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The human aspect plays an important role in the social sciences. The behaviour of people has become a vital area of focus in the social sciences as well. Recent Trends in Social and Behaviour Sciences contains papers that were originally presented at the International Congress on Interdisciplinary Behavior and Social Sciences, held 4-5 November 2013, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The contributions deal with various interdisciplinary research topics, particularly in the fields of social sciences, economics and arts. The papers focus especially on such topics as language, cultural studies, economics, behaviour studies, political sciences, media and communication, psychology and human development. This printed abstracts volume comes with a full paper CD-ROM (634pp).Proceedings of the International Congress on Interdisciplinary Behaviour and Social Sciences 2013 Ford Lumban Gaol, ... The ten latent factors of the IWEG extracted indicated satisfactory reliability scores. ... Islamicity.com has serviced more than 1.209 billion requests from their visitors and users since January 2001. Quranexplorer.com has recorded almost 29 millions of visitors since September 2006.
|Recent Trends in Social and Behaviour Sciences
|Ford Lumban Gaol, Seifedine Kadry, Marie Taylor, Pak Shen Li
|CRC Press - 2014-02-26
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The Open Water Beckons: How To Cruise And Not Lose
As the saying goes, "if you don't cruise, you lose." Okay so that is not really a saying but you're missing out if you don't go on a cruise. If you're unsure about doling out the cash to climb aboard a floating wonderland, check out a few tips to ease your sea-loving heart.
Budget Travel talked to a couple experts, Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.com, and Marilyn Green, a cruise editor at industry publication TravelAge West.
• Booking through a travel agent can save money: Those agents can be quite cozy with cruise lines, which translates to upgrades and extras for you. And you don't have to pay them, as lines pay them in commissions. Research agents (at least five years experience in an agent is good) with Cruise Lines International Association and The Travel Institute.
• You can save some big bucks by joining a cruise line's loyalty program: Lines like Royal Caribbean have excellent progams, says Spencer Brown. "They really make it worth your while to stick with them by hosting special members-only events onboard and occasionally distributing coupons for $100 to $500 off select sailings." You can also get priority boarding on some lines with the loyalty program. And again, free things are good — membership comes at no cost.
• Buy your own flights, even if the cruise offers do it for you: You can save money and greater flexibility with travel times. Cruise lines used to hold the ship if you were delayed on the way, but that doesn't happen much anymore. Some lines also charge fees for the service of booking airfare.
• Don't worry about tipping everyone on a cruise: Most cruise lines will charge your account around $6 to $15 per person per day to cover restaurant personnel and other helpful attendants. Make sure to ask about this when you check in to see if this is the case. That envelope left in your room marked "gratuity" can be used if your room steward is exceptional and you want to leave extra. So what if you don't like the service you've received? Tell the ship's purser before you leave and change the amount. Many times, drink prices include an automatic gratuity in the price.
• Booze is expensive, no matter what, so factor it into your budget: Sorry, enjoyers of alcohol. Beer and other spirits have risen in price recently, and you're not supposed to bring your own on board. Even duty-free booze purchases are kept by ship personnel until the trip is over.
5 money-saving questions — and answers [CNN]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.

subset: commoncrawl


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Governing Board
Rev. Valerie Bridgeman
President & CEO
Valerie is the generative and visionary leader of WomanPreach! Inc.Learn More
Gwen Thomas
Gwendolyn Thomas is the founder and president of The C.A.S.T.Learn More
Rev. Leslie D. Callahan
Senior Pastor of the historic St. Paul's Baptist Church in Philadelphia, PA.Learn More
Rev. Cedrick Von Jackson
Board of Trustee Member
Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Sardis, MSLearn More


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have opened the door to a new room," says Professor Christof Wöll, Director of KIT Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG). "This new application of metal-organic framework compounds is the beginning only. The end of this development line is far from being reached," the physicist emphasizes.
Metal-organic frameworks, called MOFs for short, consist of two basic elements, metal node points and organic molecules, which are assembled to form microporous, crystalline materials. For about a decade, MOFs have been attracting considerable interest of researchers, because their functionality can be adjusted by varying the components. "A number of properties of the material can be changed," Wöll explains.
The team of german research scientists at Karlsruher Institut Fur Technologie (KIT) have developed a metal-organic solar cell produced on the basis of a novel porphyrine-MOF is now presented by the researchers in the journal Angewandte Chemie (Applied Chemistry).
"The clou is that we just need a single organic molecule in the solar cell," Wöll says. The researchers expect that the photovoltaic capacity of the material may be increased considerably in the future by filling the pores in the crystalline lattice structure with molecules that can release and take up electric charges.
By means of a process developed at KIT, the crystalline frameworks grow in layers on a transparent, conductive carrier surface and form a homogeneous thin film, so-called SURMOFs. "The SURMOF process is suited in principle for a continuous manufacturing process and also allows for the coating of larger plastic carrier surfaces," Wöll says. Thanks to their mechanical properties, MOF thin films of a few hundred nanometers in thickness can be used for flexible solar cells or for the coating of clothing material or deformable components. While the demand for technical systems converting sunlight into electricity is increasing, organic materials represent a highly interesting alternative to silicon that has to be processed at high costs before it can be used for the photoactive layer of a solar cell.
Jinxuan Liu, Wencai Zhou, Jianxi Liu, Ian Howard, Goran Kilibarda, Sabine Schlabach, Damien Coupry, Matthew Addicoat, Satoru Yoneda, Yusuke Tsutsui, Tsuneaki Sakurai, Shu Seki, Zhengbang Wang, Peter Lindemann, Engelbert Redel, Thomas Heine, and Christof Wöll: Photoinduzierte Erzeugung von Ladungsträgern in epitaktischen MOF-Dünnschichten: hohe Leistung aufgrund einer indirekten elektronischen Bandlücke?, Angewandte Chemie, Ausgabe 25/2015. German edition: DOI: 10.1002/ange.201501862, International edition: DOI: 10.1002/anie.201501862
ST Staff Writers
This post was prepared by Solar Thermal Magazine staff.
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If you're considering a move to New Zealand, you are most likely aware of the seemingly daunting task that lies ahead: obtaining professional registration and immigration approval in the country. You may have your previous experience of migration or living and working abroad and many people will have different experiences of this process, but most consider it to be an arduous and complicated task, and one that many busy professionals don't have the time to take on.
This is where we (the Registrations Team at Head Medical) come in. We have a team of two Registration Consultants as well as an Immigration Adviser (who is licensed by the NZ Immigration Advisors Authority) on hand to advise and assist you through the process - whether it be a short/long-term work visa or permanent residence.
More details on how we can help:
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An extraordinary meeting of High Peak Borough Council will take place this week to discuss the local plan.
After a meeting last month when councillors voted not to accept the plan, members will meet at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, on Tuesday to try and take the vital document forward.
Members are now being recommended to accept a series of policies which will form a critical part of the plan.
If approved, the local plan will then be published and representations about its soundness invited from residents and other interested parties. Any valid comments received will be reported back to a council meeting in July before final submission to the Planning Inspectorate.
The report adds that if further significant changes are considered necessary then another round of consultation may be necessary before the local plan can be submitted, which would extend the timetable.
New guidance or evidence issued prior to submission may also lead to further changes to the local plan which could impact on the timetable.
If councillors do not agree the submission version of the local plan, or if alternative changes are made, there is a very significant risk it will not be found sound, or that the council may be advised by the Planning Inspectorate to reconsider it before any examination can take place or to withdraw the plan altogether.
This would lead to a significant delay to the adoption of the local plan.
Having agreed proposals relating to sites allocated for housing in the Buxton, Central and Glossopdale sub-areas at the last meeting, members then voted not to accept the remaining sections of the plan.


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LONDON (AP) — A new literary prize created to find the best book published in Britain has a strong North American accent.
The 40,000 pound ($66,000) Folio Prize is open to any work of fiction published in the United Kingdom in 2013.
The eight finalists, announced Monday, include five books by U.S. writers: "Schroder" by Amity Gaige; "Benediction" by Kent Haruf; "The Flamethrowers" by Rachel Kushner; "A Naked Singularity" by Sergio De La Pava; and "Tenth of December" by George Saunders.
There is also Canadian Anne Carson's "Red Doc" and two books by Britain-based writers — Jane Gardam's "Last Friends," and Eimear McBride's "A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing."
British poet Lavinia Greenlaw, who is chairing the judging panel, said the American emphasis was a coincidence.
"We forgot about the authors and focused on the books," she said.
There are few big-name authors on a list that ranges from debut novelist De La Pava — a public defender in New York — to 85-year-old Gardam, and includes Saunders' volume of short stories and Carson's long-form poem.
Greenlaw said that what the books had in common was risk-taking authors "doing things that should fail and pulling them off."
The contest is in its first year and hopes to rival the Booker Prize as the English-speaking world's most prestigious literary award. But it has been criticized by some in the U.K. literary world who feel British authors will be overlooked.
Those concerns have grown since the Booker, previously confined to British, Irish and Commonwealth writers, announced that it will be open to all nationalities starting this year.
But Folio Prize founder Andrew Kidd said: "It seemed perverse that we would have launched a prize in 2013 which was other than borderless, in an increasingly borderless world."
The winner will be announced March 10 in London.


