tablature is preferred but not required. Lesson availability is expected to be weekly and students should be able to pay online (PayPal preferred).
In addition to his work with the John Hartford and the award winning Nashville Bluegrass Band, Mike Compton appeared on the soundtrack for the blockbuster film O Brother, Where Art Thou? and provided music support to the Great High Mountain and Down From the Mountain tours that followed on the heels of O Brother popularity.
The Nashville Bluegrass Band celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2004 with the release of their Grammy nominated album Twenty Year Blues, and in 2006 were invited to the White House to perform for the president and visiting international dignitaries.
About Mike Compton, the late John Hartford once stated, "Mike Compton knows more about Bill Monroe style mandolin than the Father of Bluegrass himself."
Additional information:
Mike Compton web site
Contact Mike Compton about lessons


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Using Your Strengths to Create Healthy Habits
Event tags: healthy, habits, strengths
- Top's Appliances and Cabinetry
- September 22, 2015
- $50 per person
- 337-296-1628
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Are you ready to restart or commit to taking better care of yourself?
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Do you want to learn more about how you can personally create a new habit that sup-ports your commitment to wellness? We will start with your strengths and learn which approaches will best support your progress.Visit Event Website for More Info


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Wesley Lagaert's Carp Diary - Nov & Dec 2012
Well, it's almost halfway through December and so I thought that it was about time that I get some words down on the computer for the Solar website. Honestly, I was hoping that I would have some more results to write about, but unfortunately plans have not quite worked out. With October being difficult from a fishing perspective, which is earlier for the fishing to get hard than in most years previous, you didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know that November would be even harder.
By November I had already completely switched over to using the Top Banana boilies, as sticking with the fishmeal baits makes the bait harder for the carp to digest. I'd rolled my Top Banana boilies with the Pear Of Bananas flavour and the Liquid Candy Sweetener in sizes 16mm and 18mm. Due to the visible, yellow colour, high flavor leakage and combination with a small Top Banana pop-up dipped in Big Shot liquid for that extra bit off pulling power, it's been my number one bait choice for this time of year for a long time. I even fined down my end tackle, which is something I don't normally do, to 15lb Khaki Unleaded and size 8 101 hooks.
The baiting up was kept to an absolute minimum, sticking out only a few freebies while fishing and once a week, mostly on Wednesday, 10 spombs of top Banana boilies were being introduced. As Luck would have it, I received a take the first weekend of November. It was late Sunday afternoon when I finally landed a lovely mirror of 20lb. After checking through the pictures from the stocking that we did in 2010, I found out that this little mirror has grown 8lb in the last two years, which is a good sign for the future of this venue.
Really happy with the result, I stayed on and fished another night but saw myself reeling in the rods at 6am on Monday before going off to work. In the meantime, two other 'diehards', Benjamin and Angelo, had prepared a swim directly opposite on the other side off the lake also in the hope off landing a winter whacker. As far as I'm aware, that particular swim had never been fished at this time off year. Well, they started there campaign and it went off like a flyer!
They caught carp consistently, with Angelo having 12 runs over a weekend in November. As you would, they asked me to keep my mouth shut as they were onto a winner and didn't want to alert any other anglers who could profit from their hard work. I'm sure that between the two of them they had over 50 takes, landed 6 carp over 40lb up to a best of 53lb - what a result! I'm sure that this is the biggest winter haul I've ever experienced on Integra lake! They had obviously found a winter holding area and were reaping the rewards, and fair play to them. I on the other hand, obviously had not found a holding area and as the weeks wore on I kept blanking, no matter what I tried. Winter was now just around the corner, as the first snow and freezing temperatures were predicted by the weather women for the weeks ahead.
On the first weekend of December my mate Alain Servaes came up for a social night's fishing. It would be my last fishing night for 2012, as by now every weekend until New Year is completely filled with things to do included a trip to Paris with my wife.
The night set in, the mist came up and indeed around 6am the next morning Alain was playing a lovely mirror in the freezing cold. We unhooked the carp, looked at each other as if to decide whether to take a picture or not, but decided to slide it back immediately and retire ourselves quickly to the warmth off the shed. We guessed the mirror to be around 18lb and it was probably the last carp out off the lake, that is other than Benjamin's efforts, which saw him land two other stockies only two days later.
By now the fishing has completely switched off, the bankside is devoid of anglers and we're already looking forward to starting fishing again when the days get longer and warmer. Winter is the ideal time for a bit off writing, sorting out little jobs at home and of course paying visits to the different carp exhibitions all over the country. Winter also means reflecting over what happened that year and making new plans for the year ahead. 2013 will probably be a year that sees me do less fishing, but with my wife now 22weeks pregnant I'm 100% sure that I'll be over the moon with our little present – despite the impact on my fishing!
I hope you all reached your goals in 2012 and, if not, I hope that 2013 will bring that very special moment, whatever you wish/angle for. See many off you at the various shows over the coming weeks. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Wesley Lagaert


