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Mr. Speaker,
Ladies and gentlemen,
members of the People's Assembly,
It gives me a great pleasure to meet you once again in this distinguished place, to talk to you about the conditions engulfing Syria and the region and to address, through you, all the children of Syria; Syria which is at the heart of everyone of us, the invincible castle, with its glories, with its people in every governorate, city, town, and village.
At this exceptional moment, events and developments pose a great test to our unity…a test which is repeated every now and then
I speak to you at this exceptional moment when events and developments pose a great test to our unity and self denial. It is a test which is repeated every now and then because of the continued conspiracy against this country. Thanks to our will, solidarity, and the will of God that we succeed in facing it every time in a manner which enhances our strength and pride.
The Syrian people are entitled to hold their heads high. I talk to you from the heart with feelings of pride for belonging to this great people, with gratitude for their love; yet I speak with feelings of sadness and sorrow for the events which claimed the lives of our brothers and children. My responsibility remains that I should protect the security of this country and ensure its stability. This remains the ever-dominant feeling in my heart and mind.
We tell the enemies you have only one choice, which is to learn from your failure, while the Syrian people have only the choice of continuing to learn from their successes
I know that the Syrian people have been waiting for this speech since last week; and I intentionally postponed it until I have a fuller picture in my mind, or at least some of the main features of this picture, so that my speech should depart from the emotional rhetoric which puts people at ease, but does not change anything or make any impact at a time when our enemies work every day in an organized, systematic and scientific manner in order to undermine Syria's stability. We acknowledge that they had been smart in choosing very sophisticated tools in what they have done; but at the same time we realize that they have been stupid in choosing the country and the people, for such conspiracies do not work with our country or our people. We tell them that you have only one choice, which is to learn from your failure, while the Syrian people have only the choice of continuing to learn from their successes.
You are fully aware of the great shifts and changes happening in our region for the past few months. They are important changes which will have repercussions throughout the region without exception, including the Arab countries and maybe far beyond. This obviously concerns Syria, because Syria is part of this region.
But if we want to consider what concerns us in Syria in what has happened so far on the larger Arab scene, we can say that what happened vindicates the Syrian perspective, in the sense that it expresses a popular consensus. When there is such a consensus we should be assured, whether we agree or disagree on a number of points. What this means is that this popular Arab condition, which has been marginalized for three or four decades, is now at the heart of developments in our region. This Arab condition has not changed. They tried to domesticate it, but it has not yielded.
As far as we are concerned, you recall that in my speeches I always spoke about the Arab street, the fact that it gives direction, about citizens' views. Many in the media used it to express cynicism, and many politicians used to reject that and smile slyly, particularly when I used to meet them while Syria was under a lot of pressure. They used to propose ideas which were contrary to our interests and which implied conspiring against the resistance and against other Arabs. When pressures intensified, I used to tell them that even if I accept this the people will not. And if the people do not accept it, they will reject me. And if they do, that means political suicide for me. They used to smile, of course, implying that they did not believe me. Today, after these events, there have been several meetings, and I repeated the same words. Now they were shaking their heads in agreement.
This is very important. On the other hand, and since the Arab peoples refused to be domesticated and have not changed at heart, we have to work harder to heal the rift in the Arab world if changes in the region continue to take the same course, particularly working on the people to achieve certain objectives. The other thing concerning the Arab peoples' concern about core Arab issues, particularly the Palestinian cause, we believe – and I hope rightly so - that the changes in the region will change the course that the Palestinian cause has taken at least for the past two or three decades and shift from a process of making concessions to a process of holding to rights. So, we believe that there are indications that what is happening is positive.
On the internal level, our policies had been based on development, opening up, and communicating directly with the Syrian people
Syria is not isolated from what is happening in the Arab world. We are part of this region. We influence and are influenced by it, but at the same time we are not a copy of other countries. No country is exactly like any other country. We in Syria have certain characteristics which might be different internally and externally from others.
On the internal level, our policies had been based on development, opening up, and communicating directly between myself and the Syrian people. I am speaking about principles regardless of certain negative and positive aspects and what has and has not been achieved. In principle, these are the pillars of our internal policy.
Our foreign policy has been based on holding to our national rights, holding to pan-Arab rights, to independence, to supporting Arab resistance
Our foreign policy has been based on holding to our national rights, holding to pan-Arab rights, to independence, to supporting Arab resistance when there is occupation. The link between domestic and foreign policies has always been the Syrian citizen. When the Syrian citizen is not the heart of domestic and foreign policies, this is a deviation; and it is the job of the country's institutions to correct this deviation. The net outcome of these policies has been an unprecedented case of national unity which has been the real force which has protected Syria during the past years when pressures intensified against Syria. Thanks to this outcome that we have been able to dismantle huge minefields which have faced Syrian policy. We have been able to maintain Syria's central role and position. But this has not deterred the enemies. Of course I have just started to talk about this conspiracy, and then I will move to the internal situation, so that satellite T.V. stations will not say that the Syrian president considered all that has happened a foreign conspiracy. We have to start with the main elements, and then make the connections.
Syria is facing a great conspiracy whose tentacles extend to some nearby countries and far-away countries, with some inside the country
Maintaining this role or strengthening it, based on principles rejected by others, will make enemies try their best to weaken it through other means. I have always warned against rejoicing when we succeed, because success leads to a feeling of safety and complacency. I say that when you are in a battle, you know your enemy, you know the plan. But after the battle, you do not know what the enemy is preparing for you. So, after every success we should work harder in order to maintain our success and protect ourselves against any conspiracy which might be hatched against us in the outside world. And I am sure you all know that Syria is facing a great conspiracy whose tentacles extend to some nearby countries and far-away countries, with some inside the country. This conspiracy depends, in its timing not in its form, on what is happening in other Arab countries.
Today, there is a new fashion which they call "revolutions". We do not call them so because we think this is mostly a popular condition. As far as they are concerned, if something happens in Syria, then it has a cover: there is a revolution there so there is a revolution here: there is reform there, so there is reform here. The tools are the same: the slogans and talking about freedom. Consequently, if there are calls for reform - and I believe we all call for reform - we get along with them without knowing what is really happening. That is why they mixed up, in a very smart manner, three elements. I know that most of the people who are listening to us, and you represent them, know a great deal about these details. Nevertheless, I will discuss them once again in order to harmonize our concepts based on the available information so far. There might be things which will be revealed later. So, they mixed up three elements: sedition, reform, and daily needs. Most of the Syrian people call for reform, and you are all reformers. Most of the Syrian people have unmet needs; and we all discuss, criticize, and have our disagreements because we have not met many of the needs of the Syrian people. But sedition has become part of the issue and started to lead the other two factors and take cover under them. That is why it was easy to mislead many people who demonstrated in the beginning with good intensions. We cannot say that all those who demonstrated are conspirators. This is not true, and we want to be clear and realistic.
The conspirators are few in number, this is natural. Even we, in the government, did not know, like everybody else, and did not understand what was happening until acts of sabotage started to emerge. Things became clearer; for what is the link between reform and sabotage? What is the link between reform and murder? Some satellite T.V. stations actually spoke about attacking certain buildings an hour before they were actually attacked. How did they know that? Do they read the future? This happened more than once. Then, things started to become clearer. They will say that we believe in the conspiracy theory. In fact there is no conspiracy theory. There is a conspiracy.
It was difficult for us to fight against this situation, because people will mix between our fighting sedition and fighting reform. In principle, we support reform and meeting people's needs. This is the duty of the state. But we cannot be with sedition. When the Syrian people, with their natural and patriotic awareness, realized what was happening, things became easier. And the response actually came from the people more than it came from the state. As you have seen, the state refrained from taking action and left the response to the people. This has provided the sound, safe, and patriotic treatment and restored national unity very quickly to Syria.
What we are seeing today is a stage; and we do not know whether it is a first stage or an advanced stage. But we are concerned with the outcome because the last stage for them is for Syria to get weaker and disintegrate, because this will remove the last obstacle facing the Israel's plans. This is what concerns us. We are not concerned with the process, because we know that they will continue and will repeat what they had been doing in one form or another. Every experience will be based on the previous one. So if they fail, they will develop this experience. And if we succeed, we need to build on this experience. I have been advised by many people not to talk about details and to stick to generalities, but I will address these details as usual in order to be fully transparent.
In the beginning they started with incitement, many weeks before trouble started in Syria. They used the satellite T.V. stations and the internet but did not achieve anything. And then, using sedition, started to produce fake information, voices, images, etc. they forged everything. Then they started to use the sectarian element. They sent SMSs to members of a certain sect alerting them that another sect will attack them. And in order to be credible, they sent masked people to neighborhoods with different sects living in them, knocking on people's doors and telling each that that the other sect has already attacked and are on the streets, in order to get a reaction. And it worked for a while. But we were able to nip the sedition in the bud by getting community leaders to meet and diffuse the situation. Then they used weapons. They started killing people at random; because they knew when there is blood it becomes more difficult to solve the problem.
We have not yet discovered the whole structure of this conspiracy. We have discovered part of it but it is highly organized. There are support groups in more than one governorate linked to some countries abroad. There are media groups, forgery groups and groups of "eye-witnesses".
The people of Daraa have no responsibility for what happened, but with us, they share the responsibility of putting an end to sedition
They started in the governorate of Daraa. Some say that Daraa is a borderline governorate. I say that if Daraa is on the borders, it is in the heart of every Syrian. And if Darra is not in the middle of Syria, yet it is the throbbing heart of Syria and all the Syrians. This is how it is defined and this is how it is now. Daraa is on the frontline with the Israeli enemy; and it is the first line of defense for the hinterland. Daraa, al-Qunaitira, and part of rural Damascus defend the other parts of Syria which lie behind them. No one can be in a position defending the homeland and at the same time conspiring against it. This is impossible and is unacceptable. The people of Daraa have no responsibility for what happened, but with us, they share the responsibility of putting an end to sedition. In that, we and the whole Syrian population are with Daraa. The people of Daraa are people of genuine patriotism, magnanimity, and dignity. They will get hold of the few people who wanted to stir chaos and destroy the national fabric. The conspirators took their plan to other governorates. As you know, they moved to Latakia and other cities using the same techniques; murder, intimidation, and incitement. There were clear instructions not to harm any Syrian citizens. But unfortunately, when things move to the street, and dialogue is conducted in the street and outside institutions, things naturally become chaotic and reaction rather than action rules the day. What we might call mistakes of the moment become the dominant mode and people get killed. This is what happened and you all know that.
The blood that was spilled on the streets is Syrian blood, and we are all concerned because the victims are our brothers and their families are our families
In any case, the blood that was spilled on the streets is Syrian blood, and we are all concerned because the victims are our brothers and their families are our families. It is important to look for the causes and those behind these events. We need to investigate and bring the people responsible to account. This has happened anyway, but let it be for bringing about national unity rather than disuniting the Syrians. Let it be for strengthening the country rather than weakening it, for putting an end to sedition rather than enflaming it. Let us act as quickly as possible to heal our wounds and restore harmony to our larger family and maintain love as our uniting bond.
Awareness is the real force which protects Syria at every juncture
Part of what has happened is similar to what happened in 2005. It is a virtual war. I said at the time that they want us to surrender through waging on us a virtual war using the media and the internet, although the internet was not as widespread as it is today. They wanted us to feel that things were over and our only choice was to surrender without putting any fight. Today, the principle is the same. They want us to incur a virtual defeat but using different methods. There is some confusion in the country for different reasons, mainly under the headline of reform. With is chaos, using reform as a cover, using sectarianism, where sects become nervous, they clash with each other, virtual defeat is achieved in another form. In 2005 we warded off this virtual defeat through popular awareness. Today, things are obviously more difficult, because the internet is more widespread, and because the instruments are more modern. But the popular awareness we have seen was sufficient to respond very quickly. Nevertheless, I say that we should not feel complacent with what we have got. We need to strengthen this national patriotic awareness because it is the real force which protects Syria at every juncture.