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Among the most renowned singers of her generation, Ruxandra Donose has captured critical and popular acclaim in leading opera houses and concert halls around the world. She has performed at venues including the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, New York, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Vienna State Opera, Berlin Staatsoper, Los Angeles Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Real Madrid and Tokyo.
In the 2017/18 season Donose makes a number of eagerly anticipated role debuts including Kundry Parsifal with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Baden-Baden Festspiele under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle and the title role Norma at Opéra de Rouen. On the concert platform she appears with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski in concert performances of Enescu's Oedipe at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest and the Royal Festival Hall.
Following her hugely acclaimed debut as Eboli Don Carlo in 2016, Donose continued her exploration of dramatic repertoire last season by taking on the role of Elektra in a new production of Manfred Trojahn's Orest at Opernhaus Zürich. Other highlights last season include Eduige Rodelinda and Octavian Der Rosenkavalier at the Bolsoi and Adalgisa Norma at Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Recent highlights include Arsace Semiramide in Lyon and Paris; Komponist and Donna Elvira at Royal Opera House and Deutsche Oper Berlin; Carmen in the UK premiere of Calixto Bieito's production at ENO and in Cincinnati; the title role of La Grande Duchesse de Gerolstein in Geneva; Idamante Idomeneo at the Ravinia Festival with James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Octavian Der Rosenkavalier at Bayerische Staatsoper and Cincinnati Opera; Dorabella Così fan Tutte for LA Opera and Spoleto, Tamiri in a new production of Vivaldi´s Il Farnace in Paris, Strasbourg and Mulhouse and Marguerite La Damnation de Faust in Seattle. Last season she was heard as Eduige in her company debut with the Bolshoi and returned to Royal Opera House to reprise her much acclaimed Komponist. In summer 2016 she made an outstanding debut as Princess Eboli Don Carlo at Grange Park Opera.
A highly demanded concert singer, Donose has appeared with many leading orchestras around the world. Recent concert engagements include Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Philharmonia Orchestra and at the Tanglewood Festival; La mort de Cléopâtre with the Philharmonia Orchestra BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Das Lied von der Erde at the Enescu Festival; Mozart's Requiem with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; Verdi's Requiem with the Czech Philharmonic and Fabio Luisi; Les nuits d'été on European tour with Liège Philharmonie; Rossini´s Stabat Mater at Royal Festival Hall with London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin; L'heure espagnole with London Symphony Orchestra and Josep Pons at the Barbican; and a Rosenblatt recital at the Wigmore Hall. One of the most in demand Marguerite La Damnation de Faust, the role has featured prominently in her concert career, with performances with the Berlin Sinfonie-Orchester, Berlin Philharmonic, Tokyo Philarmonic, the Tonhalle Orchestra in Zürich, Orchestre National du Capitôle in both Toulouse and Valencia; Orchestre de Paris; Cleveland Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. The role was also the vehicle for her Verbier Festival debut.
Amongst her acclaimed roles are Charlotte Werther (Royal Opera House, Deutsche Oper Berlin), Cenerentola (Glyndebourne Festival, Liege, Deutsche Oper Berlin), Sesto Giulio Cesare (Royal Opera House, Glyndebourne, San Francisco Opera, Vienna State Opera), Nicklausse (Royal Opera House, The Met, San Francisco Opera, Opera de Paris), Komponist (Royal Opera House, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Philadelphia), Concepcion L'heure espagnole (Royal Opera House), Octavian Der Rosenkavalier (Bayerische Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper Berlin. In 2008 she premiered the The Fly at Los Angeles Opera.
Her most recent recordings include Arminio for Decca, Tamerlanofor Naïve and Caldara's rediscovered opera La concordia dei Pianeti for Deutsche Grammophon as well as her first solo album Romance. Further discography includes Schubert's Ständchen (Philips), Dvorak's Stabat Mater with Giuseppe Sinopoli (Deutsche Grammophon), Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde with Michael Halasz (Naxos), Bach's Mass in B minor with Sergiu Celibidache, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Béla Drahos (Naxos), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Bertrand de Billy (Arte Nova), La Cenerentola (DVD, Opus Arte), Oedipe (Naxos), Songs by Nicolae Bretan (Nimbus), Vivaldi´s Il Farnace (EMI/Virgin) and many others.
Season highlights
Kundry Parsifal
Baden-Baden Festspiele
Title role Norma
Opéra de Rouen
Jocasta Oedipe
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Colin Davis
There's a superb Princess Eboli from the vibrant Romanian mezzo, Ruxandra Donose.
Telegraph, June 2016
The Romanian mezzo Ruxandra Donose is nothing short of superb as the disruptive seductress Princess Eboli, scattering sinuous charm on her playful "Veil" song and fire and brimstone when it comes to her vengeance and remorse.
Ruxandra Donose has a caressing, velvety-smooth voice, and a way of harnessing her stage energy to a point of stillness that makes her mesmerizing


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"…thinking makes it so…"
I believe that thinking makes it so. Although he was probably not the first to say this– or believe this – Shakespeare's Hamlet said, "for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." But Hamlet retorts this to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, when they disagree and think differently, as it is a simple philosophical argument:
How do you know something is good?
But really, how do you know?
No, but really, how do you know?
But I am not Hamlet, and I am not a philosopher, but I do believe that thinking makes it so.
When I was young, too young to really remember, my mother Linda died. I don't remember how my father or aunts and uncles explained it to me, but coming from a very Roman Catholic family, it probably had to do something with heaven. And angels. And whatever else you could come up with to explain life and death to a 2-year-old who just lost his mother. I remember believing that she was an angel, because I thought it, and it was so.
Years later, I tragically lost my older sister Beth in a car accident, and again, I got the heaven and angels talk, from the church and the grief counselors. But as a skeptical teenager who thought he knew everything, I didn't believe in the angels and the being watched over. Beth wasn't being watched over that day, or at least it certainly didn't seem like it. Although, I still didn't know what to believe and, to my teenage surprise, I certainly didn't know everything.
But the one thing I do know now, is the philosophers, and Hamlet, had it right the whole time.
I believe that if I think something – if I truly believe something – then it is. It is as I believe it. If I believe in a personal God, then It is for me. If I believe in angels watching over me, then they are for me.
But most importantly, I believe that thinking about people, dead or alive, recent or ancient, near or far, that thinking about them makes them present for me…even if only for that instant of time, they are a thought in the here and now.
It is this, I believe.
If you enjoyed this essay, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to This I Believe, Inc.


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Property Jobs in Dubai & the entire UAE (United Arab Emirates) include:
Property / Real Estate Jobs Vacancies are available in all UAE member emirates viz. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah.
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Sorouh Real Estate Company
Trust City Real Estate
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You'll need to customize quite a lot. There is a lot of content to be added and some to be removed. The format, the style, the words to be used, are quite different too.
Provide enough details about your job duties and responsibilities on your CV. This should be done for at least the last 3 jobs, but with focus on the last one. Format each sentence using bullet points. This way the recruiter gets a clear idea of what you are capable of doing.
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WASHINGTON — Administration health officials are considering plans that would raise Medicare premiums and create a system of Individual Medical Accounts that would work much like the present tax-deferred Individual Retirement Accounts.
These plans, still under study, were mentioned as possible future options for Medicare reform Wednesday during testimony before Rep. Claude Pepper`s House Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care.
The 85-year-old chairman from Miami and other Democrats welcomed Dr. Otis Bowen, the newly appointed secretary of Health and Human Services, with mixed reactions of hope and suspicion.
Pepper was ``heartened`` by Bowen`s past record of concern about the financial drain of health costs on the elderly and by President Reagan`s decision to seek a study on long-term ``catastrophic`` health care coverage.
``I am disturbed by reports, however, that the administration plan may focus on covering hospital costs currently not covered under the Medicare program. While we all agree that this should be done, it simply would not go far enough.
``It would not provide financial assistance for those whose care must be provided in the home or in a custodial nursing care setting, where the real catastrophic need exists,`` Pepper said. ``In fact, the administration`s plan may help only about 1 percent of the 30 million Medicare beneficiaries, while asking all of that group to double their annual premiums.``
Other Democrats spoke more sharply against the administration budget, which they said would cut as much as $60 billion of federal money for Medicare over five years while extending coverage to the relative few needing long-term care, which generally is defined as 60 days or more of hospitalization.
Bowen, a former physician and former governor of Indiana, remained noncommittal about his study into Medicare reform and defended the proposed budget cuts.


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The Star for Life Project, founded by Christin and Dan Olofsson, is an awareness, education and prevention programme that began at the Siphosabadletshe High School, near Hluhluwe in Zululand, in 2005. Launched as a school-based HIV and AIDS prevention programme, Star for Life empowers youth with information and motivation to take decisions that will reduce the risk of them contracting HIV. It is also committed to building attitudes and changing risky behaviours in ways that empower young people to realise their dreams of a better future.
After an assessment at the end of 2005, funding was raised in Sweden to expand the project to 40 schools in the uMkhanyakude District, at a cost of R32m. The project now reaches over 100 000 children with its message of "AIDS-free, that's me" using 'mental vaccination' to help learners to make informed choices about sexuality.
There are currently 28 staff members, led by Executive Director Dr Per Strand, all of whom are qualified and skilled coaches, counsellors and trainers. The project's head office is in Hluhluwe with other offices in Johannesburg and Windhoek, Namibia.


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Friday, July 13th, 2007 Stories in The Daily Standard
Online Local News Stories
A wildlife biologist has been hired to help landowners in Mercer and Auglaize counties gain money from the Farm Bill for conservation practices. Mitchell Hess started in the new position June 15. He works out of the Auglaize Co . . .
Art Wise is steaming mad. He has been fishing Grand Lake for the better part of a century and claims the fishing has never been worse. Now he is turning to the state for answers. "You just can't go out and catch fish anymore . . .
COLDWATER - New Bremen plated five runs in the top of the first, more than enough to stay in the winner's bracket of the 2007 ACME District Tournament with an 18-3 win in five innings over Fort Loramie at Veterans Field in Coldwa . . .
ST. HENRY - Away from the bustling highway of state Route 119 lies a bank barn with a stone foundation rising out of one of the many hills on the farm property. Built in 1855 under the direction of the Precious Blood Society, i . . .
Print Edition Only News Stories
• Fort school employees receive raise
• Age limit for unattended children being discussed by pool officials
• Higher costs, fewer diners puts lunch fund in red
• New Bremen schools get prestigious accreditation
• Ball tournament to fill Celina parks
• Annexation begins on land for business
• Local woman marks 50 years as nun
• Maria Stein woman gets national award
• State funds to help buy new technology
• Aim to eliminate 'Shotgun' fungus
• Workshop offered to teach correct way to fertilize lawns
• St. Henry legion team thrashes St. Marys
Sunday Night
Monday Night
Tuesday Night
Wednesday Night
Thursday Night
3 Day
Friday, September 21
Friday, September 21
Friday, September 21
Thursday, September 20
Thursday, August 23