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A client–queue–client or passive queue system is a client–server computer network in which the server is a data queue for the clients. Instead of communicating with each other directly, clients exchange data with one another by storing it in a repository (the queue) on a server.[1]
Like peer-to-peer, the client–queue–client system empowers hosts on the network to serve data to other hosts.
Web crawlers on different hosts need to query each other to synchronize an indexed URI. Whereas one approach is to program each crawler to receive and respond to such queries, the client–queue–client approach is to store the indexed content from both crawlers in a passive queue, such as a relational database, on another host. Both web crawlers read and write to the database, but never communicate with each other.
See also[edit]
- ^ "Architectural Patterns and Styles". Microsoft Application Architecture Guide (2nd ed.). Redmond: Microsoft Press. November 2009. ISBN 9780735627109. OCLC 699052779. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
|This network-related software article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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Services on Demand
- Cited by SciELO
- Access statistics
Related links
Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society
Print version ISSN 0103-5053On-line version ISSN 1678-4790
PEREZ, Herminia I. et al. Nitrile hydratase activity of Nocardia corallina B-276. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. [online]. 2005, vol.16, n.6a, pp.1150-1153. ISSN 0103-5053. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0103-50532005000700010.
The nitrile hydratase activity of Nocardia corallina B-276 is described, and the only detected product during the biocatalyzed hydrolysis of selected nitriles was the corresponding amide. The best results were obtained using a suspension of cells in a phosphate buffer (pH= 7.0), with conversion percentages ranging from 31% to > 99%.
Keywords : nitrile hydratase; biotransformation; nitriles; amides; Nocardia corallina.


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Address Book
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You're the first woman he's ever loved, even if he doesn't always say it. The first moment your eyes met he'd stolen your heart. The bond between mother and son is a special one, and you can celebrate Mother's Day with this simple wrap bracelet dedicated to the relationship you two share.


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Targets on women 'will not be met'
Soldiers warned that targets to double the number of women serving in the Permanent Defence Forces will not be met, unless steps are taken to help balance work-home demands.
Defence Minister Simon Coveney pledged at the launch of the Government's defence white paper that he was committed to doubling the number of women from the current 6pc, or 563 personnel.
However, the annual conference of Pdforra, the association representing soldiers, sailors and aircrew, heard in Galway that boosting the female figures would require increased numbers of new recruits and a higher retention rate among those already serving.
General secretary Gerry Rooney said the present system of administering leave of absence made it harder for women to qualify for pensions and this was totally unacceptable.
Irish Independent


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TECHmunch Austin | March 10, 2013
BakeSpace.com's TECHmunch food blogger conference returns to Austin for the fourth year in a row! The day-long event is a blend of networking, panels, tastings and culinary and technical demos that will inspire even the most seasoned food blogger. The goal is to provide the ingredients you need to succeed and pursue your passion.
Apply to speak/present here.
Who should attend?
- Food bloggers of every level – from hobbyists to media conglomerates and everything in between
- Brands that want to connect and form partnerships with food bloggers
Can non-food bloggers attend?
Yes of course! A lot of our chats will be focused on food content, but anyone interested in SEO, monetization, content creation and syndication will walk away from our event with useful information.
What you'll learn?
Topics include the latest tools and tactics to develop and optimize content, build buzz, grow an audience and profit financially from all the hard work. The focus is on practical, hands-on information that you can use from day-one to take your blog to the next level.
Who's involved?
TECHmunch was created by BakeSpace.com Founder Babette Pepaj (@BakeSpace), who serves as its producer and host.
Got a question or would like to sponsor our event?
Email us at babette[@]bakespace.com or via twitter at @BakeSpace
Where do I park? What time are the panels? Download our Printable Schedule w/ Parking info!