However, there is an essential question. We are talking about changes in the region in the sense that it is a wave; and whenever we meet someone, they say there is a wave and you have to bow. Despite what we said about the positive aspects of this wave, should we be led by the wave or should we lead? When this wave touched Syria, the issue has become of concern to the Syrians. We have to use it as a wave of energy according to our interests. We should be proactive rather than reactive.
I use this in order to move to what we announced Thursday, after the meeting of the Ba'th Party Regional Command, when we announced a salary increase, and referred to a Party Law and the Emergence Law. I am trying to explain how we think. I am not adding new things, but when you know how we think we harmonize our visions. When something happens and we make a decision, you understand how the state is thinking. There is usually a lack of communication. We have things which we do not know how to market. Sometimes we think they are good things but are misunderstood.
The relationship between the government and the people is not that of pressure or based on pressure. It is based on the needs of society; and these needs are the rights of society
So, did we make these reforms because there is a problem or because there is sedition? If there was no sedition wouldn't we have done these reforms? If the answer is yes, it means that the state is opportunistic, and this is bad. If we say that these things were made under the pressure of a certain condition or popular pressure, this is weakness. And I believe that if the people get the government to bow under pressure, it will bow to foreign pressure. The principle is wrong. The relationship between the government and the people is not that of pressure or based on pressure. It is based on the needs of society; and these needs are the rights of society. It is the state's duty to meet these needs. When people demand their rights, it is natural that the government should respond to these demands happily. Even if the government is unable to meet these demands, it should say so. It depends on the type of dialogue. The only pressure that a government official should feel is the lack of people's confidence in him, the pressure of the responsibility he has towards the people, and the greatest pressure of all is that of the national and patriotic awareness that we have seen. It was unprecedented and it astonished us as it has done every time. All these pressures make us think how to show our gratitude to this people by providing development, reform and prosperity.
The things announced Thursday were not decisions, because those were the decisions of the Ba'th Party Regional Conference in 2005. And there were two reasons for that: one is that the content of the decisions is not related to the crisis, it is related to our need for reform. When we proposed these ideas in 2005 there was no pressure on Syria. One year before, in 2004, in the Tunis Summit, which was the first Arab Summit after the Invasion of Iraq, there was a state of collapse and submission to America. The United States wanted to impose on us reform and democracy. We fought against this project in the Arab Summit and it failed.
In 2005 we proposed the same subjects but for our country and the reforms were home grown and not under pressure. The pressure had nothing to do with this; it had to do with the resistance, with Iraq, and with foreign policy issues. When I talked about the three elements: sedition, reform, and people's needs, I think what was needed to put an end to sedition was only popular awareness. As to reform, we already started the reform, there were delays, and this is an indication that it has actually started. The reforms were not intended to fight sedition because the impacts of reform are usually long-term. Some people say that the government made promises to reform but never followed them through. In order to understand this point I will quickly review the reform process since 2000.
It is true that we talked about this at the time but only in headlines. The picture was not very clear about the shape of that reform. Two months after the speech I gave in this magnificent place, the Intifada happened and the conspiracy against the resistance started, and pressures mounted. Then there was 09/11. Islam, Muslims, and Arabs were all accused. There was the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq, and Syria was supposed to pay a price for its position to invasion.
You know what happened in Lebanon in 2005, and later the war of 2006 and its repercussions, and the war against Gaza at the end of 2008. So, the whole period was that of continued pressure. What added to the problems was that we had four years of drought which damaged our economic program. What happened at that time was a change of priorities, and this is an important point. I spoke about this in more than one interview, but I think I spoke to foreign media. I said that these events made us change our priorities. Of course I am not justifying. I am simply explaining these facts and separating the subjective from the objective. When I say that we had drought, this is beyond our powers. But it does not mean that there aren't any measures that could be taken in order to improve the economy. Those who were ten-years old in 2000 are now twenty, so generations should know about these conditions.
The top priority became Syria's stability; and now we are at a stage when we can appreciate this stability. The other top priority was related to living conditions. I meet many people, and ninety nine percent of my conversation with them revolves around living conditions. Obviously there are grievances, but living conditions remain the major element.
This does not justify lagging behind on other issues, but we did not focus much on political issues like the emergency law and the party law. The reason is that when there are human issues at stake, they cannot be postponed. We can postpone a party statement for months or even years, but we cannot postpone providing food for children for breakfast. We can postpone something which is caused by the emergency law or other legal or administrative measures which cause problems for the population, but we cannot postpone something which causes a child to suffer when the child's parents do not have enough money to treat him or because the government does not have a certain medicine. This is something we face on a daily basis; and I am sure that you as members of the People's Assembly face.
So the issue was that of priorities. At least in 2009-2010 things were better and it was possible to introduce some of these reforms. As for the party law, the Regional Command has actually drafted a law but we had not discussed it. There might have been some delay but we will leave that to people to judge. But hadn't we wanted to make these reforms, we would not have made them in 2005. We would have done them under pressure. Things might get delayed because of bureaucracy, negligence, or other things. We all are part of this people and we know how things are. It is important to explain this in order to know where we are and to know the content of the reforms. Now there is a new People's Assembly in the near future and there will be a new local administration. There will be soon a new government and there will be a regional conference. So 2011 will see new blood and we will move to another stage. We postponed the regional conference because we knew that we need to account for what we have done. We needed to do these things and present them to the conference. We have been thinking of having new blood in all areas. What I want to say is that reform for us is not a fashion. It is not a reflection of this new wave which is sweeping the region. What I said in my interview with the Wall Street Journal two months ago, when things started unfolding in Egypt. They asked me 'are you going to introduce reforms?' I said that, 'if you had not already started, and if you had not had the intention and the plan, now it is too late and there is no point in wasting our time.'
We need to avoid subjecting the reform process to momentary conditions, otherwise it will be counterproductive
Many officials, particularly foreign officials, tell me that they think that the president is a reformer but those around him restrain him. I tell them that on the contrary the people around me are pushing me hard to do these reforms. What I want to say is that there are no obstacles, there are simply delays. No one opposes reform because those who oppose it have a vested interest and are corrupt. You all know them they were very few and now they are no longer here. The real challenge is what kind of reform we want. That is why we need to avoid subjecting the reform process to momentary conditions, otherwise it will be counterproductive.
We have been talking about reform for the past ten years, and our reform today should reflect the past ten years and the next ten years. It should not only reflect this stage or this wave whether it is internal or external. This is how we are thinking. Changes might delay or precipitate reform, change its direction, make us build on other countries' experiences. For instance, Tunisia's experience was useful for us more than that of Egypt, because in Tunisia there was a model and we used to send experts to learn from that experience. When the revolution started, we realized that the causes lied in the way wealth was distributed, not only in terms of corruption but also in terms of geographical distribution. This is something that we have tried to avoid, and we are calling for a fair distribution of development in Syria. In principle, we cannot say that we do not want reform because this will be destructive to the whole country, but the main challenge is finding out what kind of reform you want and we need all our skills as Syrians when we start discussing the laws which will be proposed soon. The measures announced last Thursday did not start from square one because as I said the Regional Command already made drafts for the emergency law and the party law more than a year ago.
There are other draft laws which will be debated publically and then they will be discussed by the relevant institutions before they are passed. There are other measures which were not announced on Thursday: some of them are related to strengthening national unity and others related to fighting corruption, the media and creating jobs. These will be announced after they are fully studied. The former government started these studies and they will be a priority for the new government. For instance, the salary increases were discussed in our meeting with the economic team. I headed that meeting and we discussed a package of economic decisions and only the salary decision was taken. There is more to follow.
Our duty is to provide the Syrian people with the best, not with the fastest… We want to proceed quickly, but we do not want to be hasty
Talking about this, and about the one thousand five hundred Syrian pounds increase, the government received complaints and they responded. About an hour ago I received an amendment to their decision to solve this problem. We should give them credit for the work they have done on their own initiative and not responding to instructions. I just wanted to make that clear to the Syrian citizens. I hope that we will be able, during the next month, to identify the measures that need to be taken. And I will ask for a timeframe for every measure. Of course you in the People's Assembly and in the next assembly will make sure that there are time frames for any measure, because this will help regulate work. Some people ask me to announce a time frame at the People's Assembly but I think putting a time frame is purely technical. I might put a time frame which is shorter than what is necessary and in that case the pressure of time will affect quality. I think our duty is to provide the Syrian people with the best, not with the fastest. We want to proceed quickly, but we do not want to be hasty. In any case, I am sure there will be someone on the satellite T.V. stations who will say that this is not enough. What is enough for them will destroy our country and we simply cannot afford that. By the way, do not get angry for what some T.V. stations have done, because they always fall in the same trap when they try to fabricate things for us and for the Syrian people. The fact is that they follow the principle of lie, lie until they believe you. So, they believe their own lie and fall in the trap.
Brothers and sisters, this might be a blessing in disguise. But we are humans and we cannot like what happened. We cannot like sedition, we cannot like killing, we cannot like tension, but crises are a positive condition if we can control them and get out of them victorious. The secret of Syria's strength lies in the many crises it faced throughout its history, particularly after independence. We have to face the crises with great confidence and with a determination to win. Concern also should be a positive condition because it pushes us to move forward rather than escape forward because when we move forward we move with confidence, while when we escape forward we stumble and then fail. In times of crisis, many people just look for any solution, while it is actually better to stay without any solution if we do not find the right one. This is one of the lessons that we learned from these crises.
Burying sedition is a national, moral, and religious duty
Burying sedition is a national, moral, and religious duty; and all those who can contribute to burying it and do not are part of it. The Holy Quran says, "sedition is worse than killing," so all those involved intentionally or unintentionally in it contribute to destroying their country. So there is no compromise or middle way in this. What is at stake is the homeland and there is a huge conspiracy. We are not seeking battles. The Syrian people are peaceful people, loving people, but we have never hesitated in defending our causes, interests and principles, and if we are forced into a battle, so be it.
I remind you of the "domino effect" term which was used after the invasion of Iraq when the United States assumed then under the former administration that the Arab countries are domino blocks and the American projects will hit just one of these blocks and the others will fall. What happened is the exact opposite when their projects turned into domino blocks, we hit them and they started to fall one after another. This one will fall too.
Since some people have short memory, I will refresh their memory once again by saying that not all of what is happening is a conspiracy, because I know that they are on the ready in their studios to comment.
As for you, children of this great nation, your love for your country which you express day after day and which is clearer than ever at times of crisis, and which you particularly expressed yesterday through your unprecedented mass demonstrations throughout the country gives me more confidence and determination. Your solidarity and unity in fighting sedition assures me about the future and if you, in the slogans you chanted, expressed willingness to sacrifice yourselves for your president, the more natural thing is for the president to sacrifice himself for his people and homeland. I shall remain the faithful brother and comrade who will walk with his people and lead them to build the Syria we love, the Syria we are proud of, the Syria which is invincible to its enemies.
Thank you very much.