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The Pope made a historic visit to Ground Zero yesterday lighting a candle and offering a prayer at the base of the site where the Twin Towers stood. The Pontiff can be seen in this image surrounded by the cranes and machinery which are currently being used in the regeneration of the surrounding area creation of the monument to the disaster, Reflecting Absence.
Reflecting Absence, designed by Israeli architect Michael Arad, was chosen in 2004 ahead of 5200 entrants as the competition winner for the World Trade Centre Site Memorial Competition.
The design features two voids or 'footprints' where the Twin Towers once stood which will be encircled by a forest of trees and hold waterfalls which will cascade into pools around the edges of each of the voids. The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation state that the pools will act to "serve as a powerful reminder of the Twin Towers and of the unprecedented loss of life from an attack on (American) soil." Reflecting Absence is due for completion by the end on 2009.
Niki Young
Genoa bridge collapse
Bridge collapse
Festival collapse
Lost 20th century buildings illustrations
The Inglewood transit connector
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G4S has a $234 million contract with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection – a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). On its website, G4S describes the contract as follows: "G4S supports the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with its operations at the U.S. Mexico border and with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to transport illegal immigrants in selected urban areas. Annually, our G4S fortified buses log millions of miles and transport hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, while freeing up front line CPB and ICE personnel for other essential services."
In a promotional brochure, G4S brands its service as "The Bus No One Wants to Catch – The End of the Road for Illegal Immigrants." Raising the threat of "criminals, drug dealers and potential terrorists," the website reports, "a team of 600 G4S customs protection officers operate more than 100 buses and vans in order to carry the huge number of apprehended individuals, the majority of whom are Mexican, to the processing centers."
In March 2012, Tucson activists chained themselves together and blocked the entrance to the G4S transportation headquarters that services the Homeland Security contract. The protesters criticized G4S for contributing to the militarization of the US-Mexico border and supporting Israel's apartheid policies toward Palestinians.
Angry Community Members Storm G4S Office
SOURCE: CENSORED NEWS SPECIAL EDITION Community members burst uninvited into the Tucson offices of private security firm G4S and declared their opposition to the company's profiteering at the expense of immigrant communities in Tucson, across the nation and throughout the world. Incensed by G4S' role in promoting the criminalization of immigrants and the expansion of […]
G4S Lands $234 Million Contract for Detainee Transportation Along Border
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT SECURITY NEWS US Customs Border Protection (CBP) has decided to stick with G4S, the company currently providing detainee transportation, medical escort services and security guard services along the Southwest border, with a new contract for similar ongoing services worth more than $234 million. As reported in Government Security News in January 2012, the […]


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Priyadarshan busy as bee, thanks to new projects
Mumbai, Aug 30 (IANS) Award winning director Priyadarshan's hands are full. His comedy "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal" has yet to hit screens, and he is already focusing on two new projects – one with Akshay Kumar and another is with newcomers, which is said to be titled "Rangrez".
"I will be doing a film in the mid of next year with Akshay. It will be a commercial genre," Priyadarshan told IANS. This will be the actor-director's seventh film together after "Hera Pheri", "Garam Masala", "Bhagam Bhag", "Bhool Bhulaiyaa", "De Dana Dan" and "Katta Meetha".
"Rangrez" will star Jackky Bhagnani, Priya Anand and newcomers.
Talking about the script, he said: "My next film is with new boys. It's a film about youngsters. It's about their life before their jobs," he said adding that working with freshers is challenging.
"It's challenging. New boys, new expression and new way of acting. I share my experience in acting with them and I learn something from them," added the filmmaker.
Priyadarshan's "Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal", a laughter riot, stars Nana Patekar, Shreyas Talpade, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav and it is coming out Sep 28.


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Staffers sipped 141 different bagged blends. These get two pinkies up.
Best Flavored
The Republic of Tea Cinnamon Plum Black Tea
This aromatic pick is well balanced with ground cinnamon, elderberries, and natural plum flavor. The airtight container keeps the tea fresh.
To buy: $9.50 for 50 bags, amazon.com.
Best Decaf
Mighty Leaf Decaf Breakfast Tea
Silk tea bags and whole organic leaves allow for maximum infusion. Full-bodied and complex, it reminded tasters of butter cookies and toast.
To buy: $9 for 15 bags, at grocery stores.
Best Irish Breakfast
Harney & Sons Premium Irish Breakfast Tea Bags
Irish breakfast tea is like English breakfast tea, but maltier, thanks to Assam leaves from India. Tasters voted this variety the most potent cup, begging for a splash of cream and sugar.
To buy: $6.50 for 20 bags, amazon.com.
Best English Breakfast
Twinings English Breakfast
English breakfast tea is typically a blend of astringent teas, especially those from China and Sri Lanka, which stand up well to milk. This classic is bright but not bitter.
To buy: $4.20 for 20 bags, target.com.
Best Chai
Smith Teamaker Masala Chai
Far more fragrant than dusty-tasting competitors, this winner packs a punch with whole pink and black peppercorns, cloves, cardamom, and ginger root. Steep it in hot water or combine it with frothy milk and sugar in the Indian tradition.
To buy: $12 for 15 bags, at grocery stores.
Best Earl Grey
Celestial Organics Earl Grey
This Fair Trade Certified blend starts out citrusy but finishes with Earl Grey's trademark maltiness. Great for an afternoon snack with sweets. (Try shortbread cookies.)
To buy: $5 for 20 bags, Whole Foods Market and amazon.com.


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Aug 16, 2011
42 New Email Templates
Last month, Aarron showed off 33 new templates that were introduced in the v6.1 release. This month, for v6.2, I'm showing off an additional 42 new templates that are being added to the pre-designed section of the app's email template library.
Here's what we're adding to the library:
- RSS-to-email: 9
- Fitness: 6
- Technology (iPhone & Android Showcase): 12
- Restaurant: 15
For this release, our focus was on creating some template variations for a category we felt was very under-represented within the library: restaurants. To that end, five designs were created and three variations for each of those designs were built, for a grand total of 15 templates.
These templates allow quite a bit of design leeway to make it easy for you to match your branding, whether you own a coffee shop or a burger bar. While we're on the subject of entrepreneurship, let's talk about the new iPhone and Android templates:
Using these guys, you can quickly get a campaign for your new app up and running, using a simple and elegant template design that puts your work up-front and center-stage without you having to expend too much effort.
Maybe you run a small gym or hold yoga classes. If so, boy, are you in luck! We've added a new pre-designed category, fitness, and its first batch of templates. You'll find six templates that let you send out class schedules, news, and featured content to your subscribers:
Each template can be easily changed to fit your branding needs while still retaining a nice, clean design that will hold together across email clients.
For those of you who publish RSS content straight into an email campaign, we've added a collection of RRS-to-email templates that are easy to style and are pre-filled with the all of the merge tags you need for a solid RSS-based campaign:
We've also moved our Designer Templates – emails designed by web design titans like Veerle Pieters, Mike Kus, and Matthew Smith – out of their "Premium" section, making them available to everyone for free within the pre-designed library.
Finally, we've created an expanded look at our email template gallery, showcasing the hundreds of customizable email templates available within the application, made for everyone from beginners to veterans of HTML email.
Spin those campaigns up and keep an eye out as more templates keep streaming in – we're not done by a longshot.


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Emerging Artist Program Application 2018 (Literature)
Ends in 6 days, 14 hours
What is an emerging artist?
An emerging artist is an artist that has mastered the basic techniques in her/ his art form and who is attempting to launch a professional career in the arts OR an artist taking his/her established career in a new direction. An artist is not required to have any particular degree or type of education to qualify as an emerging artist.
What is the Emerging Artists Program?
The Emerging Artists Program (EAP) is a project grant program that provides financial support to developing or established professionals by funding a project pivotal to the advancement of their careers as artists. Pivotal projects may happen at different stages of a career; therefore Emerging Artists Grants are not restricted to "unestablished" artists. 2018-2019 Emerging Artists Grants are intended to fund a particular project that will occur between January 1 – December 31, 2019. The Emerging Artists Program begins its 35th year in 2018-2019.
Who is eligible to apply for a grant?
Individual artists practicing any art form are eligible to apply for a grant. Applicant must be an individual, not a company, group or ensemble. Applicant must currently reside in Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange or Person Counties, North Carolina and have resided there for at least one year immediately prior to the application deadline (since September 21, 2017). Applicant must be at least 18 years of age and cannot be currently enrolled in a degree or certificate program in her/his art form at the time of the application deadline. Recipients of 2017-2018 Emerging Artists Grants may not apply for a 2018-2019 grant.
What is the deadline for submitting applications?
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, September 26, 2018. All portions of the application must be received by this date, although letters of support, should you choose to submit them, may arrive by Friday, September 28, 2018. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Who decides which artists receive awards?
Grant applications and support materials are reviewed by local professional artists in each art form, their comments are then forwarded to the EAP Committee who reviews applications, recommendations and then makes the final award decisions for all EAP grant applications.
Who funds the program?
The Emerging Artists Program is funded through grants from the North Carolina Arts Council a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, the Orange County Arts Commission, the Chatham Arts Council, the Granville Arts Council, the Person County Arts Council, gifts to the Durham Arts Council Annual Arts Fund, the Ella Fountain Pratt Fund, the Ruth Carver Fund, The Wainwright Fund for New Works and private & corporate donations.
What types of projects are likely to be funded?
The Emerging Artists Grant Committee is interested in assisting the development of an artist's career, so be sure to clearly define the relationship of your project to your career goals.
In the past, grant awards have provided funds for the following types of expenses:
1) Promotion/ Presentation: The cost of producing a demonstration CD for a composer or musician, a DVD for a choreographer, a portfolio for a graphic artist, editorial assistance for a writer, etc.
2) Travel: Travel to specific workshops, auditions, retreats or seminars—or to do research intrinsic to his/her art form.
3) Services: Rental of equipment or facilities for presentation or creation of a new work.
4) Supplies: Purchase of supplies, materials or equipment necessary for the completion or production of a new work which is considered by the artist to be essential to her/his career.
5) Training: Advanced workshops, master classes or coaching that will enhance the artist's abilities. This program does not support work towards a degree.
Can I get assistance in filling out the grant application?
Yes, Durham Arts Council and partner counties will offer grant workshops to explain the program and answer any questions you may have about completing the grant application. These sessions are free, and we would appreciate that you call the appropriate contact number so we know how many people to expect. You do not need to attend the session in your own county – attend the session that is most convenient for you, regardless of which county you live in. We expect each session to last 60-90 minutes.
All workshops are at 6:00pm:
Tuesday, July 10: Chatham Arts Council, Pittsboro
Wednesday, July 25: Chapel Hill Public Library, Meeting Room A
Wednesday, August 1: Durham Arts Council
Tuesday, August 7: Kirby Theatre, Roxboro
What selection criteria will be used?
1. Overall excellence of the applicant's art work and demonstration of exceptional talent
2. The applicant's serious professional commitment to her/ his art form
3. Contribution of the proposed project to the artist's professional development
4. Feasibility of the proposed project
5. Timeline—project should happen between January 1- December 31, 2019 (extensions will be considered)
How much money can I expect to be granted?
While no specific minimum has been established, the maximum amount an applicant can request is $1,500. Our priority is to provide full funding of the requested amount.
Will I be required to provide a final report of my use of the grant?
Yes, we require both a financial and narrative report. A report form will be sent to those receiving awards. Future awards will be contingent upon the submission of a final report.
All applications are due by Friday, September 21, 2018 at 11:59 p.m.
We do not accept late or incomplete applications.
The Emerging Artists Program is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, the Durham Arts Council Annual Fund and individual contributions.
Durham Arts Council promotes and encourages excellence in the creation, experience and support of the arts all for the enrichment of our total community. Durham Arts Council does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation or belief, age, or disability.