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The index to the Comics and Music roundtable is here.
Representations of music in comics are plentiful but few practitioners have attempted to reproduce the quality of music on the senses. If they have, the resulting products have usually emerged in in a much reduced state, not least because of the evident silence of the comics page. There are clearly other motivations at play when musicians and their music are introduced as subjects of a comic .
José Muñoz and Carlos Sampayo's Billie Holiday is little more than a biography which gives some flesh and darkness to the singer's story, while Frank Young and David Lasky's The Carter Family tries to capture the pace of life which gave birth to the lyrics of that ensemble. It ends in a mythic coda which is as good a page as you'll find in that book.
Howard Chaykin's nostalgic riffs on the Jazz Age seem less interested in historical accuracy than capturing a feeling of time and place—that meticulous dressing; the sharp pin-stripe suit; the central practitioners of the form and their language and mannerisms— all this extending to the stylized musical notation emanating from the instruments. The jazz club scene in Dave McKean's Cages is an attempt to translate a state of mind—the drama of music—into ink painting.
The cartoonist P. Craig Russell, is probably the most dedicated practitioner of this form of transcription among his peers. In his adaptations of various operas, Russell concentrates, for the most part, on the theatrical aspects of the genre—the setting, the costumes, the players, and whatever symbolism exists. He in fact becomes a kind of theater designer and director, but one who is uncomfortably trapped by the aesthetic demands of a form with its roots in "low" art.
Of course, there are various aspects of the music which Russell does convey through his art—the lightness and darkness of its themes, the tone of voice of the singers, the screeching of a high register or even the atonality of the music. Such aspects will largely be lost on the innocent reader. One certainly assumes a relatively conservative audience for these comics; a readership which is less likely to tolerate the stylistic and directorial innovations demanded of the best opera companies. While a conventional interpretation serves the end of introducing these musical dramas to the "unwashed" masses, it frequently hinders attempts to extend the aesthetics of these merged art forms in new conceptual and artistic directions.
For example, if we consider the critical well scene in Pelléas et Mélisande—an opera well suited to comic adaptation and which not coincidentally has been interpreted by Russell—we find in Pierre Boulez and Peter Stein's famous production with the Welsh National Opera fulsome symbolism throughout but a more or less traditional scene of the lovers at the well. A more recent production at Oper Frankfurt dislodges the same action to a bedroom with the well nowhere in sight. When the heroine of the Welsh Opera production drops her ring, it is quite accidental; in the Frankfurt production, it seems almost purposefully cast aside. These are bread and butter issues which every opera director and adapter must approach. Russell's opera adaptations are, by constraints of publishing, isolated from this tradition of innovation and change, and usually serve as introductions to the form rather than one of several steps in the gradual development of musical theater.
Russell's adaptations seem to be most successful when cut free from history and the dictates of accurate costuming. While my copy of his Magic Flute is currently indisposed, my memory is of a largely successful endeavor. The original setting of the opera is dislodged from realistic time and place, and the fantastic atmosphere, filled as it is with Masonic imagery, is left entirely up to the desires of the adapter. If there is a template to follow, it would be the vast selection of designs produced for this most popular of operas.
A search online for images from that comic brings up a page related to the most famous scene in The Magic Flute, the Queen of the Night's aria ("Der Hölle Rache").
It is a scene which has many counterparts in various visual art forms. Milos Forman's film adaptation of Amadeus centers on this section when relating the production of The Magic Flute. While Peter Shaffer's screenplay itself is of questionable accuracy, the film remains fascinating for its reimagination of the sets of the first production of The Magic Flute as well as other operas. Here the Queen is seen coming in the clouds like a messiah with stars circling her as in the movie poster. Not the familiar dark figure veiled in fuliginous raiment but with scepter in hand and berobed like the Virgin.