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When you hear the name Samsung, you probably think of smartphones and televisions. However, Samsung has had a goal to be the number one audio company, too. To do so, Allan Devantier, head of acoustics at Samsung Research America, built the Samsung Audio Lab in California from the ground up. He assembled a team of engineers specializing in transducers, digital sound processing (DSP), acoustics, programming, and more — but there was still a missing piece to the puzzle…
Developing a Loudspeaker: "Mono" vs. "Stereo" Approach
Ask an audiophile if they prefer mono or stereo systems and they'll bend your ear for the better part of a day. Without getting into the details, a mono system has only one channel, limiting its capabilities, whereas a stereo system has multiple channels that can playback multiple sources in parallel through multiple speakers, producing a better sound experience. We can use a similar analogy to describe the loudspeaker development process.
"Mono" development entails designing a loudspeaker using only one channel, whether that "channel" is:
- Prototyping as the only way to test a design
- Looking at a single physics in the simulation of a complex system
- A sole engineer running analyses for other team members
On the other hand, a "stereo" loudspeaker development process involves multiple interconnected sources working in parallel:
- Repeated simulation, prototyping, testing, and validation
- Multiphysics analyses that account for acoustics, electromagnetics, and vibrations
- A team that brings a variety of expertise to the table
One way that the development team at Samsung Audio Lab took their cycle from "mono" to "stereo" was by adding a simulation engineer to their team. In 2014, Andri Bezzola came onboard as an engineer specializing in simulation and numerical analysis. Devantier describes the simulation engineer as "the glue that brings everybody together."
We visited the Samsung Audio Lab to learn about how they use multiphysics simulation, modeling, and applications to develop loudspeakers and other audio products. Hear (and see!) all about it in this video…
Loudspeakers and Soundbars Present Many Design Challenges
As TVs are made thinner and thinner, the loudspeakers inside the TVs need to be designed smaller and smaller to fit. This stands in direct contrast to the conventional wisdom that great sound requires large speakers. (However, exceptional performance is just as important as minimal size.) How does Samsung balance these needs?
When developing a loudspeaker design, there are a few issues that can make or break the sound quality. Being new to audio, Andri had to learn about audio engineering and acoustics before he could apply his simulation expertise to solve these issues.
Frequency Response
Has the sound of your loudspeaker ever sounded shrill, boomy, or tubby (think of how it sounds if you hold an empty paper towel roll up to your mouth and speak)? If so, the sound quality was degraded due to the speaker's suboptimal frequency response.
A good frequency response produces a neutral, flat, and more enjoyable sound. To make sure the sound is up to par, the frequency response can be controlled through a combination of electronics, such as DSP, and the speaker's design, which Bezzola uses simulation to analyze.
Uneven Sound Distribution
Have you ever watched a movie with a group of friends, and noticed how some people hear the television fine while others can hardly make out the dialog? This effect happens when the TV's loudspeaker sprays sound into the room unevenly. This is called the radiation pattern or spatial response of the speaker.
A loudspeaker should evenly spray sound into a room so that it doesn't matter whether you're sitting in an acoustic "sweet spot" to experience high-quality sound. Unlike frequency response, this factor can only be controlled through the design of the speaker's mechanical parts, like waveguides. Bezzola meets this challenge by using simulation to not only determine the design of a waveguide, but where it should be placed for optimal sound distribution.
Harsh and Raspy Effects
Nonlinearity in a loudspeaker can cause the sound to be too harsh and voices to sound raspy. Unfortunately, loudspeakers are inherently nonlinear.
When the voice coil moves inside of a loudspeaker, it interacts with a different magnetic field at every step and every position. To look into this nonlinear effect, Bezzola simulates different positions of the loudspeaker, assuming that the voice coil is fixed in that position and running a linear simulation on each (he calls this a "pseudo-nonlinear-type simulation").
However, this tactic doesn't give the full picture, because as the voice coil moves, it generates its own magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic field from the magnets. To account for this behavior, a fully coupled magnetic simulation is needed. "They take a lot longer to solve," says Bezzola, "but they give us a better picture of how the nonlinearities play into each other."
It sounds (pun intended) like a lot of work, but a well-balanced speaker provides a good sound with enveloping bass — an enjoyable listening experience.
A Product Development Cycle for Hitting Home Runs
Bezzola likes to think of the loudspeaker design workflow like a baseball game. Analytical solutions get Samsung into the ballpark: They are a good start, but are only approximations, since they are only valid for perfect shapes. Bezzola says: "We use numerical simulations to get on the field and start playing the game," since they can analyze detailed components and operating scenarios. Finally, optimization enables Samsung to hit the home run and beat the competition. As Bezzola says, he is able to "eke out the final minutia of the simulation analyses to get the optimal sound."
Stepping Up to Bat with Multiphysics Simulation
Using simulation, Bezzola analyzes a loudspeaker's individual components (such as the waveguide, enclosure, and transducer) as well as the complete device. Some of his analyses focus on a single physics phenomenon, while others include multiphysics interactions, such as those between the speaker's diaphragm (structure) and acoustic pressure (air).
As Bezzola says, "A loudspeaker is inherently a multiphysics apparatus. We have electromagnets generating a magnetic field, coupled to a voice coil that moves a structural membrane, which in turn causes acoustic waves to propagate through space." The COMSOL Multiphysics® software is a multiphysics simulation tool for performing multicomponent and multiphysics analyses. "Combining the physics in COMSOL Multiphysics is seamless," says Bezzola, "so you don't have to worry about coupling."
With multiple components and physics involved, Bezzola is often interested in multiple results parameters, looking at the acoustic response one day and the structural response the next. When postprocessing the results, Bezzola appreciates that the entire solution is automatically made available in COMSOL Multiphysics — you don't have to define it before running the simulation.
Testing and Validation Send It Out of the Park
A successful multiphysics analysis is not the end of the development process. The Samsung Audio Lab has two anechoic chambers that the development team uses to test prototypes. The free-field chamber has foam wedges on all sides and is used to measure loudspeaker prototypes that are meant for almost any location away from walls, like a soundbar placed on a bookshelf or portable loudspeakers.
The other chamber has a solid wall on one side, which is used to mimic the environment of wall-mounted TVs. In these operating scenarios, the wall actually impacts the sound quality of the device, so testing the loudspeaker's performance in this environment is important.
Left: A soundbar being tested in the free-field anechoic chamber. Right: The anechoic chamber with the solid wall is used to test loudspeakers meant to be mounted on walls. Photos taken at Samsung Audio Lab in California and published with permission from Samsung.
The anechoic chambers enable Bezzola to validate his simulation results, since both testing methods attempt to create idealized conditions. The chambers are also used to perform isolated analyses on a prototype and determine what effects are coming from the speaker versus the room.
Anechoic tests also determine how well a loudspeaker lights up a room with sound (which is controlled by its waveguide component). If you think of sound like light, then a loudspeaker can either be a light bulb or a flashlight. At low frequencies, a speaker will spread sound everywhere (like the glow of a light bulb, it is said to be omnidirectional), while at high frequencies, the speaker spreads the sound in a narrow beam (like a flashlight, it is said to have a high directivity). The anechoic chamber tests can show the transition between the speaker's light bulb and flashlight behavior.
Left: The sound pressure level (SPL) at a low frequency (light bulb). Right: SPL at a high frequency (flashlight).
A Combined Effort
Over time, Bezzola recognized that transducer engineers on his team were repeatedly going to him for simulation analyses, and decided to do something about it. He used the Application Builder in COMSOL Multiphysics to build specialized simulation applications from his transducer models that the other engineers can use to run day-to-day calculations without having to go to Bezzola or wait for his help.
In the transducer applications, Bezzola only included a certain amount of buttons and inputs. This way, the engineers — most of whom do not have experience using traditional simulation software — only need to click a few preset items to get the results they need. Another benefit? Bezzola has more time to devote to new projects.
The systematic approach used at Samsung to design loudspeakers, soundbars, and other audio products combines modeling, optimization, prototyping, and testing — and also combines the expertise and experience of the audio, mechanical, and simulation engineers.
The Future Sounds Bright at Samsung Audio Lab
Introducing simulation into the loudspeaker design workflow helped Samsung optimize their core group of products faster and cheaper than with prototyping alone. "Compared to the traditional design cycle, we can really cut down a lot of time and prototypes by using simulations," says Bezzola. From Devantier's perspective, simulation leads to new ideas that the team wouldn't have tried otherwise: "Samsung Audio Lab sees simulation as a way to move forward in the audio market."