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Report: City 1-1 Spurs
English FA Cup
Gary Doherty rekindled his love affair with the FA Cup as we turned around Sunday's clash at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The big defender made his name at Spurs with an FA Cup winner at Orient before opening the scoring against Arsenal in the semi-final of the competition back in 2001.
Since then he's had to recover from a broken leg and losing his place in the squad but he's has won praise from all quarters since stepping in for the injured Dean Richards at the turn of the year.
And it was happy days again in the FA Cup for the Irishman as we made a stirring comeback in this fourth round tie.
City certainly had the best of the first half but the introduction of Stephane Dalmat and John Jackson for injured pair Mauricio Taricco and Darren Anderton at half-time triggered a shift in power.
Robbie Keane and Helder Postiga went close before Doherty headed home Postiga's corner to cancel out Nicolas Anelka's first half opener.
Doherty looped another header just over, Postiga went close, Kevin Ellgaard saved Michael Brown's free-kick - it was all us until the arrival of Jon Macken and Shaun Wright-Phillips turned the tide again.
Two more great chances followed - one at either end - and City caused a few heart-stopping moments late on, but we deserved the replay.
The first half was a different story and we failed to find any fluency and City had the best of it.
The opening exchanges were scrappy before City took the lead after 10 minutes.
It all started with a fine save from Kasey Keller to turn aside Robbie Fowler's deflected shot but we failed to clear the corner, Fowler's looping header hit the inside of the post and Anelka was there to tap in.
Fowler had a couple of chances to break clear but appeared reluctant to shoot on sight and Richard Dunne headed just wide.
Claudio Reyna was then booked for a foul on Brown as the pair had a running battle - fingers were certainly pointed (mainly by Brown) when Brown was suddenly floored.
Indeed, Brown did well to hold his composure as he was buffeted from pillar to post in that first half, hardly the ideal birthday present on his return to his former club.
Our best chance of the half came after 38 minutes. Keane's driving run took him past two defenders, Trevor Sinclair got a toe in only to divert it to Simon Davies who struck immediately from 16 yards but Ellegaard was alive to it.
City had time for two more chances, both via Sun Jihai, as Reyna got his attempted lob all wrong and Antoine Sibierski looped a header wide.
David Pleat changed it around during the break. Jackson came on for Mauricio Taricco, who had suffered a couple of knocks and Dalmat for Darren Anderton, who was struggling himself.
As reported above, the emphasis changed completely with Ellegaard saving well from Keane and Brown, Postiga going close and Doherty levelling after 56 minutes.
City's substitutes had the desired effect though as the sides traded punches in the last 20 minutes.
Sinclair and Paul Bosvelt had chances but Postiga should perhaps have nodded us in front when Keane landed the perfect cross on his head six yards out after 79 minutes.
Play switched straight up the other end and the chance of the match. Reyna threaded the ball through to Macken who beat the offside trap but chose to try and clip the ball around Keller one-on-one rather than square for Anelka to tap home.
City continued to press, Dunne headed tamely at Keller, Anelka took the ball off Sinclair's toe when he had a sight of goal and Jihai volleyed wide in the last minute.
The replay is at the Lane on Wednesday February 4.
30secs: Early effort from Sibierski no problems for Keller.
10mins: SAVE. Keller alive to slight deflection on Fowler rasper, good save low down to his left.
10mins: GOAL. From corner, ball not cleared, Fowler looping header hit inside of post, Anelka tapped home rebound.
25mins: Fowler sprung offside trap but Gardner back to nick ball off him.
29mins: Dunne headed Tarnat's inswinging free-kick a yard wide, Keller had it covered.
30mins: Fowler through again from Reyna pass but didn't see to want to shoot, delayed, Gardner and Doherty back to clear.
31mins: YELLOW. Reyna for foul on Brown - pair having running battle.
32mins: Anelka onto poor backpass from Gardner, Keller raced out of box, Anelka always getting there first but Keller did enough.
35mins: YELLOW. Anderton for foul on Reyna.
38mins: CHANCE. Keane driving run, tackled but loose ball fell to Davies, Ellegaard decent save to his left.
40mins: CHANCE. Reyna onto Jihai's chipped pass, chance to lob Keller but got it all wrong.
45mins: Sibierski onto deep Jahai cross, attempted looping header wide.
Half-time: City 1-0 Spurs
Half-time: SUBS. Dalmat and Jackson for Anderton and Taricco.
47mins: Dalmat immediate impact, deep cross to Keane, decent block by Ellegaard at near post.
53mins: YELLOW. Bosvelt for foul on Brown.
54mins: YELLOW. Carr for foul on Anelka.
55mins: CHANCE. One-two between Postiga and Keane cut City open but Postiga failed to control ball in front of goal.
56mins: GOAL. Deep, inswinging corner from Postiga nodded in at far post by Doherty. 1-1.
57mins: CLOSE. Identical corner, this time Doherty looped slightly more difficult header over.
59mins: No offside flag with Anelka 'inactive', Fowler raced clear but wide of area, Doherty cut out cross - aimed at Anelka.
62mins: Gardner cross headed over at near post by Postiga, difficult chance.
63mins: Ellegaard parried Brown free-kick, Dunne there to hack away as Doherty closed in on rebound. All over them at the moment.
69mins: SUBS. Macken and Wright-Phillips for Fowler and Sibierski.
72mins: Sinclair shrugged off Carr, dragged shot wide from 20 yards.
78mins: Bosvelt snap shot from edge of the box, comfortable save for Keller.
79mins: CHANCE. Magic from Keane, stood up perfect cross for Postiga, between defenders, but couldn't keep header down from close range.
81mins: EVEN BETTER CHANCE. Macken sprung offside trap, attempted to clip ball around Keller when square pass would have left open goal for Anelka.
83mins: Dunne onto deep Tarnat free-kick but couldn't muster power to trouble Keller.
89mins: Jihai volleyed wide after Keller punched away dangerous Wright-Phillips cross.
Full-time: City 1-1 Spurs.
Line-ups: City: Ellegaard, Distin, Reyna, Fowler (Macken, 69), Sibierski (Wright-Phillips, 69), Jihai, Tarnat, Dunne, Bosvelt, Sinclair, Anelka. Subs: Arason, McManaman, Sommeil.
Spurs: Keller, Carr, Taricco (Jackson, 45), Doherty, Gardner, Brown, Anderton (Dalmat, 45), Davies, King, Keane, Postiga. Subs: Hirschfeld, Bunjevcevic, Zamora.
Referee: Steve Dunn