[One of Karl Friedrich Schinkel's sets for the scene in question from a later production.]
The same scene in Ingmar Bergman's Magic Flute (a television production) bears all the hallmarks of his films—the figures seen in tight close-ups and the Queen's famous cackling occurring off screen with Pamina's increasingly horror-filled visage filling the space normally occupied by the bravura aria performer; her mother and Queen transformed in her eyes into a balding ghoul by the stage lighting and dodgy make-up.
A taped stage production (with the Wiener Philharmoniker and Staatsopernchor) starring one of the most famous Queen of Nights, Edita Gruberova, lifts the Queen away from the action as in Forman's film, lodging the singer in a crevice amidst the night sky where she fumes at her daughter, Pamina. The knife with which Pamina is expected to kill Sarastro has to be drawn from a rock like Excalibur.
Considering the unlimited resources of the drawn page, Russell's approach is decidedly subdued retaining a few stars and some menace but declining to add the heft usually required by operatic singers to project their voices. Here the Queen of the Night is thin, alluring, and covered with the shades of nighttime blue—one might say a kind of art nouveau witch. Dread and trepidation are emotions which seem far removed from Russell's oeuvre but the symbolic nature of the Queen in Mozart's opera lessens the demands on his art. Instead, Russell concentrates firmly on the emotional reunion between mother and daughter with their dialogue deviating from the original libretto. The Queen's warmth is contrasted with her intimidation in dramatization of a kind of double-faced and illogical passion (a mercurial coloratura) which is the anti-thesis of Enlightenment ideals.
[The scene in question with Diana Damrau as the Queen of the Night. Note the more intimate nature of the scene, a choice also taken by Russell in his adaptation.]
* * *
"In many ways, this version is a more palatable vehicle than Wagner's original operas, which, for ill or well, bear the added burden of being musically "difficult" work even for opera. The Ring of the Nibelung is not difficult comics. It's like instructional chocolate that beckons the reader with its rich flavour to read ever deeper. You can open it up to pretty much any page and just get lost." Robb Vollmar, Ninth Art
Russell's adaptation of Richard Wagner's magnum opus won him the Eisner award in 2001 and is one of only two full length comic adaptations of Der Ring des Nibelungen (Roy Thomas and Gil Kane seemed perfectly unsuited to the task and were less interested in the opera if their adaptation is any indication).
The first Russell opera adaptation I remember reading was his Siegfried and the Dragon from Epic Magazine #2, a comic which mirrors Wagner's own approach to his Ring cycle with its humble beginnings. The comic is of modest ambition and certain pages may be likened to the pure illustration of Arthur Rackham's work on Wagner's Ring.
[Illustration for Wagner's Ring by Arthur Rackham]
[A page from Russell's The Valkyrie, 2001-2002]
Russell's Ring adaptation retains much of the flavor of his earlier short story in terms of costume and setting. Such a choice has its counterpart in many traditional production including what is perhaps the best selling video of the Ring Cycle—James Levine's production for the Met with James Morris as Wotan and Hildegard Behrens as Brünnhilde.
The artist's approach to comics has matured considerably since that time. His collaborator, Patrick Mason, worked directly from Wagner's libretto (which was not the case with Russell's script for The Magic Flute), and what results is an adaptation with more obvious parallels to the operas in question. At points, it seemed as if I was actually "reading" the opera (the lyrics, the expressions, and the prescribed settings) line for line.
In the introduction to his comic, Russell chooses the example of the sword leitmotif to illustrate part of his working process—the seven note leitmotif now visualized as a twelve-paneled page which captures Wotan's moment of inspiration.
Russell writes:
"The solution was to enter Voton's mind through the eye sacrificed for wisdom (inner vision). This leads to the interweaving of the visual motifs already established in Rhinegold (the primal elements of water and light) with motifs yet to come in The Valkyrie (the sword and the tree). The sequence ends with an exit, via the gleaming light of the sword, through Voton's good eye, the one which looks upon the outer world."
