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Activision vs. Sony
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man I wish the ps3 could still play ps2/ps1 games
if this price cut does come(maybe this Christmas) it could help them and soon they make some money
Yeah, not many good games out for the thing.
I still don't think people understand. The PS3 is like a gossip machine. It is like Brangelina. Everyone is talking about it because it is a bitch. It's gonna have a long shelf life because people just can't stop talking about it. 360 is lukewarm in terms of gossip. There isn't anything else coming out for it that is exclusive or that I would really want to play. I have pretty much forgotten all about it.
I can see Microsoft going for a cartridge system using flash memory SSD sort of thing.
I'd like to point out, that the PS3 is alot cheaper for them to make now than it was. It costs them $400 per unit.
I'm not a developer, and yes, this is an overheard rumor... But what's the Internet for, if not repeating rumors? ;)
I used to work out with a playtest manager for a large gaming company. Way back when the original Xbox first came out, he told me that the developers were instructed to leave (I believe) 20% unutilized overhead in memory, processor, and video processing. This 20% would be utilized by later games, to show that there games were improving after the initial splash.
With their "intentionally hard to develop for" theory, Sony may have been expecting this effect as well.
Very interesting points with that actually, but then it's a storage issue, not to mention that solid copies won't be killed off so easily and so quickly. This will have enough time to flourish before such things happen.
I have always been in the belief that Blu-Ray would help a great deal in the long run. When virtual movie buys are mainstream, it still won't stop Blu-Rays from being pretty much a household name whenever that time comes, because it's getting market penetration by being shoehorned in the PS3.
I also think that the Blu-Ray drive will be the reason the PS3 comes second all in all. It would have been the ultimate disaster for Sony if HD-DVD won the conflict, but it was not to be. This definitely has no need to exist for gaming this generation, but next generation it will be important.
Also concerning the storage issue for Microsoft, what stops them from creating their own storage medium? Nintendo did it with the GameCube.
I would be genuinely shocked if anyone thought that the development cost of the PS3 and 360 were identical, I really would be. 360 games need around 500k to break even in the devs eyes, and the PS3 needs more than that.
There are plenty, there just aren't enough to justify the price tag.
The 360 doesn't actually need gossip in order to help it's sales, the sales of 360s are as steady as they always have been. That is pretty much going to go on until it's saturation period (which won't come for a while because of Natal), but when the saturation period comes, it will fall fairly hard.
Depends on how many of those 23 million you think have an Xbox as well, and exactly how hard it is to make a decent port from your Xbox/PC to the PS3. At a certain point, especially in this economy, you have to cut the lowest performing unit.
I think you need to learn what a contract is. You seem to be assuming that Activision is dumb enough to sign a contract for their franchise that allows Sony to revoke the liscences they've already provided Activision at any time. Sorry, but given the Brutal Legend thing, I'd be willing to bet that Activision's legal team is a fairly nasty and cunning group. The worst that Sony could do would be to refuse to grant them any songs for future Guitar Hero games, but Sony certainly isn't the only label out there.
Take a look at the list of Guitar Hero songs in it. Every band that is included in the game, but is owned by Sony, that band is out. Ozzy Ozbourne and Blue Oyster Cult comes to mind (I have no idea who's popular or not when it comes to music), not to mention that Sony is part of the RIAA and as pointed out by cleverlymadeup before, Sony could easily convince the other 3 people in the organization (Warner Bross, Universal, and another one) to cut support from the franchise to.
Sony has more power than Kotick thinks, and all he's done with his statement is boil bad blood with the company and others. Sony also has movie rights that Activision uses like James Bond movies and one or two others, so there goes the next game. Pulling support would hurt Activision more than it thinks.
It's hard to develop for, the code is harder to work with. Of course those titles are AAA, but they're also all exclusives, Activision usually make multi-platform games. Guess who's always holding release dates back? PS3
No. That would just be stupid.
thing is, even if the PS3 was cheaper than th 360, i still wouldnt buy one, because there are no games on that i have any interest in. nothing they're brought out so far has even slightly piqued my interest. aside from Killzone 2 (which i hear is actually pretty mediocre), can someone name a REALLY good exclusive? something that blows the pants off anything the 360 or the Wii have put forward?
Before this sparks more flame-wars, can I say this to the fanboys of any console: Fuck off. Go back to playing your games. We don't care about what you say. Leave this thread to the intelligent people.
What I like about Sony and why I'm sticking with them is that despite all these threat and comments about not supporting the PS3, they're continually fighting back, and are even experimenting with stuff. They're very tenacious, and I respect that.
Of course there fucking are, otherwise 23 million people wouldn't have bought one.
The Ratchet and Clank series
Perhaps you should play the games yourself and not listen to others opinions so you can develop your own?