subset: commoncrawl


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Shunning Evil: Tutu Sets Example in Call for Blair and Bush Indictments
(UPDATED BELOW) Archbishop Desmond Tutu refused to attend a conference last week for a very good reason – he did not want to be publicly associated with a war criminal. That war criminal was Tony Blair, who had been paid his usual whopping fee ($238,000 in this case) to deliver his usual sanctimonious blather at a South African conference on "leadership." Tutu – who was speaking for no fee – withdrew from the meeting when he heard Blair was coming, the Guardian reports. This was a rare – very rare – example of behavior which should be


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The new coronavirus variant, called omicron, was first identified in South Africa only about a month ago and is already spreading quickly in Europe and North America. It has an exceptionally high number of mutations, and those mutations appear to make it more transmissible than the delta variant.
Now scientists in South Africa have just released the first data looking at how well the vaccines will work against the omicron variant. And the news is mixed.
The study comes from researchers at South Africa's largest private health insurer, called Discovery Health, and the South African Medical Research Council. In the study, described at a press briefing on Tuesday, scientists analyzed data from 78,000 people likely infected with omicron. Nearly half of them had received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
The study focused on the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna shot isn't available in South Africa. In general, though, the two vaccines have behaved quite similarly against new variants, with the Moderna vaccine slightly more effective.
In the population in the South African study, the Pfizer vaccine's effectiveness against infection dropped down to about 30% for the omicron variant, compared with about 80% against the variant before omicron, the scientists reported.
That means the Pfizer vaccine reduces a person's risk of getting infected by about 30% compared to somebody who's not immunized.
By comparison, in the delta surge that began this summer in the U.S., the mRNA vaccines — Pfizer and Moderna — had an effectiveness of about 60% to 70% against infection, several studies have found.
With 30% effectiveness, there will be very many breakthrough infections.
But this new study does offer really good news when it comes to vaccine protection against severe disease: That dropped a bit but not nearly as much as protection against infection.
The vaccine is still working well to keep people out of the hospital
The researchers found that two shots of the Pfizer vaccine still offered about 70% protection against hospital admission because of COVID-19 in the population examined in the study. That's a drop from 90% observed during the previous surge in South Africa when the delta variant dominated. But 70% indicates the vaccine is still working well to keep people out of the hospital.
"We are encouraged that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine continues to offer high levels of protection from severe COVID-19 illness," Discovery Health CEO Ryan Noach said in a press statement.
In addition, the data suggests that the protection seems to hold up in people with some risk factors such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as in older people.
But these findings come with a huge caveat.
In South Africa, many people have been exposed to the coronavirus. Some studies estimate that up to 90% of South Africans have been infected over the course of the pandemic. The study didn't take this into account.
Scientists are starting to think that for many people, getting infected is almost like an extra dose of the vaccine. The infection really helps the immune system learn how to fight off COVID-19 — similar to the way the vaccine does.
And several studies have shown that if you've had an infection and then get two doses of an mRNA vaccine, you are much better protected compared to somebody who had only the vaccine.
So for people who've had only two shots — and not a prior infection — the vaccine's effectiveness in helping fight off an infection could be lower than 30%.
That said, boosters could be beneficial. Although this new study from South Africa didn't look at the effect of a third shot on preventing infection or severe disease by the omicron variant, a recent study from Goethe University Frankfurt did suggest that the booster could help restore some of the vaccine's effectiveness, especially in the short term after receiving the third shot. Based on that data, scientists are saying that a third shot is the best way to ward off omicron and, for those with a breakthrough infection, of preventing severe disease.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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We don't have any locations on file yet for this brewery. Do you know where they have a tasting room? If you do, it'd be a big help if you could add it.
Common Cider
Except where otherwise noted, the content on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). This also excludes a Brewery's rights in its name, brand(s), and trademarks.


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Made from high-gloss polymeric vinyl, these decals are waterproof, fade-proof, and specifically chosen to complement your bike.
This decal kit includes:
As well as a printed placement guide with instructions on how to best adhere them to your bike. You can find a PDF version of the placement guide under the "instructions" tab above. Available in black or white.
Pack in style
There is no additional information available for this product. If you have any questions regarding this item, please call Customer Support or email email@example.com.
email us about this part


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Anne, artist and designer. She lived several years in Austria and led an Art society. She organized a lot of Art workshops in different countries and organized many exhibitions.
Tim, conceptionist, media artist and communication designer. His work and art of many projects is the interpretation of analog to digital and reverse.
All prices incl. VAT.


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The Other Guys
- -NYPD detectives Christopher Danson (Johnson) and P.K. Highsmith (Jackson) are the baddest and most beloved cops in New York City. They don't get tattoos, other men get tattoos of them. Two desks over and one back, sit detectives Allen Gamble (Ferrell) and Terry Hoitz (Wahlberg). You've seen them in the background of photos of Danson and Highsmith, out of focus and eyes closed. They're not heroes, they're "the other guys." But every cop has his or her day and soon Gamble and Hoitz stumble into a seemingly innocuous case no other detective wants to touch that could turn into NYC's biggest crime. It's the opportunity of their lives, but do these guys have the right stuff?