In the opera, the sword leitmotif rings out between the lines "Night draws on; from its envy it now offers shelter" and "Thus I salute the fortress, safe from terror and dread"—the sword frequently unseen and Wotan's vision signified by no more than a gesture and a facial expression. Russell's solution to this moment of epiphany is quite elegant and certainly one of the high points in his comic. When the moment comes for the leitmotif's return in The Valkyrie, it is preceded by a number of thin panels which seem to follow Wagner's musical phrasing as Sieglinde leaves the room to do Hunding's bidding—those seven notes signaled by little more than a thin panel at the top of a page depicting the barely lit sword; the comic no longer meeting the opera at its moment of veiled tension (Joseph Kerman in Opera as Drama labels Wagner's use of leitmotif in the Ring as "reckless".)
If we consider the most famous scene from the entire cycle, the so-called "Ride of the Valkyries", we find in Russell's adaptation a somewhat unconvincing but faithful depiction of the Valkyries at work.
The libretto for the scene in question contains cheerful chatter among the Valkyries about various heroes being drawn into Valhalla on their mares and stallions. In the comic, we see them in flight above mountain peaks, but the four page sequence seems limited (or beholden) to the theatricality of the original. The artist does not speculate as to the canvas beyond those skies and peaks even though he is already hampered by the lack of actual sound and long sections of purely orchestral music and on stage movement. This last problem is left largely unresolved by Russell in much of his Ring adaptation, and it seems clear that it would have taken a Cerebus-sized project to capture those extended periods between the actual singing.
In some ways, Coppola's famous (if overly cited) use of the music in Apocalypse Now seems to get to the heart of the matter more effectively not least because of the director's touch of irony. The Valkyrie are delivering the glorious dead from battle and the technical mastery of the famous helicopter sequence captures the reality of this celebration of blood lust. Russell's comic doesn't detract from the seeming majesty and nobility of the music. Any awe and terror which might be deduced from the narrative of an oncoming storm and the approach of a jealous and violent god is virtually non-existent and and everything slides easily but unmemorably down the reader's gullet.
What follows this famous scene is one of the most moving sections of music Wagner ever wrote as Brünnhilde pleads with her father not to dishonor her by making her mortal.
"What have you ordained that I must suffer?"
"In deep sleep, I shall enclose you. Whoever wakes you defenceless, has you as wife when you wake."
Here Russell's pace as much as Lovern Kindzierski's bright coloring scheme defeats his purpose, and any sadness, fear, or sense of futility is largely dissipated. Matt Wagner wrote the introduction to the first volume of Russell's collected Ring and one is reminded of the long conversation Kevin Matchstick has with Mirth in a back alley across from a dumpster holding Excalibur in Mage #14. Wagner spent nearly 20 pages on this sequence. Russell had no more than 8 pages to convey a much more complex conversation between a father and his daughter—between a god's sense of justice and his real will; between love and duty. Any sense of space (in the dialogue; between and around the protagonists) is diminished both by the word balloons and the figures which fill them.
If Russell's adaptation is imperfect, it is hardly a surprise with a project of this magnitude. Still, it is hard to imagine anyone else with the interest, strength, and ambition to capture the totality of Wagner's Ring cycle in comics form. As has been seen in the more common comic adaptations of famous novels, straight transcription and abbreviation rarely produce thrilling results. In my experience, the most effective adaptations tend to use short excerpts and commentary to fulfill their ends; the adapter feeling less obligated to more naive readers and engaging more thoroughly with the criticism surrounding the art form being transmuted.
Russell's proferred example of Wotan's vision in Rhinegold seems to be such a moment of expansion and examination. Presumably, for reasons of space and readability, such instances seldom present themselves throughout Russell's Ring which tends to be more rigid in its depiction of events. And if a more straightforward cleaving to the text is essential for reasons of clarity, the artist also often finds himself almost obviated—what he thinks of the proceedings, his reaction to the music, the long years of theatrical experience, the unbridled artistic imagination sublimated to the act of transcription. Some might say that his makes him the perfect adapter but it also negates a number of reasons why an opera enthusiast might desire to read this comic. These choices and compromises—some successful, others less so—are the essence of the adapter's art.