(<3 Killzone 2)
see but its really not that hard to develop the code for. during e3 o8, during sony's press conference, they played a clip of them talking to a bunch of devs including activision and ubisoft. all they whould talk about how they can get out their huge ideas because of the ps3's excelent procesor and the seemingly endless space to work with. and remember how many time killzone 2 and inFAMOUS were pushed back? alot. but now look at those games and you can tell the extra wait was worth it. i almost dont wana say this next thing because my rep will automaticly be set and dont take this the wrong way but this means that devs are realizing the ps3 is getting more and more AAA exclusives and are getting wary. they should be supporting it more. microsauft isnt being treated like this. bt it almost makes me feel good knowing the ps3 is pumping out more great exclusives than microsauft. timed exclusives and dlc will only get them so far.
The way I see it, Sony's gaming franchise is losing money regardless. And a price cut would probably speed up the process. And lets not forget we've been seeing some of the Playstation's exclusives go out onto the other consoles. Given they are third-party, but you get the point.
I really don't believe Sony will fret over Activision not making games for them. I for one do believe this will back-fire into Activision's face. And, hopefully, the Spider-Man franchise will be taken up by a publisher that isn't full of itself.
I agree its not a win for Sony, but for other reasons was well - I think the Blu-ray isn't enough of an improvement over DVD as DVD was over tapes, and so it doesn't really make the price point for me. Add to that, these downloadable movies and the fact that other companies will be making Blu ray players too for half the price means that I don't see Sony profiting enough from Blu ray to justify the loses they are taking on the PS3
It's like watching a giant colossal being fall.
Exclusives are exclusives, and you keep using KZ2 and InFamous like their the 1337ist games for the console. And have you seen the DLC for 360 versus PS3? PS3 has almost none, the XBLA also has many more games and a lot are actually good, unlike your flowers game witch tries to show off the PS3 hardware and fails at. Also developers arent limited on the 360 or PS3.
killzone 2 and inFamous are verry good games. their system sellers. but if you need more proof just ask. resistance 2 and littlebigplanet whould like a word with you. ps3 gets dlc, it just doesnt really get exclusives. like i said, microsauft cant base their compony on timed exclusives and dlc. OBVIOUSLY the xbla has more games than ps3 because their you can create your own. ps3 cant do that. i diddnt say ps3 has a better online. i play with my freinds 360 (i have a 360 but dont have live yet.) and use his live. i know 360 has better community features. sonys just playing catchup. by 20 10 sony will be just as good, if not better than xbla. oh, and flower is awesome. explain how it failed? did it say it wanted to be ambitious and have lovable charecters and huge shootouts? no, it wanted to be a fun relaxing simulation game. i absolutly did what it tried to acomplish. it can render millions of blades of grass and keep looking beautiful at 80 miles an hour.
devs find the 360 easy to develop for? nope
Please explain what RROD has to do with development? oh right you can't.
The 360 can render nearly the same number of objects on one screen as a PS3, plus gaming isn't about graphics it's about fun, flowers does not look very fun, and I'm not buying it just to find out. I own LBP and it's pretty good but that don't excuse the time it takes to develop.
in a way flower isnt really desigend to be fun. it can be called that if you try to turn it into a racing game or something (people really try to. i dont get it but still). lets say you dont own prototype or your not the kind of sicko who enjoys unwiding by slaughtering 100 inocent people in the most brutal of ways. its not like cod where you can get really frustrated at a level. flower is just like "sup man. you can just do whatever. arent these flowers prettey? TURBO!" okay mabye that wasnt really good for explaining stuff. lbp's wait was defenitly worth it. you can tell from the first level with the credits that they put time and effort into it. the possibliblitys are endless especially because they keep supllying us with what? or right DLC.
Right now Sony is just making one last desperate attempt to keep the ps3 alive before calling it a complete failure. Whilst the graphics have potential and the Blu-ray is doing it wonders it's still way too expensive for most people which is what has been doing it in from the start and a price cut probably wont help that much...but then again one never knows
No, Blu-Ray probably won't be a bright spot on the PS3's resume, but I am one of those people who wants a physical, hard copy of most things. Also, I don't trust anything online, so why would I buy a download version of anything that could be hacked or hacked into.
In other words, I'll take my chances with Blu-Ray and UMDs.
And even that's assuming that the music drives sales of the game, and not the reverse. Guess what.. it ain't so. If you track album sales you find that those bands on Guitar Hero get a significant kick when a new Guitar Hero is released. This doesn't suggest that people who buy guitar hero are doing it because they already know and like the music that's on it, but rather because they like the game, and perhaps a song or two on the box catches their attention. Then when they hear what else is on it, they go and buy. Well, given the major labels listed above, I'm willing to bet not much would change with or without Sony.