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SUEZ, Egypt — A maritime traffic jam grew to more than 200 vessels outside the Suez Canal and others began changing course as dredgers worked frantically to free a giant container ship that has been stuck sideways in the waterway and disrupted global shipping.
One expert says freeing the Ever Given could take up to a week in the best-case scenario.
Global retailer IKEA told CNN they have products on ships currently blocked at the canal and it could "create constraints on our supply chain" if there is a long delay.
The Suez Canal Authority said it welcomed international assistance, and the White House said it has offered to help Egypt reopen the canal. The US Navy is expected to send an assessment team to help.
The Ever Given got wedged Tuesday in a single-lane stretch of the canal north of the southern entrance near the city of Suez.


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Discipline: Ski Freeride
Currently Living: Meribel Resort
Career Highlights:
2010-2011 (youngest rider in the tour):
3rd at the Nissan Freeride World Tour Overall
1st at Kirkwood FWT
2nd at Verbier (FWT Final)
7th at Chamonix & St Moritz
5th at Revelstoke (BC) FWT
6th Xtrem Verbier (FWT Final)
When did you first start climbing/skiing?
Skiing 2 years old / Climbing around 6 years old, but I stopped climbing during maybe 10 years. So 3 years ago i started to climb again often.
What do you most enjoy about your sport?
To share magic moments with my friends! Everyday of skiing, we can tell stories for hours or days around a beer. The life in Mountain is lighter and more rock'n'roll than the reality.
What are you most proud of, either in life, your sport or both?
I'm really proud to ski for living and live for skiing.
Who are your heroes?
The list is too big, because I like little things in each skiers. For example, I love the fun and the style of Sean Petit. But I also liked the power of the lines of Hugo Harrison and a Seth Morrison. JP Auclair because he was an accomplish skier.
What are your hobbies outside of your sport?
Mountain biking, Climbing, listening live bands and drinking a beer with my friends.
What are your hidden talents?
I love cooking.
What's your guilty pleasure?
A big "Côte de Boeuf" with a glass of red wine.
Tell us about your most favorite place in the world:
Every places have a little charm but I love my home place, I can do everything. It's my garden.
Tell us about a time in your life when you have been scared:
I was in speed riding and I crashed in trees with a lot of speed.
How would your friends describe you?
Always motivated for everything.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be, and why?
Nothing at all, but maybe the way of writing.
Describe your perfect day:
Ski, mountain, friends, powder, good energy and a "après-ski" with a live band.


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Frosted Pecans
This recipe has not been reviewed. Be the first to rate this recipe!
From the kitchen of Wanda Hodges
This recipe has been on northpole.com from the beginning… since 1996! We hope you enjoy this classic North Pole recipe. Let us know your opinion by submitting a review!
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Recipe Details
Total Time: |
not specified |
Tags: | Contains nuts, Gluten‑free, Good for parties/potlucks, Quick & easy, Travels well |
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound pecan pieces
Mix sugar and sour cream and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla and pecan pieces and stir until sugary and well coated.
Put on waxed paper to dry.
Separate after cooled.
This recipe has not been reviewed. Log in now to rate this recipe.


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Quick Links (Skip the Descriptions!):
- The Real Bay Area Income Calculator
- The Real Bay Area 'Home Affordability' Calculator
- The Real Bay Area Income Graph
- The Real Bay Area Calculator Limitations
- Data Sources and Thank Yous
This post contains lots of dynamic features. If you are reading this in a feed or email please click through to the site!
A couple of weeks back, we here at DQYDJ tried to get some Bay Area street cred with our screed on how Bay Area house prices make more sense than one might think (please read that article if you are genuinely interested in our model). After being informed by the readers on the Bay Area home site Burbed that our definition of the Inner Bay Area (the 'Real Bay Area') was too large, we're back for another pass. Thanks to Burbed's super-intelligent head editor Madhaus and a huge amount of comments we're back with two calculators we're titling "The Burbed and DQYDJ Real Bay Area Calculators!". Since all Bay Areans hope for 7.2% annual home value returns (check it - doubling every ten years!), we hope everyone will enjoy this little demonstration of the absurd amounts of wealth that the place we call home generates. (Although Washington D.C. makes more!)
The Real Bay Area Income Calculator
The Real Bay Area Income Calculator takes an income and compares it to the households across the Inner Bay Area using 2010-2011 Census Bureau Data from IPUMS-CPS. The calculator works well for salaries between $0 and about $1.05 Million. The calculator factors San Francisco & San Mateo County, and the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA into its model. Please see the IPUMS CPS site for details on what the Household Income figures include. By our model, the Inner Bay Area's top 5% of households make $273,456.52 or more, and the top 1% make $460,495.41 or more. The top 1% country wide come in at $380,354, so this seems a reasonable result.
The Real Bay Area Home 'Affordability' Calculator
The Real Bay Area Home 'Affordability' Calculator takes a Home Price, Down Payment Information, and a number of input values to come up with a mortgage payment. Using the Front End Debt To Income ratio, it attempts to estimate the number of Bay Area Households which can service the debt on Household Income, using 2010-2011 Census Bureau Data from IPUMS-CPS (but it will not match the true numbers as it can't factor in the down payment saved up by other Bay Areans!).
The Real Bay Area Household Income Graph
Logarithmic, just like any good income scale (this is plotted directly, but our model is weighted). Median household income for the model was $82,938.50 and average was $107,635.30. Our quintiles cutoff at $35,039.55, $66,509.99, $102,458.32 and $156,491.55. Note that the nationwide median income in 2008 was $33,048.
IPUMS-CPS data was capped at the relatively paltry salary of $971,625.00. Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison laugh at the insolence!
This limitation does hurt the models since only so much extrapolation can be done. Income estimates will break down around the $800,000 range and be unusable around the $1.05 Million range. If you are in a household that makes that much you probably don't care about an affordability calculator, however! Depending on where you set this calculator, this can also affect the numbers you get.
There is no reliable, recent source for 'wealth' in the Bay Area (if you find one please email me). The newest figures come from pre-bubble Real Estate times. As of today, there isn't a good way to estimate the ability of households to make down payments. We hope to rectify this, someday. For now... just enter a good number and be content with the data returned!
San Francisco County, San Mateo County, and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA data from 2010-2011 was used for these calculators.
Data was retrieved from IPUMS-CPS.
Miriam King, Steven Ruggles, J. Trent Alexander, Sarah Flood, Katie Genadek, Matthew B. Schroeder, Brandon Trampe, and Rebecca Vick. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, Current Population Survey: Version 3.0. [Machine-readable database]. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2010.
Ideas and critiques were incredibly helpful. A special shout-out to Madhaus at Burbed.com (with enough wisdom to fill 50 calculators), and the commentators on the thread with the original calculator.
The formula to determine income and the formula to determine income percentile was fit by ZunZun.
Thanks to Ironman at Political Calculations for the calculator template!
All statistical manipulation was done in R, and the graphs in OpenOffice. Free software made this article!


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Welcome to PerfectMeetings.hr – "Your perfect consultant to meetings, incentives and events in Croatia!"
There is the reason why some meetings and events run better than others. Our goal is simple - by combining efficiency, innovation and can-do attitude we strive to exceed your expectations. Let your meeting set the standards of a perfect organization – just contact us at PerfectMeetings.hr and we will make sure it does.
PerfectMeetings.hr is Croatia's premier company specializing in meeting management, sales incentive and performance motivation programs. We are a privately owned PCO, DMC & EMC (Professional Congress Organiser, Destination Management Company & Event Management Company) based in Zagreb, Croatia's capital. We arrange a wide variety of events: from small intimate gatherings for senior staff and board members to events with over 1,000 participants across Croatia and neighboring countries (Slovenia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia).
Our combination of technical knowledge and passion we put into everything we do, keeps our clients coming back again and again. The professionalism and dedication of our staff will guarantee the utmost success of your event - be it for 10 or 1,000 delegates.
PerfectMeetings.hr is a member of Croatian Convention & Incentive Bureau, Croatian Meeting Professionals Association, Croatian Association of Travel Agencies and - the only one from Croatia - a member of European Federation of Associations of PCOs (EFAPCO).
PerfectMeetings.hr strives to deliver the utmost professional service in meeting industry and special interest tourism to our customers who are our stakeholders. We advocate sustainable tourism by respecting the law, supporting universal human rights, minimizing environmental impact and maximizing cultural interaction and ensuring economic benefits to the community.