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By the Division of Insurance
Bulletin 2016-02
TO: Commercial Health Insurers; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc.; and Health Maintenance Organizations Offering or Renewing Insured Health Products in Massachusetts
FROM: Daniel R. Judson, Commissioner of Insurance
DATE: January 19, 2016
RE: Requirements for Carriers Issuing Written Notices of Adverse Determinations
The Division of Insurance ("Division") issues this Bulletin to make commercial health insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Inc. and health maintenance organizations offering or renewing insured health products (hereinafter referred to as "Carriers") aware that they are required to comply with certain federal health insurance appeal requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA"), including those associated with the content of adverse determination notices.
Please note that when a Carrier sends to an insured an initial written notice of an adverse determination at the end of utilization review and prior to the initiation of any appeals processes, the written notice shall include a substantive clinical justification that is consistent with generally accepted principles of professional medical practice, and shall, at a minimum:
- include information about the claim including, if applicable, the date(s) of service, the health care provider(s), the claim amount, and any diagnosis, treatment, and denial code(s) and their corresponding meaning(s);
- identify the specific information upon which the adverse determination was based;
- discuss the insured's presenting symptoms or condition, diagnosis and treatment interventions;
- explain in a reasonable level of detail the specific reasons such medical evidence fails to meet the relevant medical review criteria;
- reference and include a copy of any applicable clinical practice guidelines, medical review criteria, or other clinical basis for the adverse determination;
- include a description of any additional material or information necessary for the insured to perfect the claim and an explanation of why such material or information is necessary;
- include a clear, concise and complete description of the Carrier's review procedures along with the applicable time limits, including a description of the formal internal grievance process and the procedures for obtaining external review, pursuant to 958 CMR 3.000, and the process for seeking expedited internal review and concurrent expedited internal and external reviews, pursuant to 958 CMR 3.309;
- include a statement of the insured's right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as applicable;
- notify the insured of the availability of, and contact information for, the consumer assistance toll-free number maintained by the Office of Patient Protection, and if applicable, the Massachusetts consumer assistance program; and
- include a statement, prominently displayed in English, Arabic, Khmer (Cambodian), Chinese, French, Greek, Haitian-Creole, Italian, Lao, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and any non-English language in which 10% or more of the population residing in any Massachusetts county served by the Carrier is only literate in the same non-English language, as specified by the Office of Patient Protection, that clearly indicates how the insured can request oral interpretation and written translation services from the Carrier consistent with 958 CMR 3.700.
Carriers should make amendments, as necessary, so that the written adverse determination notices that they will send to insureds will be compliant with these requirements. The Division requests that Carriers forward templates for all adverse determination notices to the Division so that the materials may be added to the Carriers' managed care accreditation files.
If you have any questions about this Bulletin, please consider contacting Kevin Beagan at 617‑521-7323 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Corn and Potato Chowder
If you like it, save it!
Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place.Got it!
If you like something…
Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like.Got it!
Author Notes: The inspriration for the chowder came from a recipe in old Williams & Sonoma catalog. That recipe called for whole milk and bacon which I am sure would make this chowder decadent. I modified this to make it a non-dairy and vegan version for lovely and clean digestion and for all of those in my family that happen to be lactose-intolerant! I use imagine Rice Milk instead of cows milk. The rice milk has a sweet taste and is quite nice, but looks quite watery and gray if you have not used it before. You can find it in the health food section of most supermarkets and in our local market you can even purchase it in the milk section, fresh and ice cold. The rich potatoes give the chowder the body it might otherwise miss from not using a whole milk (or half cream for that matter). Also, I have gone quite light on the salt and pepper, please adjust for your tastes. I hope you enjoy this one! —Sunchowder
Serves: five
Medium Onion, chopped fine
cups Rice Milk
Medium Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Ears of Fresh Corn, Kernels removed, reseve corn cobs
teaspoons Kosher Salt
teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives for Garnish
tablespoons Canola Oil to saute onions
- Pour your 2 Tbsps of canola oil into a heavy Dutch Oven or soup pot. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add the rice milk (or regular if you prefer), peeled and diced potatoes, corn and the reserved corn cobs into the pot. Cover and bring to the boil, turn down the fire and cook on medium heat for about 1 hour. Remove the cobs. Using an immersion blender, puree the chowder as much as you prefer and add your salt and pepper. You can mix the chives in at this point or you can ladle your soup and garnish each one with a bit of the chopped chives.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Corn Recipe
More Great Recipes:


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Bills are on the way to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk that would make it a crime to make public the names of people who applied for or received concealed handgun permits — one dealing with state-issued authorizations, the other with permits issued by sheriffs.
Jindal's office indicated Thursday that the governor would sign the legislation into law.
House Bill 98 deals with those issued by sheriffs. HB98 also allows a sheriff to enter into an agreement with a sheriff of contiguous parish to issue concealed handgun permits, which are valid in both parishes.
House Bill 8 deals with state issued permits. Under current law, concealed handgun permit information is not a public record.
State Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Bossier City and sponsor of both measures, said penalties for non-compliance are needed to protect the sensitive information from being released.
Penalties would be the same under each bill. The intentional release of the information by anyone in law enforcement or working for the state agency handling the permits would be subject to a fine of up to $500, not more than six months in jail or both. Any other person who intentionally makes the information public "shall be fined $10,000" and may be imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.
There are a few exceptions including if a court orders the information's release, if the permit holder is charge with the felony offense or if the permit holder either agrees to the information's release or the permit holder or applicant has made the information public.
Approval came Thursday as the Legislature signed off on conference committee reports settling differences between the House and Senate on the measure.


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Words by Sean Moeller // Illustration by Johnnie Cluney // Recording engineered by Mike Gentry
The day that this session was recorded, in the fall of 2011, Joel Hamilton's car had run out of gas. It doesn't make for a fun day, but the songwriter from South Carolina seemed undaunted by such an inconvenience. Maybe that was all because, if your car running out of gas is the worst thing that you've got to think about, you're still under par for the course because everyone knows there's a gas station just around the corner. Other needs aren't so easily met. Hamilton, with this new batch of songs, puts emphasis on the hierarchy of needs and what sits at the top. There still tends to be a blurriness to scaling that pyramid, or a foggy early morning standing in the way, but it is quite apparent what's held closest for him. The melting away of time, a calendar's spilt blood, is the catalyst for most of his worries about love and loneliness - two things that go as hand-in-hand as any do. Feeling that time is flying, that the year passed over you as if it were a week and you're suddenly struck by the fact that you've not made any progress - you're no better off than you were a full year earlier, you're no happier or more cared for that you were 12 months ago - is about as unpleasant of a feeling as they come and Hamilton sinks his teeth into that mentality.
He sings, "God is something you can always see/Love is someone you will have to leave to find/You were right the first time/There are moments you will realize/You could be wasting an entire life/Don't let it pass you by," and reaches new points of profundity in considering the ways that we can sabotage or undermine ourselves, ways that we can bring it all on. It's like letting our car run out of gas, actually wanting it to find no fuel in the lines, without any recourse, with no way to fill it back up. You're just stuck out there on the shoulder, with the littered beer cans, candy bar wrappers, cigarette butts and miscellaneous junk, walking in a general direction that could be all wrong, but you're gonna have to try it anyway. It's something that you've secretly wanted and you'll never admit it.
"I Need Love" is a song that seems to be about a life that's far from satisfactory. It's a gritty and it sounds like it's ticked off. It feels like Hamilton's going to run his fingers red over his strings, like he might just have to bang his head against the wall, knowing that he's the root of his obvious faults. He sings, "It feels wrong/But I'm so cold/All of the fire/All of the shame/I have a life/I have a name/I need love/It's all the same/To know I'm alive/It must be my way of taking knives/To my lame excuse/Of a life." He's hard on himself and he feels that he should be. It's no one's problem, but his own. He sings about "muddy motives" that seem abundant and destructive. Those can be defined as the motives that run wild in everyone. They're the ones we trust and they're the ones that are followed, right into the valley of the glum.
Mechanical River Official Site


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About Gego
Gertrude Goldschmidt, more commonly known as Gego during the course of her multifarious career, was a sculptor, printmaker, and painter. Gego was born in Germany where she trained in architecture and engineering. In 1939, she was forced to emigrate to Venezuela where, in addition to working as an architect and industrial designer, Gego began to experiment with watercolor, monotypes, and engravings. Her art always addressed the relationship between objects and architectural space, using pure abstraction. Though she never identified with any movement, Gego distanced herself from traditions of abstraction late in her career. She began to use "poor" materials like industrial scraps and metals, and to experiment with random procedures.
Venezuelan, German-b., 1912-1994, Hamburg, Germany, based in Caracas, Venezuela


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From "Critical Mass" The Blog of the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors
Small Press Highlights, 2010 Edition by rigoberto gonzález | Dec-20-2010
Buy the book here
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Greg Bem Reviews Tom Clark's At the Fair
At the Fair by Tom Clark. 132 pages. BlazeVOX [books], 2010. $16.00.
Tom Clark's latest book of poetry is a welcome assortment of verse and prose featuring diverse styles, impeccable themes, and moving stories, all told in retrospective, West Coast candor. Through the emulation of a small town world made complete with an intrinsically international mythology rooted to mankind's relationship with the universe, At the Fair is like a "best of" for a poignant culture. The book makes the attempt to go from microcosmic reliance to macrocosmic necessity and succeeds in forging an alliance between the two, achieving a noble goal to unite timeless queries: foster meaning with language, empathize with undeniable Memory, and bolster with compassion toward life and beauty.
Read More here:
Monday, December 13, 2010
Another fine review of Multiverse up at Poet's Quarterly
Multiverse by Michael Smith
Buy it here:
Happy December :-)
Buy it here:
Happy December :-)
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Hurray for GALATEA RESURRECTS
We are pleased to announce the release of Galatea Resurrects' 15th Issue, which presents 72 New Poetry Reviews as well as other feature presentations. The issue can be accessed directly at
Check out these BlazeVOX [books] reviews!
John Bloomberg-Rissman reviews AT THE FAIR by Tom Clark
Buy it here:
Eileen Tabios engages APPARITION POEMS by Adam Fieled
Edric Mesmer reviews ON SECRETS OF MY PRISON HOUSE by Geoffrey Gatza
Jon Curley reviews CLEANING THE MIRROR: SELECTED AND NEW POEMS by Joel Chace
Tom Beckett reviews CLEANING THE MIRROR: SELECTED AND NEW POEMS by Joel Chace
Tom Beckett reviews CLEANING THE MIRROR: SELECTED AND NEW POEMS by Joel Chace
Buy it here:
G.E. Schwartz reviews THE FUTURE IS HAPPY by Sarah Sarai
Buy it here:
Best, Geoffrey
Monday, December 6, 2010
2 new reviews!!!
Multiverse by Michael Smith at storySouth
From Old Notebooks by Evan Lavender-Smith at HTMLGiant.
Check it out: http://htmlgiant.com/feature/writers-respond-an-interview-with-evan-lavender-smith
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


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A Parent's View: Mother of Anna Malan - Ghana
1. What were your initial concerns when your daughter suggested volunteering abroad?My biggest concern was her personal safety; I was worried that travelling around the country may not be safe because of the transport system. I was also concerned about her health and worried about the diseases she could catch.
2. How did Projects Abroad handle your concerns?Right from the start they were reassuring and I was encouraged by the fact that I could always talk to somebody who had experience of the country.
3. Did you have enough contact with the office staff prior to applying for the project?Yes. It was mostly phone contact. I found the office staff friendly and their enthusiasm was truly infectious. The staff seemed really friendly and approachable, and gave the impression that nothing was too much; they always had plenty of time for my questions and concerns.
4. Did you feel reassured that your daughter could reach support from our staff throughout their time overseas?Yes, I did.
5. Did you find that your daughter had enough opportunity to contact home whilst away?Yes. She bought a local sim card which made it very cheap for her to call home, so we heard from her plenty whilst she was away.
6. Whilst away did your son/ daughter have any issues which you needed to get involved in and if so how was this resolved?Yes; my daughter decided to extend her stay in Ghana by three weeks. This meant she needed to change her flights, but because it was easy to contact her, this wasn't a problem.
7. How did the trip affect your daughter? For example has their experience helped secure a job or university place?It encouraged her self-confidence and was a big step in her becoming a fully independent adult. She was working on the Human Rights project in Accra and it confirmed this as an area of interest for careers for her.
8. Would you recommend Projects Abroad to a friend?Yes - because it's reassuring both for the young person and the parent that there is a structure in place so that if anything goes wrong they're not on their own. Also, the fact that these are tried and tested projects where others have come home healthy and having benefitted from the experience is very reassuring and eases one's worry about the experience.


text:
The Best 100 Opening Lines From Books / Life / Stylist Magazine.
iTools - use the best tools. Inspiration. 10 Ways Journaling Makes You a Better Writer « Live to Write – Write to Live. Journaling is a self-indulgent, narcissistic waste of time.
It's nothing more than self-administered therapy – the writer simultaneously on the couch and in the psychiatrist's chair, endlessly picking apart the minutiae of her life to no good end. Time would be better spent alphabetizing the spice cupboard. I disagree. I have kept journals on and off since I was seven years old. My entries have ranged from copies of Shakespeare's poems to what I did today to philosophical musings to documentation of the soap opera antics of the teenage years.
Screenwriting. Tools.