Then assuming all of that, we need to somehow believe that the head of the PS3 division would be able to convince shareholders and the division head of Sony Music to take the hit for the console that is the worst performing in sales this generation, in a time when Sony is suffering significant losses on almost all fronts. I can imagine that meeting. "You want us to what? You realize what kind of sales these games generate for us? Why don't you just drop the price? Okay, but you're asking ME to take a loss to my side because you don't want to on yours."
Yeah, ain't gonna fly.
And then you're thinking Sony is going to convince its competitor companies in the RIAA to take a further hit to their sales right now to support Sony's gaming platform? Seriously? You actually beleive that?
Fair enough, but to be honest, it seems likely to me that by the time Blu-ray begins to be widespread, the next thing will turn up - be it holographic discs, whatever, etc, heh. Mainly because of the current economic climate.
Regardless, Sony still takes with them many big name bands, Activision wouldn't want to lose any potential songs in their franchise. Not to mention they would lose many songs to the Rock Band license, and I don't think Activision wants to give their rival any more advantages. Besides, Warner Bros. doesn't have Hungry like the Wolf ;)
Wait, a music game isn't drived by the music? What a world we live in! *coughDJHerocough*
Same can be said with the Rock Band songs, which would not lose Sony support in this hypothetical situation.
Gross exaggeration, as I has been stated multiple times, in the first two years the PS3 has sold better than the 360 in it's first two years. Of course something would sell well if it has a year head start.
Can't argue with that.
OR, Activision gives back support or Sony supports their rival of Rock Band and refuses to give any of their songs, and everyone is happy and moves on with their lives. I would imagine that the PS3 would still put profits for Activision regardless, and as you previously said, they'd still get money from each song downloaded (royalties and such being paid to the band/brand), so cutting support on a console that still easily makes them money is stupid for Activision, not Sony.
Why not? Something about "not being in your best interest" or something.
Why you...rrr...you...RRR...yo...ARGH!
Well, it's a bit extreme saying that there aren't any good games for it. All the games that I now have for the PS3 I've enjoyed loads.
$149 dollars for the deluxe Modern Warfare 2? Woo hoo, comes with some silly green glasses. As one of the highest earning video games studios in the world, I hereby decree that Activision must forthwith STFU.
And as someone who still uses a CRT television in standard definition, I couldn't care about BLUE Ray and wouldn't be bothered paying hundreds just to have a player in my console. DVD's are just fine for me. It's not as though I'm going to repurchase all the 400-odd films just to see nipple hairs on anyone not wearing a shirt.
Ain't I a stinker? :D
PLEASE no more SONY-autopsy articles.
I dont see how blu-ray is a good idea for sony, infact, its one of the Ps3's problems. Very expensive, games hard to make, and overall fucking things up, meaning alot of developers struggle to put in every gameplay aspect, as, even though blu-ray isnt that much of a jump, its still hard to work with. I agree with this article quite alot.
I think BluRay will disappear once flash drives become the norm. A 256go flash drive (yup, such a thing exists already) is much better than a 50go dual layer BluRay Disc... And it will be common faster than we'd imagine, I'm sure. It just has to be cheaper to make. Also, data is transfered much faster on those than on discs, and it breaks less. Can't wait, the loading time will finally go down :)
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A CONVENIENCE store has lost the right to sell alcohol after it was caught serving underage children for the third time in a year.
First Stop in West Street, Portchester, was stripped of its licence yesterday by Fareham Borough Council.
It failed two test purchase operations in November and December and the council had received a tip-off that it had sold alcohol to a person who was under 18.
A joint operation between the council, Hampshire County Council Trading Standards and the police requested for the licence to be revoked and a review hearing held.
Chairman of the licensing panel Cllr Pamela Bryant said: 'The decision to revoke this licence and take away someone's livelihood is never an easy decision and extremely rare but we have a duty to ensure that children do not have easy access to alcohol.
'We will continue to test premises in the borough in order to protect children from underage drinking. I would like to thank the police, Trading Standards and Fareham's Community Safety Partnership for all of their hard work.'
Licensing Officer PC Jason Pearce warned they would continue to carry out test purchases in the area.
He added: 'This result should send out a strong message to all licensed premises about the consequences of selling alcohol to children. A decision to revoke a premise's licence is never taken lightly but it is sometimes the necessary course of action.'
The revocation of the licence will come into effect after 21 days, which will allow the premises time to appeal the decision. If no appeal is made, the ban starts on April 2.
No-one from First Stop was available for comment yesterday.