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By Appointment New York, New York 10128 (212)348-9073 (917)520-7307 detailed search Please Enjoy Viewing a Selection of Items from Our Current Inventory Specializing in miniature portraits, English Georgian glass and porcelain, American folk art and portraits, and early textiles. We have extensive expertise and interest in those and other areas, including English pottery and decorative accessories of the 18th and 19th c, and in American formal, high country, and paint decorated furniture from 1740-1830. Although we have a large client base of dealers and museums, we pay the same careful attention to beginning collectors and one-time shoppers. All items are guaranteed in writing. Guest BookSales PolicyCurrent PromotionsSeeking to BuyAbout UsAntique Glass PrimerBlog We maintain a varied inventory and will also be glad to search for items on a commission basis, or to examine lots and bid for you at auction. And, of course, we are always interested in buying fine antiques, portrait miniatures, 18th century drinking glasses and porcelain, folk art, and paintings. Please feel free to contact us regarding anything from a single item to an estate.
Leslie Antiques Ltd. © 2013


text: There comes a point for everyone involved with camp when we finally stop wishing for it to still be last summer and begin looking forward to this summer. The beginning of the new year is the perfect time for this. The new year is a time of new beginnings for most people and, although that long list of resolutions most of us start out with in January has already been all but forgotten by the time the first spring blooms begin to peep out of the ground, there is always the promise of camp. January starts that final countdown toward summer. We're finally in the year 2014, and it is only a matter of months before we arrive at the Summer of 2014. And a fast six months it always is! We spend cold winter evenings watching our camp videos or reading our camp newsletters. We attend camp reunions and follow our camp Facebook pages. By spring we've ordered all of our new camp gear and are eagerly awaiting for it to arrive. We start to set goals for the summer with our camp friends. Then we blink, and it's May. It's time to start packing! School ends and the countdown is down to days…days that seem to take longer than all of the months we've waited put together. But it comes, the new summer of the new year, faster than we ever thought it would a year ago.


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HM PLUS SS - SH - Suzuki - GSX-R600 (ALL Years)
HM PLUS SS - SH - Suzuki - GSX-R600 (ALL Years)
Regular price
Regular price
Sale price
Unit price
The HM Range is designed to simply be plug and play. Each HM Product is designed to be simple to install, so there is no need for costly fitment or dyno setup time. If you are confident in changing your spark plugs then you can fit a HM Plus SS.
HM PLUS SS Features at a glance:
• Plug and Play
• No moving parts
• Small LCD Display
• No tuning needed
• HM SS Seamless Shift Technology
• Programmable Kill Time* and Sensitivity
• Programmable Shift Direction
• Full 1 Years warranty and HM Technical Support
Simple yet effective, perfect for your track days and race tracks.


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Privacy Policy
Home / Privacy Policy
Who Are We
We are Angel Call Handling and can be contacted on the below contact details:
- Email: email@example.com
- Telephone: 01264 568430
- Address: Chantry House, 38 Chantry Way, Andover, Hampshire SP10 1LS
- UK company registration number: 10878631
Why Do We Collect Your Personal Data
We collect and use your personal information in order for us to manage your enquiry and provide you with information about our products/services that you have enquired about.
Who We Share Your Data With
We do not share any of your data with any third parties. If we do require the need to share your data with a third party you will be informed before and we will require approval from you. We will not share your personal information with organisations based outside Europe.
What Happens If I Do Not Provide My Personal Data
We need your personal information / data in order to provide you information about our products/services. If we do not collect your personal information we will not be able to provide our services to you.
How We Protect Your Data
Your data is securely encrypted by SSL and password and securely held on a server. Our website server is protected and daily scanned for malware and viruses. We do not store any credit/debit card details. This website is fully SSL Encrypted meaning all your data is securely encrypted when entering, accessing and storing. All data and traffic on this site is handled via HTTPS.
What Rights You Have Over Your Data
If you have an account on this site you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
How Long Will We Store Your Data
We will store your personal information for up to one month if you do not decide to proceed with our services and do not opt-in to receive marketing information from us. If you do become a customer/client of ours, we will store your data for up to one year from the date of the latest purchase of our services. If you do choose to opt into our marketing, we will continue to contact you via email until you opt out. All of our emails contain an unsubscribe link.
Where Is My Data Held
All website entered data is stored and managed on our UK (London) based servers. We also use secure (password protected) internal systems for managing our customers, sales and invoicing.
How Do We Collect Your Personal Data
We collect personal data by the following means:
Enquiry Forms
We use a plugin called Gravity Forms to power any forms seen on our site. Data captured through Gravity Forms will be used to contact you in order to respond to your enquiry. A backup of your data will also be stored in the database of our website but will be automatically deleted after 30 days. Only authorised individuals will be able to access your data, and it will not be disclosed to third parties. If you would like your data to be removed in advance of 30 days, please contact us.
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor's IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection. An anonymised string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a web analysis service provided by Google Inc. ("Google"). We use this service on our website to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to make sure it's meeting its users' needs and to understand how we could do it better. Google Analytics stores information about what pages you visit, how long you are on the site, how you got here and what you click on. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone and we do not make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. Google utilizes the Data collected to track and examine the use of this Application, to prepare reports on its activities and share them with other Google services. Google may use the Data collected to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.
Website Cookies
Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer as you browse our website. Most websites do this too.
They improve things by:
- remembering settings, so you don't have to keep re-entering them whenever you visit a new page
- remembering information you've given (eg your postcode) so you don't need to keep entering it
- measuring how you use the website so we can make sure it meets your needs
Our cookies aren't used to identify you personally. They're just here to make the site work better for you. Indeed, you can manage and/or delete these small files as you wish. To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit AboutCookies.org.
This table shows the Cookies we use on the site, and their purpose:
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Cloudflare | __cfduid | This cookie is associated with sites using CloudFlare, used to speed up page load times. According to CloudFlare it is used to override any security restrictions based on the IP address the visitor is coming from. It does not contain any user identification information. |
Google Analytics | _ga _gat _gid | These cookies are associated with Google Universal Analytics. This cookie is used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for the sites analytics reports. |
What Are Your Rights In Relation To Your Personal Information
Right to access
You have the right to request copies of the personal information we hold about you at any time.
Right to rectification
You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
Right to erasure
You have the right to request that we delete your personal information from our records. Please note that we will not be able to delete your personal information whilst we are still providing our services to you. We will be able to delete your personal information once you cancel the service or once the service is completed.
Right to restrict processing
You have the right to request that we restrict how we use your personal information.
Right to object
You have the right to object to the collection and use of your personal information at any time.
Right to data portability
You have the right to obtain a copy of your personal information in a legible and compatible format such as Excel or Word.
Right to withdraw consent
You have the right to withdraw your consent for us to use your personal information to send marketing information to you. Each marketing email that we send you will include a link which you can follow to opt-out of future marketing.
How Can I Exercise My Right In Relation To My Personal Information
You can exercise all of your rights by contacting us on any of the above contact details.
How Do I Lodge A Complaint About The Use Of My Personal Data
You can lodge a complaint with us directly by contacting us on one of the above contact details.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint directly with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO are the regulator who makes sure that we use your personal information in a lawful way.
You can lodge a complaint with the ICO by following this link https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ or calling the ICO on 0303 123 1113.
Other Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please email us at: email@example.com or phone our office on 01264 568430.
This policy was last updated 12/05/2021. We reserve the right to update this at will without informing you.


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If you struggle with chronic, severe allergies or other immune disorders, you may need more advanced treatment options than over-the-counter medications. In the Sutter Health network, specialists offer a full spectrum of diagnostic and evaluation services to determine the source of your symptoms – the key to identifying effective treatment. These range from breathing tests and skin prick tests to carefully supervised ingestion challenges or antibody tests.
Once your doctor has narrowed down the specific allergens or immunological problem, he or she will recommend the most effective course of treatment, starting with the least invasive methods. Some patients respond well to oral medication or immunotherapy (allergy shots), but we have numerous other options that can significantly decrease symptoms and improve your quality of life.