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Are anti-AIDS programs based on a false premise?
Labels: AIDS, development
Commentary on the news, culture, sports and current events of sub-Saharan Africa from someone who's lived there.
The author served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Guinea, West Africa.
All essays are available for re-print, with the explicit permission of the author. Contact him at mofycbsj @ yahoo.com
Labels: AIDS, development


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Egypt crisis: How regional players are responding
While the West is ambivalent about the crisis in Egypt - critical of the Egyptian generals, but reluctant to cut ties with them - some of its key allies in the Middle East suffer no such inhibitions.
Sensing a policy vacuum left by the West, they are rushing to fill it.
Saudi Arabia in particular is positioning itself as the main supporter of the military-backed regime in Cairo. In a calculated snub to Washington, the Saudi princes have declared that if the Americans cut aid, they will increase it.
This comes hard on the heels of the $12bn (£7.5bn) they pledged - with two of their Gulf allies, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates - in the immediate aftermath of the coup which overthrew President Mohammed Morsi in July.
Where the West sees a dilemma, the Saudis see an opportunity - a chance to weaken and even destroy their regional enemy, the Muslim Brotherhood.
From fear to paranoia
The situation is not without irony.
For decades Saudi Arabia used its petrodollar wealth to fund the Brotherhood and other Islamist movements around the world. But in recent years Saudi rulers have increasingly seen Islamism as a threat to themselves and their friends.
This fear turned to paranoia when one of their key allies, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, was overthrown in 2011.
In Saudi eyes, the Obama administration had not just ditched a loyal friend, it had delivered Egypt into the clutches of the Islamists.
The nightmare of many Saudis and other Gulf Arabs was that, having conquered much of North Africa, Islamism would take over their countries, too.
As conspiracy theories go, it is scarcely persuasive.
But it helps explain the lavishness of Saudi Arabia's chequebook diplomacy - and the motives behind the arrest of dozens of Islamists in the UAE, for allegedly plotting to subvert the state.
Bucking the trend
Two regional states have taken the opposite tack. Since the start of the Arab Spring, Turkey and Qatar have backed Islamist movements in Egypt, Tunisia and elsewhere.
For them, the unseating of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was a shock and a setback. A foreign policy that had looked smart only a year ago now looks distinctly risky.
They are left as cheerleaders for a movement that is bruised and defensive.
Similarly, for the Islamists who lead the government in Tunis, the toppling of President Morsi was nothing short of a disaster. They have lost a key ally, at a time when the political consensus in their own country is under great strain.
Meanwhile, if the Egyptian generals can count on the oil-rich Arabs, they enjoy support of a different kind - and for rather different reasons - from Israel.
The Israelis look at Egypt through the narrow prism of their security concerns. In a volatile region, they want a regime in Cairo that will put the maximum pressure on Hamas, the Islamist group governing Gaza - and that will uphold Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.
They are accordingly far more comfortable with a regime dominated by the generals than one led by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Revealingly, when a Republican senator in Washington called for US military aid to Egypt to be cut off in response to the coup, the pro-Israel lobby swung into action to contradict him.
A price to be paid
None of this means the Egyptian generals are sitting pretty.
Gulf petrodollars may help them keep the stricken Egyptian economy afloat, but will do nothing to solve its underlying problems. Indeed economists fear Gulf aid will merely be used to avoid tough decisions about much-needed economic reform.
Moreover if the generals heed the advice of their Gulf friends and choose stability over democracy - regardless of the cost in lives - there will be a price to be paid.
If they continue to treat their Western allies with disdain bordering on contempt, they will risk international isolation - and jeopardise continuing aid and economic co-operation.
What may concern them more is that if the violence continues and there is no meaningful political process - two developments many experts predict - they may begin to lose the support of the Egyptian people.
That support has hitherto been remarkably strong. But if the coup turns out to be the harbinger of counter-revolution - the crushing of all the hopes engendered in the heady days of February 2011 - the anger on the street may acquire a new focus.
Roger Hardy is the author of The Muslim Revolt: A Journey through Political Islam, and is a visiting fellow at King's College, London, and the London School of Economics.