subset: commoncrawl


text: On Sun, May 09, 2004 at 02:22:40PM +0200, Holger Levsen wrote: > Hi Sven, > > as of today (may, 9th) this is still true: 1505926 bytes for root.bin in > http://people.debian.org/~luther/debian-installer/daily-powerpc-built/2004.05.09/powerpc-small/floppy/ Sorry for not having been responsive, i will still be mostly offline until next sunday, at which time i will have a more advanced look at this. Thanks for caring though. If you feel like it you can investigate this issue and see what on the root.img can be gone without, or even moved to one of the driver floppies. Friendly, Sven Luther


text:
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- Short-term international travel medical insurance
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- Annual premium
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- Multiple trip coverage throughout the year – choice of 30 days or 45 days in length
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- 24 hour secure access from anywhere in the world to manage your account at any time
Additionally, the plans offer excellent benefits and services to meet your global travel needs. You have access to international, multilingual customer service centers, claims administrators who process claims from all over the world, handling virtually every language and currency, and 24 hour access to highly qualified coordinators of emergency medical services and international treatment. You also have access to more than 17,000 providers using our International Provider AccessSM (IPA) seeking treatment outside the U.S. You can also reduce your out-of-pocket costs when seeking treatment in the U.S. by locating providers through the independent Preferred Provider Organization.
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Do You Have Questions * We Have Your Answers ?
Are You Protected from the Unexpected?Providing Our Clients Asset & Health Protection Since 2004.


text:
Welcome to Marion Dierickx's homepage!
I am a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Kovac Lab at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Born and raised in France in a Belgian family, I currently live in Cambridge, MA. My PhD thesis focused on the dynamical modeling of galaxies the Local Group. Since 2015 I have also become involved in research for the Breakthrough Starshot initiative, which aims to send nanocrafts to the Alpha Centauri stellar system.
My resume is available here.


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As we celebrate Independence Day, it is always useful to reflect on WHY we fought for our independence. Now, 239 years later, it is almost chilling to read our original Declaration and see the parallels to where we are today. One thing is for certain, it is NOT time to be complacent. I hope you'll watch and share this video.
Steadfast and Loyal,


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I lost a lot of weight on the "Protein Power" diet, one that is just like Atkins. I felt like I was breathing butter by the end.
The big catch with these diets is that you're swearing off carbs for life. If you go back and eat bread, all that protein and fat you've been eating will jump on it like rottweilers on a pork chop, and you just gain the weight back.


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It's certainly not the first time that Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) has won a race by attacking on the final climb but today was the first time that he achieved just that in front of a huge crowd in Boulder, his home for the past three years. And not only that, he did by beating ProTour riders at the Queen Stage of the USA Pro Challenge.
A huge result for him and the team. "This is a 2.HC race, nationally televised. And for me personally to win in the town where I live, on the climb that I know so well and live on, with my friends and family here I don't think we could have asked for anything better than this."
"This week has been a really rough week for us, maybe harder than we expected, had some bad luck here and there and I didn't have the legs most of the week. Last night I clicked my head on, I dreamt all night of the finish line here. I had a terrible night's sleep, I woke up at five this morning just wide awake thinking about it so I thought might just as well get up and start planning the day."
After a somewhat disappointing week at the race, it was all or nothing for Sutherland as he made his way into the early break. On the plus side, he had teammate Chris Jones with him and he knew the final climb up Flagstaff inside and out. "I don't know how many times I've done this mountain, but it's getting near a 100. Flagstaff is such a beautiful mountain. It's about knowing the area and the climb, and when to push yourself or when to take it easy."
The strategy for the day was clear. "I said to the riders before I went up, 'you better make sure you're ready, because I'm coming up in that breakaway.'"
After a flurry of attacks, the early break with Sutherland, Jones and 12 other riders was established less than 20 kilometers into the Queen Stage. Ahead of them loomed three climbs and huge crowds as they made their way from Golden to Boulder.
"First, I wanted to make it to Boulder, come through and see all my friends and family, then I wanted to help Timmy up to Nederland so he could see all his friends and family." explained Sutherland who wasn't the only Coloradoan in the move, also present were USA National Champion Timmy Duggan (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Chris Baldwin (Bissell).
The gap grew quickly to over five minutes halfway through the 165-km stage before the BMC-led field started to reel them in. Cooperation ceased to exist in the front group with 27 kilometers to go shedding five riders. The field was closing in, only two minutes and a few seconds behind 13 kilometers later.
Sutherland knew exactly what to do on the final 5.6-km vertical, dramatic climb up Flagstaff to the finish line at Sunrise Amphitheater.
" I know this climb well enough that I know I've got to go from the bottom." he explained. "I know where to go easy, I know where to go hard. I've done it I don't how many times and that is the most beautiful one I've ever done."
Sutherland attacked at the bottom, made his way across to and quickly dropped Jens Voigt (Radioshack-Nissan) who had attacked the break a few minutes earlier. He then continued to push as he navigated around the huge crowds and fans running, sometimes too closely next to him. He had time to enjoy his victory, with friends and family present. Fabio Aru (Astana) crossed the line, 20 seconds later and Voigt was third, a further five seconds back.