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Master of Bureaucracy
Lessons from a Defense chief well-versed in the ways of Washington.
Few recall that Robert Gates, who served as secretary of Defense under Presidents Bush and Obama before retiring in 2011, got his start at the very lowest levels of the federal civil service. Right out of college, he joined the CIA and worked his way to the top of the hierarchy over the course of three decades.
He thus became a student and master of bureaucracy at every level, from the offices of mid-level managers working to preserve their programs to the "tank" where the Joint Chiefs of Staff hash out their differences to the White House situation room where powerful political players strut their stuff. He came to understand what gave people the power to stymie change, and he learned what was needed to wreak reform.
Gates talked about operating amid the bureaucracies and power players during a forum following his acceptance of the Elliot L. Richardson Prize for Excellence in Public Administration from the National Academy of Public Administration in March. He spoke with longtime defense correspondent James Kitfield of National Journal.
Gates joined the CIA in 1966 and became the first career officer in the agency's history to rise from entry-level employee to director, a post he occupied from 1991 to 1993. Along the way, he also served as deputy national security adviser to President George H. W. Bush for nearly two years. After government, he found a home in academia, becoming president of Texas A&M University in 2002.
In January 2005, aides to the president asked Gates if he'd consider becoming the first director of the Office of National Intelligence. He had opposed the legislation that created the organization and what he believed was a toothless leadership role. Besides, Gates was fully occupied leading change at Texas A&M and was turned off by the ways of Washington. So he declined. But when National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley called again in October 2006 and said the president would like Gates to become secretary of Defense, "there was no wrestling. I said, 'Steve, we've got kids dying in two wars. If the president thinks I can help, I'll do it.' "
Gates had been away from Washington for a long time. Still, it was clear to him the civilian-military relationship was in need of repair. "I'm a big believer in symbols," he said. So "the first thing I did, and one of the smartest things I ever did, was when I walked into the Pentagon as the brand-new secretary in the middle of these two wars, I walked in completely alone"—no assistant, nobody. He was delivering a message: "I'll do what's necessary to make changes, but I'm going to begin by a manifestation of confidence in all of you." Gates would meet the Joint Chiefs in their tank, instead of in his office; he would travel to see combatant commanders at their headquarters, paying them the respect. "I wanted them to be a part of every single decision I made," he said.
"Most of the people you work with have tenure," Gates added. "They were there before you got there, and they'll be there after you leave. And if you really want to change something, you'd better make them your partners in the change."
At the same time, Gates found it difficult to make the rigid, parochial defense bureaucracy meet his demands for rapid action to support the troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. "The Pentagon is an organization structured to plan for war, not to wage war," he said. "Most programs are years in preparation, years in execution. So where do you go to find the kind of rapid response that gets things to the field quickly? I found that in every instance I had to go outside the bureaucracy and create something new—create a task force that would report directly to me. Partly it's structural. Because so many organizations in the Pentagon have a say on any single program or issue, getting something through that bureaucracy is a huge challenge. So the words 'Pentagon' and 'agility' have never appeared in the same sentence, so far as I know, without a negative involved."
Because no service wanted to carve money from ongoing programs to support some new initiative not under its direct control, Gates created "an express lane" to make sure priority warfighting programs were funded. Even so, it wasn't easy. He cited the unmanned drone programs as an example, noting the Air Force, Defense undersecretary for intelligence, CIA and ODNI all had big "institutional equities" that had to be accommodated. He noted that in 2007 and 2008, the people in these slots all knew each other well, with a level of trust that was crucial "because every single one of us had to force it on our respective bureaucracies."
Gates made it clear in 2008 that he did not want to continue in a new administration, but when Obama approached him after the election, duty called again. Now, with new colleagues joining the national security team, Gates pursued a strategy that's practically unheard of among leading Washington players: self-effacement and modesty. In particular, he wanted to strike up a good relationship with Hillary Clinton, incoming secretary of State, believing it was she, not he, who should be speaking for the United States on the world stage. He invited her to lunch in his office before she was confirmed. He recalls: "I said, 'How you and I relate to each other will determine how the Department of State and the Department of Defense work together. Because if those people down the line know that you and I pick up the phone and talk to each other and that we trust each other, the general inclination of staffs to set their boss' hair on fire because some other agency has done something, that incentive will go away.' "
Kitfield noted Gates had a reputation for not talking in meetings. "That's absolutely accurate," Gates said. "Most people in this town just can't hear enough of themselves. So my attitude was to let them talk. Let me figure out how I want to approach this." Gates knew he could take his thoughts directly to Presidents Bush and Obama in private meetings, giving his voice more force than it would have in larger Situation Room debates.
The secretary added everyone knew "who's got all the money, all the people, all the assets. And so why not be willing to be more in the background." He would, for example, let military leaders command the microphone in meetings with the press. "With the military, particularly after I fired people, I didn't have to worry about whether anybody thought I was in charge." He had, of course, cashiered the Air Force secretary and chief of staff after a nuclear missile was inadvertently flown across the country, and also the secretary of the Army after the scandal about treatment of wounded warriors at Walter Reed Hospital surfaced in The Washington Post.
With his cards held closely to his vest, Gates aimed in 2009 to get ahead of the Pentagon's budget difficulties by canceling lagging weapons programs. He saw his predecessors' approach of attacking two or three projects at a time hadn't worked. So after many hush-hush meetings in the Pentagon, he unveiled a proposal to cancel or curtail 33 procurements—spreading the pain so widely that focused resistance couldn't quickly emerge. Still, commenting wryly on the parochialism that prevents change, he recalled that Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., "had 15 people in the state of Montana working on the F-22 and was going to vote against capping. I called him and I said, 'Jon, I will hire those 15 people. It will save the American taxpayers billions for me to put those 15 people on the payroll.' "
Gates said, "What has intrigued me is that the Congress lives in parallel universes. There is the fiscal restraint responsibility universe, which in general terms everybody signs up to, and then there's the specific universe, what's going to get cut in my state or my district. And they're against all that. But if you can't close any bases, if you can't end anything in any state, then where are you actually going to cut the defense budget?"
During his introduction, Kitfield called Gates the "most consequential" Defense secretary of modern times, "in a good way." But as the secretary reflected on his last job in Washington, he observed that there had not been time enough to develop a long-term U.S. national security strategy. Problems like piracy, the Russian invasion of Georgia, and threats from Libya, Korea and Iran kept eating up time. Besides, he said, different strategies were needed for disparate challenges. With both the secretaries of Defense and State "on the road all the time," there simply weren't the opportunities to reflect together on America's role in the world over the coming decades.
Those of us observing this inspiring commentary were left hoping government is able to attract more such people with the fine tactical, and strategic, capabilities of a Robert Gates.
NEXT STORY: Vision of Small


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STRAWBERRY 2GO Sugar Free Drink Mix Sticks: 10 Pack ~ Great for Loaded Tea Kits
STRAWBERRY 2GO Sugar Free Drink Mix Sticks: 10 Pack ~ Great for Loaded Tea Kits
GramZero Sugar Free Drink Mixes are NOW available in convenient 2GO Stick Packs!
These 2GO Sugar Free Drink Mix Sticks are perfect for Nutrition Clubs use as a 0 Calorie Energy Tea flavoring part of a loaded tea kit to-go, for anyone as a Low Carb Drink Alternative and Keto Friendly Drink Mix, or to simply enjoy as a refreshing and hydrating Sugar Free Drink at home or on the go!
Each stick mixes with a 16.9oz water bottle as a flavored water or used as 1/2tsp in Loaded Tea Recipes.
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Note: For ingredients, please visit the 4.5oz pouch drink mix flavor listing.
STRAWBERRY Zero Calorie Drink Mix is:
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Strawberry Drink Mix: Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Gum Acacia, Organic Stevia, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Red 40, Silicon Dioxide.
Instructions for Drink Mix
Instructions for Drink Mix
Drink Mix Stick: Pour mix into a 16.9 oz water bottle and shake after replacing lid.
Instructions for Loaded Teas
Instructions for Loaded Teas
Drink Mix Stick for Loaded Teas: Each stick is equal to 1/2 tsp drink mix for loaded tea recipes. Use as directed by your club's Energy Tea or Loaded Tea recipe.
Blend this sugar free drink mix only as directed for best flavor. Adding more mix than instructed will not increase flavor, but can add bitterness as organic stevia leaf extract is highly concentrated.
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Course Reviews
Dear Ron,
I had the opportunity over Easter Weekend (*I know Holy Week…but that is the only time I was free!) to complete the Moderate Sedation Registered Nurse Certification, and I just wanted to extend my utter gratitude over how well organized and inspiring the online program was! I have always wanted to be a nurse anesthetist, ever since I was little. I've always believed from shadowing CRNAs to researching there scope of practice that they are special people indeed; vigilant and independent in their responsibilities, protective advocates for their patients, who dedicate their time to watch over one patient at a time during surgeries, procedures, etc. to maintain a pain-free and successfully sedated experience.
I currently am a SICU RN at Georgetown University Hospital, but I hope by this summer to start applying to a CRNA program as well as obtain my DNP at the same time. I just wanted to say that this program reaffirmed my reasons and inspired me to continue to pursue my dreams of becoming a CRNA. You were so funny yet informative during the lectures, I was even showing my parents some portions of the videos and making them my guinea-pigs to perform the mallaparti-score on them while explaining my rationale in the midst of us cooking Easter dinner. I even utilized the free music on some of my patients where we completed bedside bronchs and paracentesis and I definitely noticed a calming difference in the patients' demeanor both during and after the procedures. Heck, I even utilized less versed and fentanyl to get the same "bang for my buck" in sedation-wise! So music therapy is definitely something I am advocating for in my practice on my unit. In addition, I received an email on the first annual moderate sedation seminar in Knoxville, TN and I really hope (barring any scheduling and financial situations) that I will be able to go this June because I would love to learn more and be a part of something extraordinary.
All in all, I wanted to say thank you and I hope you continue to inspire us nurses to follow our dreams to provide the BEST possible care our patients deserve. Thank you so much. You have a lifelong supporter in DC.
Rachel Westernik, RN, BSN
I am so glad I took this course and became a member….
I will now be working in an area that provides moderate sedation!!!
When I interviewed for the job the MD was very impressed by this membership and certification :))))
VERY VERY impressed
I have been a stay at home mom for the last 3 years and I am just now entering back into the field…when I knew I may be working in an area with moderate sedation I began researching ways to build my resume as well as refresh my education in this area.
I believe that all nurses providing moderate sedation should be required to maintain this membership and certification. After taking the exam I felt much more confident regarding medications and the do's and don'ts of this area.
Just wanted to say thanks.
and that I'm Glad I found ya'll!
Anna Fortenberry, Williams RN
Very Informative class. Enjoyed the presentation. The speakers are very knowledgeable. Thank you for being prepared and efficient with presentation.
Cheryl Gordon, RN
I came because it was required, but I really enjoyed it. A pleasant surprise.
Jennifer Nehring, RN
I really enjoyed the class, loved relaxed atmosphere, very conducive to learning. Thank you!
Pam Peak RN
Ron is just an all-around awesome person! Very knowledgeable, excellent teacher – draws on multiple experiences to support data. Made all information interesting.
Amy Delaney, RN
The suggestion you made to help calm the patient and using the positive suggestions were fantastic. You should talk to med students and nursing students. I will try to never again say "bee sting" (very guilty of that) Thank you for allowing us to take your course even though there was only 3 of us.
Regina Jiardina, RN
Constance L. Carney
I've been performing sedation for several years and learned some helpful things as well as reinforcing what I already knew. Mr. Eslinger's presentation was engaging and held my interest. The DVD's are excellent quality for sound and visual presentation. Highly recommend!
This course is excellent for Conscious Sedation Nurses – whether experienced or inexperienced. I especially liked the complementary therapy session, it dealt with interventions that I had never thought of before. Thank you!
Angie Isham, RN
Great Course- Excellent Speaker
Rachel Patton, RN
This class size was very small which was wonderful, enabled everyone to ask questions regarding concerns they have at their facilities. Speakers were very educated on information presented and kept your attention during the course.
Ina Snell, RN
I enjoyed the presentation. I learned a lot. Mr. Ron Eslinger is very knowledgeable and explained the material well. Looking forward to the re-certification material in the future. Thanks!
Skylar Pharris, RN
Excellent job! Great job mixing humor, "magic", and stories with the information presented. It was very interesting and informational.
Connie Jeanine Salter Lasley, RN
Ron was an excellent speaker with years of experience and great stories! Made 8 hours of class fly by! Great Job!
Amy McDowell, RN
Excellent Presenter! Refreshing speaker that focused on the patient.
Tanya McKinsey
Very well presented, encourages active participation, and uses magic to increase interest.
Barbara Hickinan RN
Wonderful speaker. His total belief in patient care was nice and refreshing. Learned a lot and definitely interested in more courses from this speaker.
Susan Lombardo, RN
Excellent info to take back and make our facility more in line with Joint Commission and Nursing Scope of Practice.
Jil Cooper, RN
Excellent Speaker!!
Rebecca Gainer, RN