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NCAAB Basketball - Preview
The Harvard Crimson and the Florida Atlantic Owls will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at FAU Arena.
In their last action, Harvard was a 61-45 winner at home against Dartmouth. They covered the 14-point spread as favorites.
Florida Atlantic lost its last outing, a 65-60 result against Old Dominion on January 18. They failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point favorite.
Team record: 14-2 SU, 8-1-1 ATS
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
When playing on Tuesday are 7-3
Before playing Dartmouth are 7-3
After playing Dartmouth are 7-3
After a win are 8-2
Florida Atlantic:
Team record: 6-12 SU, 6-6-1 ATS
is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing Florida International are 5-5
After playing Old Dominion are 0-1
After a loss are 3-7
Next up:
Harvard at Dartmouth, Sunday, January 26
Florida Atlantic at Florida International, Saturday, January 25


text: Enter your United States or Canadian postal code or select a state or province to find Christian churches near you! The churches listed here do not fully represent the thousands of churches we notify on behalf of our therapists each month. The churches included in this directory are recommended by our therapists or have directly enrolled in this registry.


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Herb gardens are a fun way to ease into gardening. Most herbs are undemanding and hardy; for the most part, herbs will grow in poor soil, do well in sun and partly sunny spots, and don't mind the dry or hot weather that often comes our way. They are thrivers and survivors, often neglected because they are just too easy to get along with.
My experience with herbs is that, being so easy to plant and grow, they can be underappreciated. Sometimes herbs are planted, in part because they are "useful" plants, but then forgotten about and not put to any use.
Take our lavender, for example. We have several healthy plants around the garden, and we have continued to add plants to our garden because we like lavender.
One minor triumph in a season of irregular (for many reasons) gardening is that I've have been harvesting lavender flowers. The best time to harvest lavender is before the buds open, and I usually remember that when the plants are in full bloom. I've done better than that this year. A half a dozen nice bundles of lavender are drying even as I write.
Harvesting herbs gives a gardener the chance to enjoy the benefits of the plants, but it also is good for the plants themselves. Many herbs such as thyme, oregano, and basil will get "bushier" following a trim or pruning and make for a second harvest later in the season. Most herbs are at their peak just before flowering, so it's a good idea to pay attention to the plant's life cycle.
The best time to harvest herbs is in the morning after the dew has dried but before the full sun is on the plant. Wash the stalks gently under cold water and dry on towels or paper towels.
Preserving herbs is a simple and straightforward process. Herbs can be dried by being hung in bunches tied with string. Put them in a dry, well-circulating area out of direct sunlight. Another method of drying herbs is placing them on cookie sheets in the oven on a low temperature of less than 180F for 2 to 4 hours.
Some people like drying herbs in the microwave. This isn't a method I use, but it is supposed to work fine for small batches of herbs. Place a single layer of clean, dry leaves between two paper towels and microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes. Let the leaves cool and test. If they are not brittle enough to crumble easily, microwave them for another 30 seconds.
Some herbs, like mint or basil, may darken if dried in sunlight. To avoid that problem, place clean, dried herbs inside a paper bag and hang in a well-ventilated area to dry. It works surprisingly well, and the paper bag makes collecting the leaves as you remove them much easier.
Herbs can also be frozen. Coarsely chop clean herbs and place them in a water-filled ice cube tray. Freeze solid and then place the herb ice cubes in freezer bags.
When drying herbs, make sure that the herbs are completely dry before storing in air-tight containers. I like to use pint jars or recycle herb jars or other small jars to store and enjoy my garden herbs all year long.


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On November 15th, Smackdown Live will take place from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA. This will be the go-home show for Survivor Series that weekend, and one major name has been announced for the show.
The Undertaker is set to make an appearance at the show, and this will mark the first time the Deadman has been on WWE programming since Wrestlemania 32.
While there's no confirmation Taker will even appear on the televised portion of the show, the date is significant for a couple reasons: firstly, it's the Survivor Series go home show, an event he debuted at 26 years ago, and it is also the the 900th episode of SmackDown, the show the Phenom was synonymous with during the first brand split era.
Rumors are, of course, already swirling about if he'll play a role at the Nov. 20 pay-per-view (PPV), or if his appearance will be used to set-up his WrestleMania 33 angle.
Are you excited to see the Phenom back in WWE? Who would you like to see him face?


text: What Is CertMetrics?CertMetrics is an extremely flexible, turn-key solution that puts all your credential program and reporting data in one secure and easily managed location. CertMetrics includes a comprehensive set of tools and reports available for all levels of access including executive management, program managers, support personnel, and candidates. CertMetrics is built as a hosted software-as-a-service (Saas) solution, so you don't need to purchase hardware or maintain a complex infrastructure. And CertMetrics supports the full lifecycle of candidate and program management that will easily integrate with all your third-party systems and data providers.Learn More