"When I was coming up on 5K I was getting goosebumps; I can't even explain my emotions. My win today was a combination of knowing the course, and having teammates behind me. But once you get up that break, it's every man for himself."
Sutherland concluded, "This is definitely the biggest win of my career. I'm still coming to terms with how I pulled it off! It's great for UnitedHealthcare and it's great for me as well."


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Ok everyone - it's crunch time. On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Mr. Robert Bell, co-founder of the Intelligent Community Foundation, will be in our fair City finalizing the choice for Most Intelligent City.
He will be having breakfast on Wednesday with community leaders and business people at the Capital Theatre and then spends the balance of the day touring local businesses and schools. Thursday sees him having breakfast with a few of the City's bloggers (including myself) and then more tours. It looks like he will be thoroughly briefed on our Community by the time Ben Champoux and the rest of his City Hall team is finished with him.
Good luck to all the people at City Hall who have worked many hours to try to bring this honour to our community. Getting into the top 7 is quite an accomplishment in itself, but winning would just put the icing on the cake.
I am told the Opening Ceremonies for the World Cup Curling was very impressive and in spite of some tricky ice, there has been some tremendous curling taking place. Once again the volunteers in the community have come out and shown why big events always seem to succeed here. People just naturally get out and help and do there best to show visitors a good time.


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Ellison is a muslim, and therefor, by extension, an islamist. This country should be at war with islamism. It is Treason by the Constitution. But the current administration is islamist, or in bed with them. And frankly, I don't know how we're ever going to clear out this rank infestation.
Ellison is not from Wisconsin. We have our own anti-American congresscritter- Tammy Baldwin. She's not a Muslim, but she's as far left as you can be without falling off the left side of the planet. Two guesses where she's from.


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The presence of weeds in a vineyard can cause several problems, including competition for resources between the weeds and the vines, which ultimately leads to a reduction in yield of up to 37% (up to 68% for cane weight). In order to resolve this issue, vineyards adopt special weed management practices, which span a wide range of control solutions. With conventional farming practices, herbicides are used under the vines, with cover crops planted between the rows.
Weed management not only changes the structure of the plant community in the vineyard, but also affects the arthropod (insects, spiders, etc) community as well. It has been well established that increased plant diversity leads to increased arthropod diversity. So, while increasing the number of weeds present in the vineyard has negative effects on the growth of the vines, increasing weed diversity creates an ideal environment for many arthropods that are natural enemies of certain pests. It is therefore very important that vineyards are managed in a way that controls the population of weeds that compete with the vines without damaging the populations of plants that are beneficial for the arthropod community.
Studies have shown that the type of weed management practice affects the ground cover vegetation in the vineyard, which affects the diversity of arthropods in the community. Arthropods are known to consume weed plant species seeds, which is a benefit to having an increased arthropod diversity present in the community. This seed consumption has the ability to alter the weed species community, and could be used in weed management program. Though we know these dynamics occur in many different types of environmental communities, surprisingly little is known about the effects of weed management on these beneficial arthropods or crop pests.
The goals of the study summarized today were threefold: 1) to describe this relationship of weed management practices on plant and arthropod diversity; 2) to identify those arthropod species that could be weed seed predators, and 3) to determine the importance of plant species composition and density on arthropod weed seed predation.
(I'm leaving out some details of the experiment for space considerations, however, if you have questions about a particular method, just ask!).
This study was conducted in a commercial grape vineyard in Paso Robles, CA during the 2006 and 2007 vintages. The vineyard was planted in 1997 with Zinfandel grapes (clone P1) on 110R rootstock, with 2.13m between vines, and 2.44m between rows. Drip irrigation was used, and sprinklers were available for the cover crops. Irrigation and fertilization was applied uniformly throughout the vineyard, based on commercial production practices.
The experiment was a randomized complete block design, with 5 treatments and 3 blocks in 2006, and 5 treatments and 4 blocks in 2007 (all the same block with the exception of the new one). One experimental unit was four vine rows that were 170m long, with two additional adjacent buffer rows. Treatments were applied to a 1.3m section right under the vine rows.
The treatments were as follows: 1) flumioxazin; 2) simazine; 3) cultivation; 4) cover crops; and 5) untreated control. Flumioxazin and simazine were applied using a commercial sprayer in February, as a tank mix with oxyfluorfen and glyphosate. Cultivation occurred once per year in late spring when weeds covered 75% of the ground and were 30cm in height (this technique is often used in organic vineyards). In the aisles, the common cover crop Bromus carinatus was planted and mowed each year during the spring.
The cover crop was ten low growing species, with winter annual or perennial growth, and adapted to local conditions. Cover crop seeds were sown by hand. Control plots were left untreated throughout the growing season. Weeds under the vines of buffer rows were controlled using a tank mix of oxyfluorfen, glyphosate, and simazine in February. Paraquat was applied to all treatments and buffer rows (except for the cover crop treatment) after harvest in November. This treatment was applied to kill any weeds that managed to escape the other herbicide treatments.