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Arrow Exterminators Inc. Privacy Policy
Arrow is committed to protecting your privacy and this Privacy Policy is intended to describe what personal information is gathered, processed and used, and we will make every effort to ensure that our activities keep with the spirit of this Policy. Please note that by visiting and using the Arrow Website you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
What personal information do we collect?
Every computer connected to the Internet is provided with a domain name and an IP Address. When you visit our Web site and request a page from within the Web site, our Web Servers automatically identify and log the HTTP request that is made to our Web Server. This information reveals nothing personal about you.
When you schedule a home evaluation or order services on the Web site, we ask for your name, address, phone number, email address and other personal information necessary to fulfill your request. If you elect to pay for services via the internet using a credit card, in addition to your name, we will obtain the type of card, its number, and expiration date for processing however this information is only kept by us until the credit card processing is completed.
Occasionally we conduct surveys and sweepstakes on the Web site. If you choose to participate in an online sweepstakes, we may request information from you that will permit us to administer the sweepstakes and notify the winner(s).
How is this Personal Information Used by Arrow?
Information collected on our Web site is used to schedule appointments and respond to your questions and inquiries, to provide promotional information to you, to allow you to pay for services, to administer contests and sweepstakes and to improve our Web site.
"Cookies" are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. Arrow's cookies do not contain any personally identifying information. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually change your browser to prevent that. If your browser does not accept cookies, you can still use most of the Arrow Web site.
Third Party Advertisers
From time to time, our Web site may include third-party advertising or links to other Web sites. We do not provide any personally identifiable customer information to these advertisers or third-party Web sites.
Protection of Personal Information
To keep the information disclosed to us secure, Arrow has designed policies and rules to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, improper use or disclosure. All of Arrow's employees who receive or have access to our customer's personal information are aware of their responsibility to protect this information and we provide them with appropriate guidelines for such responsibility.
Disclosure of Personal Information
Your personal information is important to us and we are not in the business of selling it to others. We share our customer's personal information only as described and with controls that either are subject to this Privacy Policy or follow practices at least as protective as those described in this Privacy Policy. We sometimes employ other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Examples include delivering packages, sending postal mail and e-mail, analyzing data, providing marketing assistance, providing search results, and processing credit card payments. These other companies have access to personal information needed to perform their functions but may not use it for other purposes. Arrow will also disclose your personal information when required by law or in the good-faith belief that such actions are necessary to protect and defend the rights or property of Arrow, to identify persons who may be violating the law, the legal notice or the rights of third parties or to cooperate with the investigations of purported unlawful activities. This might include exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction, but will not include selling, renting, sharing, or otherwise disclosing personally identifiable information for commercial purposes in violation of this Privacy Policy.
Conditions of Use and Revisions
If you choose to visit our Web site, your visit and any dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Conditions of Use, including limitations on damages, jurisdiction and venue of litigation, and the application of Georgia law. If you have any concern about your privacy at Arrow, contact us with a description of your concern, and we will try to resolve it. Please note that this Privacy Policy and the Conditions of Use may change frequently. So be sure to check our Web site frequently to see recent changes. Unless stated otherwise, our current Privacy Policy will apply to all information that we have about you.


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Trane Single-Zone Heat Pump PH
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Take control of the temperature, fan speed, and air direction in each room or zone with the Kumo Cloud® or other smart home device.
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The Single-Zone Heat Pump PH gives you control over your home comfort. Ductless systems operate in just one room, or zone, so each space in your home with a ductless system can be tailored to your preferences. Plus, you'll have total control of fan speed, air direction, and more, along with temperature.
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With ductless systems, you don't have to worry about energy loss associated with worn down or poorly maintained ducts. That, combined with increased SEER ratings on Trane systems, could help you save money on your monthly energy bills
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The Single-Zone Heat Pump PH comes equipped with completely reusable, washable, anti-allergen filters. Enjoy cleaner air and improved air quality with these built-in, easy-to-use filters.


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Xi Chen and Prof. Robert Dick receive DATE Best Paper Award
The authors analyzed performance and accuracy for a variety of dynamic thermal analysis techniques and used their findings to develop a new analysis technique. Congratulations!
Ph.D. student Xi Chen, Prof. Robert Dick, and Prof. Li Shang (Chief Architect at Intel Labs, Beijing and Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder) will receive a Best Paper award at the 2011 Design Automation & Test in Europe Conference (DATE) for their paper, "Properties of and Improvements to Time-Domain Dynamic Thermal Analysis Algorithm," which discusses fast thermal analysis for use in temperature-aware integrated circuit design.
The work was selected based on papers and presentations at the 2010 conference. A record number of papers, approximately 950, were submitted that year. DATE is the premier conference in Europe for Electronic System Design & Test. This year it will be held March 14-18, 2011 in Grenoble, France.
As stated in the paper, "Temperature has a strong influence on integrated circuit (IC) performance, power consumption, and reliability. However, accurate thermal analysis can impose high computation costs during the IC design process." The authors analyzed performance and accuracy for a variety of dynamic thermal analysis techniques and used their findings to develop a new analysis technique that better adapts to the time-varying complexity of the models required for fast and accurate integrated circuit thermal simulation. Their thermal analysis software is available at the following
website: http://ziyang.eecs.umich.edu/projects/isac/.
Prof. Dick's research focuses on embedded systems, computer-aided design, data compression, VLSI, power and thermal analysis and optimization, wireless sensor networks, hardware/software specification languages, and computer architecture.
Xi Chen is a doctoral student in computer science & engineering, concentrating in VLSI and computer architecture. His specialty is performance modeling, power modeling, and power management for high-performance computers.


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I'm Marnie, a portrait photographer who loves soulful, natural photography of life. I love the smile that creeps across someones face when you least expect it. I love the look of adoration of a parent looking at their baby. I'm such a sentimental person that I feel the need to document


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Or perhaps a better question is, how do you? Yes, you, my kindred blog reader. Surely, you are similar. Surely, you've wrestled the Great Muse down to the dusty earth, and won.
I know this: it starts before I sit down to type. Great posts begin with significant life challenges. With weighty problems to solve. With an urgent need or a mature discontent with the way things are today. Yes, I think all great posts begin before words are written.
So get up, reader. Walk away from your keyboard, and live.
Only then can you give life… to words.


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Last month, I wrote about getting ready to travel to Catalina Island with my granddaughter, Alyssa, to participate in an Earthwatch project as "citizen scientists".
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Explore the world together. Our expert staff can coordinate a meaningful experience for school groups, corporate employees, alumni associations, community groups, or other affiliations.
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We invite you to visit us at our new home—Architecture49, the new collective that has merged the unique strengths and expertise of six of Canada's most prolific firms.
Together, we will continue to design and build inspiring spaces that elevate the health, social vitality and sustainability of our communities. While the WHW Architects name will disappear, our diverse collaborations will continue to forward the expansion and growth of our clients.