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Appeared on: Monday, June 25, 2007
Pioneer BD-ROM BDC-202
Pioneer turns out to be a pioneer once again in the optical storage market with the release of the new BDC-202 (OEM) or BDC-S02 (retail) drive. Being among the first manufacturers to have released a Blu-Ray burner, the Japanese company decided to incorporate the Blu-Ray playback capabilities of the high-end Blu-Ray drives, onto a SATA DVD burner. The BDC-202 is the first DVD Burner that offers BD-ROM/R/RE reading support, providing users with a cost-effective option when it comes to experiencing Blu-ray entertainment on their home PC.
The IDE drive supports Blu-Ray reading at 5x, as well as BD-ROM DL at 2x. The writing speed remains at
12x for DVD+R/-R, 4x for DVD-R DL/+R DL and 5x for DVD-RAMs.
- Drive Features & Specification
- Additional Specs Include:
For testing in our labs, we received a Pre-production sample of the Pioneer BDC-202. This does not in any way mean that our drive lacks any features compared to the final, production model - it just indicates that there might be room for performance improvements before the product reaches the store shelves.
The retail version of the drive, will be available in both black and beige. Our sample (photo below) was manufactured in April of 2007. On the drive's front panel, we can see the BD-ROM DVD/CD Writer logo, as well as the "Blu-Ray disc", "DVD+RW" and "DVD Multi Recorder" official logos.
Let's take a look at the internal components of the drive. Note that opening the drive case voids the warranty and should be avoided.
The "heart" of the drive is the RENESAS R8J32500FPV chip.
- Nero Info Tool
For our CD transfer rate tests, we used the Nero CD-Speed utility and a set of data and audio CD-R/RW/ROM. The drive can read CD media at a maximum speed of 32X.
For each CDSpeed graph, you can click on the image to see the complete screenshot, including full measurements.
The following CD Speed graph shows the reading performance with US-RW media. Reading reached a maximum of 24x, as per the specifications.
- AudioCD
In the CD Speed Advanced DAE quality test, the drive's average speed was 26.67X with a quality score of 100.
A typical DAE task with an 80min non-protected Audio CD produced 23.5X average ripping speed.
- 90/99 mins Audio disc
99min Audio
99min Audio
DVD Format
Now let's take a look at how the drive performs with DVD media. This time, a set of SL and DL DVD media was used. The drive is capable of reading at 12X maximum speed for single layer DVD ROM and at 8X for dual layer DVD ROM media.
DVD-ROM SL media -
The two layers of a PTP DVD-ROM disc are read sequentially with the drive starting reading from the inner part of the disc, which is the beginning of each layer, progressing towards its outer range.
The first layer of an OTP dual layer DVD-ROM is read exactly the same way as the first layer of the PTP disc we tested previously. The difference here is the reading strategy of the second layer of the disc. The beginning of the second layer is located in the outer part of the disc, so the drive starts reading from the outer tracks and progresses towards the inner part of the disc.
-DVD RAM (2-5x media)
A few problems towards the end with the speed drops but no errors.
- DVD Video Ripping
Ripping of a single layer DVD movie:
- Blu-Ray
- Summary of reading tests
A very good performance from the Pioneer drive, attaining the reading speeds outlined in the specifications with all CD, DVD and Blu-Ray media.
In the following tests, we check the drive's behavior and error correction capabilities when reading scratched / defective audio discs. The test discs used were the ABEX series from ALMEDIO.
An average score for the Pioneer drive. Although there were no skipped samples, the maximum Errors Loudness level is a little high, at -19.2 dB(A), and there were quite a few readings at that level so it is possible that some of these could eventually make their way to your speakers in the form of audible clicks.
Again, average performance. The drive should be better here. Some errors were reported but no skipped samples.
- CD-Check Audio Test Disc
The CD-Check Test Disc is another tool for evaluating the Sound Reproduction / Error correction capabilities of a CD player. The disc offers a signal combination with disc error patterns to rate the drive's abilities to read music and reproduce it completely. Five tracks on the disc contain a sequence of progressively more difficult tests. These tracks are referred to as Check Level-1 through Check Level-5.
The tracks are reproduced through a software multimedia player (e.g. Windows Media Player). Each level is considered as passed, if the tone is smooth, continuous without interruptions, skipping or looping. The higher the Check Level passed, the more reliable the sound reproduction of the tested drive.
The drive managed to correctly play the first three tracks. Problems occurred with the fourth and fifth tracks. Average behavior here. Overall, the drive exhibited mediocre performance with our defective test discs.
In the following tests, we examine the DVD reading capabilities of the drive (error correction) with scratched / defective DVD media. For the tests, we used CDVD Benchmark and Nero CDSpeed. The reference test media comes from ALMEDIO.
- Single Layer media
This is a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM with a 4.7GB capacity, and its surface has an artificial scratch of dimensions varying from 0.4 to 3.0 mm.
The following transfer rate picture comes from the CDVD Benchmark v1.21 transfer rate test.
Flawless reading, without any problems and without dropping speed.
This is also a single sided, single layer DVD-ROM of 4.7GB capacity. The data structure of the disc is exactly the same as that of the TDR-821, with the difference that there are no scratches on it but instead, defective areas of dimensions ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 mm. There are also fingerprints sized between 65 and 75 micrometers.
- Dual Layer media
This is an 8.5GB dual layer, single sided DVD-ROM disc with artificial scratches of dimensions ranging from 0.4 to 3.0mm, on both layers.
Here too, the drive continues its good reading performance.
The disc is a single sided, dual layer DVD-ROM disc with a capacity of 8.5GB. The only difference between the TDR-845 and the TDR-841 is that the first includes defective areas and fingerprints.
The TDV-541 is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc, with a capacity of 8.5GB.The disc is based upon the TDV-540 series which is designed for inspection and adjustment of DVD-VIDEO players. The disc checks the layer switch operation from layer 0 to layer 1 and also includes test pictures and test signals for DVD sound files.
This test disc often causes problems during the layer switch with many drives, but the Pioneer drive passed with flying colours.
The TDV-545 disc is based on the TDV-540 series. It is a single sided, dual layer DVD-VIDEO disc with a capacity of 8.5GB.The TDV-545 includes artificial black dots on the data surface, sized from 0.4 to 1.0 mm. It also has 65 - 75 micrometer fingerprints.
The defects on both the ABEX TDV-545 & ABEX TDV-541 were easily overcome by the drive, giving a very smooth reading graph. In general, excellent error correction with DVD media.
For this test (and for all ensuing tests with CD-R media), the CD-R disc was burned to its maximum capacity and at its maximum speed. Then, the same disc is read with the CDSpeed software, and the disc was scanned for digital errors (BLER, C1 and C2) with our system provided by Clover Systems. To simplify the presentation, we present the BLER, E31 and E32 error rates for each disc, which unveil the most serious errors on each disc.
-Disc Info
Memorex 48x CD-R (burned at 24x)
- Writing strategy
Average Writing Speed: 20.71x
Writing time: 04:52min
- Reading speed
- Writing Quality - Clover Systems
No problems with the specific disc, with overall few digital errors (correctable).
- About Clover Systems
The Clover Systems CDX Compact Disc Analyzer is a tool to quantitatively measure the quality of a CD. It will analyze CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-I, CD-R, Photo-CD, Enhanced CD and CD-RW discs at 4X, 8X, 24X, 32X or 40X speed. It effectively measures disc quality by examining the quantity and severity of CIRC errors generated during playback. It also provides the capability to measure signal parameters related to pit geometry, such as asymmetry and reflectivity. Together, all these bits of information provide a thorough analysis of disc quality. The Clover Systems Analyzers can also perform various format-checking tests on data discs, and do bit-for-bit data comparison on all types of CDs. All tests are carried out at the speed of 4X.
CIRC error correction uses two principles to detect and correct errors. The first is redundancy (extra information is added, which gives an extra chance to read the disc), and the second is interleaving (data is distributed over a relatively large physical area). The CIRC error correction used in CD players uses two stages of error correction, the well known C1 and C2, with de-interleaving of the data between the stages.
The error type E11 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C1 stage. E21means two bad symbols were corrected in the C1 stage. E31 means that there were three or more bad symbols at the C1 stage. This block is uncorrectable at the C1 stage, and is passed to the C2 stage. Respectively, E12 means one bad symbol was corrected in the C2 stage and E22 means two bad symbols were corrected in the C2 stage. E32 means that there were three or more bad symbols in one block at the C2 stage, and therefore this error is not correctable.
BLER (Block Error Rate) is defined as the number of data blocks per second that contain detectable errors, at the input of the C1 decoder. Since this is the most general measurement of the quality of a disc, you will find BLER graphs for all media tested below. If you click on the images you can see a more detailed table, indicating error levels. The Red Book specification (IEC 908) calls for a maximum BLER of 220 per second averaged over ten seconds. Discs with higher BLER are likely to produce uncorrectable errors. Al low BLER shows that the system as a whole is performing well, and the pit geometry is good. However, BLER only tells us how many errors were generated per second, and it does not tell us anything about the severity of those errors.
Verbatim 48x CD-R (burned at 24x)
Average Writing Speed: 20.62x
Writing time: 04:44min
- Reading
A good burn from the Pioneer drive with Verbatim CD-R at 24x. The most serious errors reported were the E31, but they were corrected.
TAIYO YUDEN 48x CD-R (burned at 24x)
Average Writing Speed: 20.66x
Writing time: 04:47min
- Reading
Even better results from the Pioneer BDC-202, this time with Taiyo Yuden CD-R.
Verbatim 24x CD-RW
Average Writing Speed: 21.95x
Writing time: 03:55min
Very good writing with Verbatim CD-RW media.
In short, the device's features include:
An explanation of the various parameters the DaTARIUS DVD Analyzer R 2x offers is available here. At the same page, you can read more details about the error signals and a brief analysis the possible meaning of its parameter in the overall quality of each burn.
In the following pages, we present the writing quality measurements of various DVD recordable and rewritable media, burned with the Pioneer BDC-202 BD-ROM reader / DVD/CD burner.
We start our DVD writing quality measurements with DVD-R media. A variety of different MIDs were selected and burned at the maximum allowed speed. In each of the following pages, you will find detailed information about each disc, the burning and reading procedure as well as the related signal measurements that construct the overall quality picture for each disc.
You can always navigate across to the different MIDs in this review, using the page navigation drop down menu.
- Media Info
- Writing - 8x (7.65x average) in 08:11min
- Reading - 12X (09.33X average)
DaTARIUS Scans -
Not a good start for the Pioneer drive, since the measurements show POFs (uncorrectable errors) and many PISum8 Errors. The problem area seems to be around or just before the 30mm mark and during the jump up in speed from 6x to 8x (Z-CLV). This change in the laser power most probably caused the spike in the digital error graph, however the disc was still readable.
- Writing - 12x (9.46x average) in 07:06min
- Reading - 12X (9.34x average)
A generally good burn here, although there were a few PIE and PISum8 errors (correctable errors). PISum8 reached the limits at the very end of the burning process.
- Writing - 12x (9.46x average) in 07:07min
- Reading - 12X (9.44X average)
A very good burn with this DVD-R disc from Daxon.
- Writing - 8x (7.64x average) in 08:09min
- Reading - 12X (9.34X average)
This time, the 6x-8x Z-CLV strategy did not impact on the quality of the disc.
- Writing - 8x (7.63x average) in 08:12min
- Reading - 12X (9.33X average)
Excellent writing at 8x.
Another good burn from the Pioneer BDC-202, this tme at 12X :-)
- Writing - 12x (9.45x average) in 07:07min
- Reading - 12X (9.37X average)
As we can see above from the first DaTARIUS graph, there is a high amount of of PIsum8 errors at the speed change to 12x. Readability was not influenced though.
- Writing
The drive did not manage to burn the specific disc. A new firmware could possibly add a better writing strategy for the TTH02 MID. We should remind you here, that our sample drive is a PRE-production sample, which means that we expect further improvements in the drive's behavior by the time it reaches the market.
- Writing - 12x (9.44x average) in 07:06min
We expected better quality from the drive with the Verbatim disc. We had no uncorrectable errors, although PISum8 was increased.
- Writing - 8x (7.63x average) in 08:17min
- Reading - 12X (9.45X average)
Uncorrectable errors with the specific MID. POFs were reported, while some areas of the disc could not be measured by the DaTARIUS drive, revealing possible bad sectors. The CD-DVD Speed reading test looks good though.
We should note here that POFs occur when the decoder is unable to correct all the data within an ECC block after attempting one pass of PI Row correction and PO column correction. The wording "one pass" is important because a commercial decoder is usually designed to make several passes or attempts during error correction. There is a possibility that bad bytes may be corrected in one of the subsequent passes. The decoders of DVD testers such the DaTARIUS system, use one pass during error correction. As a result, in some cases where POFs are reported by the tester, these can be corrected by commercial players and drives during reading due to multiple passes.
- Writing - 12x (9.44x average) in 07:18min
- Reading - 12X (9.40X average)
As in the case of the previous disc, the analyser could not perform measurements over the complete data area. Again, the suspicious unreadable areas were read by the drive itself, as you can see from the CDSpeed reading graph.
- Writing - 8x (7.61x average) in 08:23min
- Reading - 12X (9.36X average)
- Writing - 12x (9.44x average) in 07:17min
We have seen this behavior again with a previously measured DVD. PISum8 and PIF spikes appear at the point were the Pioneer drive changes to the next speed zone, which in this case is from 8x to 12x. The readability of the disc was not affected, although Pioneer should look at this issue.
- Writing - 4x (3.97x average) in 14:56min
- Reading - 12X (9.35X average)
Another case where the zone change produces high PISum8 errors, but again the disc is readable and the writing in general on the rest of the disc is stable.
- Writing - 12x (9.43x average) in 07:18min
t="183" align="middle">
- Reading - 12X (9.42X average)
The POF spike at around the 48mm radius on the disc looks like an isolated case and should most probably be attributed to a local defect on the disc's surface.RADIAL1 and RADIAL2 signals were also increased at the same area, meaning that the analyser's PUH had to move left or right in order to follow the pits on the disc.
The CDSpeed reading graph recorded a brief drop in the reading speed at the same point, but quickly recovers and continues reading at the expected speed.
- Writing - 4x (3.95x average) in 27:44min
- Reading - 8x (6.30X average)
Layer 0
Layer 1
Measurements on Layer 0 of the disc reported POFs at isolated points over the entire data area (i.e. it wasn't limited to just the beginning or the end of the disc surface).
- Writing - 4x (3.95x average) in 27:11min
- Reading - 8X (6.30X average)
- Writing - 4x (3.95x average) in 27:09min
Layer 0
- Writing - 6x (6.00x average) in 10:19min
- Reading - 8X (6.29X average)
- Writing Quality - Almedio AEC-1000
A perfect writing for Pioneer BDC-202 on DVD-RW reporting no POF(uncorrectable errors)
- About Almedio AEC-1000
The AEC-1000 consists of a DVD Drive and the "ALChecker" error measurement application which can check the written data quality. The application is capable of 1X CLV measurement as well as 4X CLV on DVD-Video/ROM and finalized DVD+R/-R media.
There are three measurement modes:
Fine Mode: checks a series of eight consecutive ECC blocks,
Rough Mode: checks eight consecutive ECC blocks every 100h ECC blocks
Quick Mode: checks three specified areas
The checking status is shown graphically in real time while you can save the error graph at the end of the test. The reported errors are the PI and the UncPO. In the case of PI, it counts the number of rows corrected by the PI error correction in each group of eight consecutive ECC blocks. In the case of UncPO, it counts the number of ECC blocks in which more than one byte is uncorrectable in eight consecutive ECC blocks. For our quality scans, we set for 1X CLV and Fine Mode which is the slowest and with the safest results. Also, we chose to measure all the media burned at the maximum available writing speed.
- Writing - 6x (5.99x average) in 10:27min
In the following table, we have gathered the findings of the DVD quality measurement tests. Note that each disc was measured under the same conditions with the DaTARIUS equipment. On the left side of the table, you can find the discs that did not produce uncorrectable digital errors, while on the right side are the rest of the discs. For detailed measurement data, visit the corresponding pages.
- Booktype Settings
The drive does not support booktype feature...
- DVD Overburning
As we can see, the drive does not support overburning of DVD recordable media, according to CDSpeed.
Without doubt, the strong feature of the Pioneer drive is its ability to play BD-ROM movies.
The drive's specifications indicate that SL BD-ROMs are read at 5x while DL at 2x. Before we proceed with the playback tests, we should mention the hardware/software requirements for reproducing HD content on your PC.
The following graph could be useful.
The Pioneer BDC-202 supports the AACS copy-protection technology, which is essential for playing BD-ROM movies. Certified Output Protection Protocol (COPP) or the "Protected Media Path" (PMP) is required in order to prevent "stealing" of video and audio content as they flow from the main memory of the PC to the video and audio cards. These are currently handled by Windows XP SP2 and Vista, which are the operating systems that currently support Blu-Ray playback. Your graphics card should also comply with the COPP and PMP environments.
In addition, the graphics card should support the HDCP technology, that encrypts HD video content that is streamed through an HDMI or an HDCP-DVI port to prevent illegal copying. But of course, HDCP is applied to the digital outputs of your graphics cards (DVI or HDMI), at least for now. This means that Blu-Ray video can also be streamed through an analogue (VGA) port to your monitor, at least until the VGA ports eclipse from graphics cards and CE devices in general, sometime in 2012 according to the industry's plans. But for all those who need to stream their video through a digital video output, a digital monitor or TV set (HDCP, HDMI) is required.
Staying with the graphics card, it should also have a GPU strong enough to handle the demanding decoding of the Blu-Ray video (MPEG2, H.264 or VC1). Pioneer suggests an Nvidia GeForce 7800 GTX or later model, or an AMD Radeon x1950Pro or later model, with the latest graphics drivers installed.
Minimum hardware requirements also apply to the CPU and memory. An Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 or higher, as well as 1 GB or more RAM is required for flawless Blu-Ray playback.
Alternatively, for all those who do not plan to upgrade their CPU anytime soon, both AMD and Nvidia suggest using their latest graphical solutions that feature "Hardware offloading" technology. This means that the new GPUs as special software enhancements could allow playback of Blu-Ray movies on "legacy" PCs, without the need of having to introduce a new, costly and high-specification CPU, i.e. Intel Core 2 Duo.
These GPUs are the following:
Playback tests
For our playback test, we used Cyberlink's Power DVD Ultra software (COPP ready) and our movie was "Open Season" from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.. The specific MPEG 2 movie is stored on a single-layer BD-ROM (25GB), and features HD widescreen 1.85:1 video, multilingual language support and PCM 5.1 audio. In addition, the movie was region-free.
Once we inserted the disc in the Pioneer drive and fired up Cyberlink's Power DVD Ultra software, we were prompted to set a region for our drive, a simple procedure also which you come across when using a DVD drive for DVD playback for the first time:
But again the following window popped up showing us that our graphics card was not appropriate for BD playback.
Our computer was running with a RADEON 7500 series graphics card, which obviously did not meet the requirements. In order to see the exact specification which we needed in order to perform playback, we downloaded Cyberlink's BD/HD Advisor, a useful utility that gives users basic guidance on hardware requirements for Blu-Ray PC set up.
As you can see from the above snapshot, not only our graphics card, but the processor, system memory, graphics card driver and our display device which was analog and did not supported HDCP, did not meet the Blue Ray requirements. After pressing the info button (in the right-most column) we were directed to Cyberlink's web site where the minimum requirements are described (http://www.cyberlink.com/multi/support/answerbox_productfaq.jsp?FID=25)
So, under these circumstances we proceeded to make system changes....
As you can see above, we still had problems with the processor and system memory, but the graphics card was now accepted (GeFOrce 8800 GTS). So, we gave it a try to see if we could perform the playback. The movie played well, although the picture froze a couple of times. The reason was most probably due to low memory, to a lesser degree the relatively slow CPU.
After upgrading our processor to a Core 2 Duo E6400 and the memory to 1GB, the Blu-Ray movie playback was flawless. In addition, we paused and Fast Forwarded the movie several times, in order to detect possible playback problems. Everything worked just fine, as you can see from the information provided by Power DVD Ultra while playing the movie, in the snapshots below.
Blu-Ray technology has not become mainstream yet, basically due to the lack of content on the market and the high price of the related hardware. Pioneer seems to have made a significant step in making the Blu-Ray disc format more popular among PC users, with the new BDC-202.
When we received our Pre-production sample, our enthusiasm was constrained because of the possible problems we might face during testing, due to the early stage of its hardware/software. However, the results looked impressive.
Starting with the CD/DVD reading tests, the drive was fast enough for everyday needs with all CD/DVD formats. The average CD error correction capability of the drive is certainly compensated for by the positive behavior of the drive with defective DVD-ROM/Video discs. Audio extraction was also adequately fast and accurate.
DVD recording speeds were limited to 12x maximum for DVD recordables. This might seem slow to the majority of DVD burning enthusiasts. However, the writing quality of the burned DVD+R/-R media was high with the most of the media we tried. The drive also burned accurately with DVD-RW/+RW discs, while its performance with some DVD R DL media could be better.
Moving on to Blu-Ray support, we welcome the drive's ability to play back Blu-Ray movies as well as read BD-R /RE media, including dual-layer BD-Rs (50GB). With the appropriate PC configuration, the Pioneer BD-202 will transform your computer into a Blu-ray entertainment home PC.
With the majority of the Blu-Ray burners currently available for around $500, and the boom in the high-definition movie production, especially in the U.S., Pioneer seems to have wisely decided to focus on Blu-Ray playback support for the PC with the specific model. Priced at around $300, the BDC-202 (BDC-S02 retail) could still be considered as expensive for the masses, but it could definitely replace your current DVD burner in your high-end PC. The drive will be introduced in Europe and the U.S. markets around the end of June.
The generally high performance of the Pioneer drive, especially considering that we tested a Pre-production sample, leaves us with no option but to give it our Editor's Choice Award.