Plant species density was recorded once per month from March to November in four randomly chosen points within each experimental unit (in 0.25m2 frames). The arthropod community density was recorded each month between February and October using pitfall traps.
Laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate the potential of two arthropods (Tanyastoma maculicolle and Calathus ruficollis) to predate on the seeds of Amaranthus retroflexus L. (common tumbleweed), Anagallis arvensis L. (red pimpernel), Brassica nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch (black mustard), Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. (shepherd's purse), Eragrostis spp. (a grass), Malva parviflora L. (cheeseweed), Picris echioides L. (bristly ox-tongue), and Sonchus oleraceous L (sow thistle). Seeds and beetles were collected in the field and brought back to the lab. There were 6 replications for each beetle and weed combination. The experiment ran for 48 hours in a growth chamber at 21oC and was repeated once. The number of intact seeds were counted at the end of the experiment.
A field study was performed to evaluate if higher densities of seed predators in the non-herbicide treatments resulted in higher seed predation rates. Seed predation was measured in May and August of 2007. There were two treatments: one with a vertebrate exclusion cage, and one with no cage. The seeds used for this experiment were from black mustard and shepherd's purse. Thirty seeds of each were collected and placed on sand-paper seed cards and secured in the soil. Each experimental unit had three caged cards and three no cage cards that were randomly placed under the vines.
- Plant density was highest in the cover crop, then the control and cultivation treatments.
o Plant density in the herbicide treatments was only 26% (2006) and 2% (2007) of that of the density in the other treatments.
- Plant species richness ranged from 15 to 31 species in 2006, and 6 to 25 species in 2007.
o Plant species richness in the herbicide treatment was 60% of that of the richness in the other treatments in 2006, and 29% in 2007.
- Plant community evenness was upwards of 4 times higher in non-herbicide treatments compared to herbicide treatments for both 2006 and 2007.
- Plant diversity was highest in the cover crop and untreated control, followed by the cultivation treatment then finally, the herbicide treatment (lowest diversity).
o Plant diversity in the cover crop and untreated control was 5 to 15 times higher compared to herbicide treatments.
o Plant diversity in the cultivation treatment was 10% lower than the cover crop and untreated control treatments, and 13 times higher than the herbicide treatment.
- The number of arthropods collected in 2007 was twice as high in the cultivation and untreated control as in the herbicide treatment (note: 2007 was a dry year).
- Arthropod richness in the cover crop and untreated control was 10 species higher (on average) than in the herbicide treatments in 2006, and 6 species higher in 2007.
o Arthropod richness was higher in the cultivation treatment than the herbicide treatment, but only in 2007.
- Differences in arthropod diversity between treatments were small (compared to plant diversity differences).
o Arthropod diversity was higher in the cover crop and untreated control than in the herbicide treatment.
- Arthropod species evenness was not affected by treatment or year.
Relationships between Plants and Arthropod Diversities
- There was a significant relationship between plant density and diversity, and arthropod diversity.
o Activity-density of arthropods was higher in cover cropped treatments.
§ The authors speculate this means that vegetation ground cover and species composition may be important driving factors in this plant-arthropod diversity relationship.
- There were significant differences in arthropod composition between herbicide and non-herbicide treatments.
- The arthropod community composition was similar in the two herbicide treatments, the cultivation treatment showed similarities to all treatments, and the untreated control differed from the herbicide treatments.
o The arthropod community composition of the cover crop treatment differed from all other treatments.
Seed Predation Experiments
- 2 of the 8 weed species were actively consumed by the beetles.
- In the field, seed removal was the same for both the caged and non-caged treatments, indicating that invertebrates (i.e. arthropods) removed the seeds, and not larger vertebrates.
- Seed removal in the cover crop and untreated control treatments were twice as high as in the herbicide treatments.
o Seed removal in the cultivation treatment was consistently intermediate, compared with the other treatments.
Authors' Interpretations of Results
According to the results of this study, the different treatments showed significant differences in plant richness, density, and diversity. The authors noted that drought was the likely cause of the decline in plant species richness and density in 2007.
In regards to the arthropod community, the differences between treatments were not as clear as they were in the plant community. The authors speculated one issue may have been with the pitfall trapping method, in that pitfall traps may select only more active arthropods, and those arthropod species collected may not represent the community as a whole. In some treatments, more dense vegetation could have prevented the arthropods from moving around as much and falling into the pitfall traps, even though the diversity may have been high. As a result of the possible selection bias on the part of the pitfall trap method, diversity may have been underestimated. I believe that a better solution would be to perform multiple types of collection methods, to ensure collection of a wide range of arthropods that would more accurately represent the diversity of the community.
In regards to the drought in 2007, the variation in arthropod activity-density may have been affected. Studies have shown that drought negatively affects the abundance of arthropods (in a farm settting) through changes in vegetation complexity. This study found that in the drought year of 2007, plant species diversity/richness did decrease thus may be playing a large role in the abundance of arthropods as well. The overall difference in arthropod activity between the herbicide and non-herbicide treatments were more pronounced in the drought year, since the herbicide treatment had significantly lower ground cover during that year.
The results of this study also found that arthropod activity-density and diversity were proportionally related to plant species richness (amount of vegetation cover) and diversity, therefore the authors were not able to determine which parameter was more important in enhancing arthropod diversity, though they are guessing it's possibly the plant density parameter. Also, even though the cover crop and untreated controls had similar plant diversity indices, the actual species present were different for each treatment, thus potentially affecting the arthropod diversity in each treatment as well.
Based on the results of this study, the authors recommended two options for vineyard management changes. First, in order to minimize competition between weeds and vines, while preserving the complexity of the habitat, vineyards could plant a diverse mix of drought-tolerant cover crops between rows, and use cultivation practices under the vines (instead of conventional herbicide treatments). Second, and finally, the authors suggest that cover crops could be planted during the winter and spring, and then cut to use as mulch under the vines.
Overall, this study found that by allowing vegetative ground cover which increases plant density and diversity, arthropod density and diversity is effectively maintained, which is overall beneficial to the health of the vineyard environment. If species diversity is indicative of a healthy environment, then it is clear that alternative vineyard management practices, such as cover cropping (and to a lesser extent, cultivation), are superior to that of conventional vineyard management practices that utilize potentially harmful chemicals.
I'd love to hear what you all think about this study (methods, results, authors' interpretations, what have you). Please feel free to leave your comments below.
Source: Sanguankeo, P.P., and León, R.G. 2011. Weed management practices determine plant and arthropod diversity and seed predation in vineyards. Weed Research 51: 404-412.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2011.00853.x
I am not a health professional, nor do I pretend to be. Please consult your doctor before altering your alcohol consumption habits. Do not consume alcohol if you are under the age of 21. Do not drink and drive. Enjoy responsibly!


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Upstairs neighbors: so mysterious, so foreign. Unless you're one of those people who makes friends with neighbors -- in which case, congratulations on being social and outgoing and maybe a little bit odd -- you probably don't know what your upstairs neighbors are up to. What's up with all that noise? Finally, thanks to this compelling and thought-provoking new expose, the truth about upstairs neighbors comes out.
Via: www.youtube.com
So now you know. That strange rolling sound is, in fact, bowling balls. And sometimes metal barrels.


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Unfortunately, as with any industry, cutting-corners on quality to lower upfront costs is a risky strategy. Inefficient and inferior inverters can cost more than the original price in lost electricity over time. Risky tradeoffs also apply to modules, trackers, and operation and maintenance contracts. In short, lower LCOE is contingent on superior equipment, planning and execution.
Operations & Maintenance
Long term performance from a solar power plant requires high reliability, remote monitoring, proactive maintenance and service. Thus, selection of equipment must consider service factors like which warranties and ongoing services are best for the financial model and regulations at each site. Look at the fine print and ask questions: Does the warranty cover only materials, or comprehensive 'bumper to bumper?' Is the company bankable and capable of service for five to 20 years? How responsive is the supplier? Slow service equals lower energy production and impacts LCOE. Some suppliers are not equipped to respond to service requests but that is changing as the industry scales. A few companies offer expanded service programs to address the entire array including equipment made by other manufacturers.
Looking Ahead
Several research studies report the LCOE of solar PV has begun crossing below peaking gas plants in some regions, and will do so in a dozen States within three to five years. Such examples suggest this time, unlike the 1980s, solar PV is here to stay, albeit with variation by region and time.
Upfront planning and long-term vision with an eye on LCOE are important for successful adoption of solar for utility-scale power. Additional resources about the bankability and benefits of solar energy are offered below.


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Festivities include such traditions as Chez Waffle, Silver Torque Tourney, and a Grand March.
There will be an Arts and Sciences Competition with standard kingdom categories excluding alcoholic entries and a Special Baronial Anniversary category.
In addition, Classes will be held throughout the day and in the evening, there will be a Sumptuous Russian Feast prepared by Saif al-Garnati.
For more information go to http://www.greyniche.org and click the link on the left for Beltaine.
Feast Space is Limited to 150 and Cabin Space is limited to 148 - Tenting is Unlimited. Spaces are going fast so get your reservations in today!
Early Bird Reservations must be postmarked by April 1, 2005 and all Pre-Reservations must be postmarked by April 15, 2005.