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airBaltic launches direct flights between Riga and Thessaloniki, Greece
Riga, 08.06.2015.
The Latvian airline airBaltic on June 5, 2015, launched a new route between Riga and Thessaloniki (Greece). The new route offers another popular summer destination for Baltic travellers, as well as connecting travellers from the south with Riga, and beyond to destinations in the Baltics, Europe, Scandinavia, CIS and the Middle East.
Christophe Viatte, Chief Commercial Officer of airBaltic: "Thessaloniki is renowned for its vibrant cultural life, its ancient history, which is visible on the facades of its impressive churches, monuments and buildings, while also being on the shores of the Aegean Sea. It is an ideal holiday destination for culture lovers and sunshine seekers alike. We are delighted to be adding this destination to our route map, broadening summer holiday options for travellers from the Baltic region, and strengthening direct links between northern and southern Europe."
Thessaloniki never ceases to surprise. It is a city for history lovers – the White Tower on the city's seashore is one of the many landmarks worth seeing, while the monuments, music, and ancient buildings will offer an indescribable feeling even for the most demanding history devotee. But if you are unable to manage a trip without a shopping spree, be sure to stroll the main retail district - Tsimiski.
|Flight frequency
|Start date
|Price*, Basic
|Price*, Business Elite
|Riga – Thessaloniki
|2 flights weekly
|June 5, 2015
* Lowest fare, including taxes, fees and service charges, on www.airBaltic.com, subject to availability
Starting from June 5, 2015, airBaltic flies from Riga to Thessaloniki twice a week on Fridays and Sundays. Passengers will board a Boeing 737-300 aircraft for a flight that will last 2 hours and 55 minutes. The price of a one-way ticket starts at EUR 85, including airport fees and transaction costs. A full schedule of airBaltic flights can be found on the company's homepage at www.airBaltic.com.
airBaltic serves over 60 destinations from its home base in Riga, Latvia. From every one of these locations, airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers new direct flights from Tallinn, Vilnius and the Baltic seaside resort of Heringsdorf.


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- tex_in_tenn
- 5 years ago
- Wedding: July 2014
Help! I first fell in absolute love with this amazingly be-au-tiful mantilla veil on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/151106331/ivory-lace-angel-cut-mantilla-wedding?ref=favs_view_18
Initially, I was going to wear a simple ivory dress, which would have been no problem.
But THEN I saw this dress (David's Bridal T3267 in pink): https://www.google.com/search?q=david%27s+bridal+3267&client=firefox-a&hs=4nK&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=kTWjUv_sMpKpkAfe9oDICg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=664#q=david%27s+bridal+t3267&rls=org.mozilla:en-US%3Aofficial&tbm=isch
Do the veil and dress go together??? I'm feeling so torn!! What do you guys think? Would I look like a total clown if I wore these together?
It's going to be an outdoor destination wedding to the Pacific Northwest on a rocky, forresty beach in Canada.