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As video continues to gain more and more momentum within the social web, I'm seeing an influx of presentation-related questions starting to rise to the surface. Overcoming the hurdles of planning, filming and production are one thing. Getting your video content onto the web, looking good, and working for you is a whole other animal. Here's a method of streamlining that process for you with the help of Wordpress.
Although this post is targeted towards setting up a new blog as a unique video web presence, most of it will also apply if you're looking to incorporate video into your existing blog or website. And even though I'm using self-hosted Wordpress as the foundation here, much of this information will apply no matter what blogging platform you're running. So let's get down to business already.
Wordpress as a video CMS
Not only is Wordpress is an exceptional blogging platform, but it holds serious power for anyone looking to create a slick and functional video presence on the web. With a little bit of setup time and a quality template, you can easily create a customized video powerhouse that will support your video content impeccably.
I'm not going to get into installing and configuring Wordpress here, as Wordpress.org has this covered already. Head on over there to download the source files and read the infamous 5 minute installation guide. Getting things setup is quick and painless. Just do it already.
Finding a slick Wordpress video template
The first step in turning a fresh Wordpress install into a video powerhouse is a well-equipped template, and I have a few 'out of the box' suggestions to get you started.
First, WooThemes offers some amazing video-based templates which are extremely feature rich and reasonably priced. Here are two options that you should probably check out first:
…and here are some other appropriate finds from other designers that you may want to explore:
As you can see, any of these templates will serve as an excellent starting point. Not only are they loaded with features and customization options, but they also offer the perfect look and feel for a user-friendly, visually appealing video platform. Once you've got one installed and customized with your logo, you'll be able to start adding video content that you've uploaded to the web right away.
Hosting and publishing your videos to the web
There's no shortage of options in terms of video sharing sites, but some are better candidates than others. As a first measure, definitely explore the advertising model of the platform you're considering. Many video sites are now inserting pre-roll or overlay ads onto uploaded content, which is probably not what you're going for. As such, it's a good idea to look into this before populating and relying on any given service.
The next thing to consider is the functionality and style of the video players themselves. Most video sites will allow for a certain level of customization, and I personally prefer Vimeo in this regard. Vimeo's players offer up plenty of flexibility and tend to look integrate well within the context of a cleanly designed blog. Of course, your own mileage may vary.
Also note that in addition to hosting your videos (for free) and allowing you to snatch up video players for your own website, these video sharing platforms hold some exposure potential within themselves. Users will be able to find and watch your videos wherever you upload them, serving up additional opportunities for connecting with new viewers.
For this reason, you may even want to consider uploading your video content to multiple video sharing sites. Even though this may seem like a tedious task, there are free tools that make it a snap. TubeMogul is one such option, allowing you to upload your videos once and automatically deploy them to most of the popular video sites in a single shot. Not only does this get your videos extra exposure, but it also provides viewership statistics and other perks that make it well worth adding to your video toolbox.
Designing your video posts for maximum strength
Now that you've got your videos uploaded and hosted somewhere, you can easily post them to your video blog. I recommend considering your blog's category structure at this point, as it will help you keep things organized while at the same time allowing your viewers to find related content easily. Of course, you can always refine this further as you move forward.
When publishing videos, consider your post titles as you would with any blog post. Your titles should help visitors find what they're looking for quickly while offering search engines an accurate keyword portrayal for indexing. To really maximize your results, be sure to install a Wordpress SEO plugin like the All in One SEO Pack for total control of your keywords and descriptions.
Ready to insert a video player into your post? Just grab the video player's HTML embed code from your video hosting service of choice, and paste it into the post body in the HTML editor. Voila.
Finally, if you're really interested in providing the most bang for your buck, I recommend including a text transcript of your video's dialog underneath the player whenever possible. This can work for you as powerful search engine indexing material. A surprising amount of visitors end up in my analytics by searching for long-tail phrases that are contained in my video's transcripts.
Making your video posts iPhone and podcast compatible
Compatibility is a key ingredient when serving up video, and here are a few 'extra mile' suggestions that will help you reach as many viewers as possible.
The iPhone is pretty darn popular these days, and if you're an iPhone user you probably know that it doesn't support Flash video. Fortunately, you can embed an iPhone-friendly version of your video into your posts quite easily, and The DV Show has assembled a nice tutorial mapping out exactly how to do it. I'd really consider adding this to your posts, as there's nothing worse as an iPhone user then clicking a link to a video and not being able to view it.
For those of you looking to fully complete the 'circle of compatibility', adding podcast support is also not a bad idea. Wordpress plugins like PowerPress make this fairly easy to accomplish, allowing you to include podcast RSS subscription links in your posts and submit your feed to iTunes. By adding podcast support, you'll be able to reach even more users and automatically alert subscribers whenever you release new video content. This unlocks some noteworthy potential, and is definitely worth exploring.
Have questions?
I'd honestly love to help. Feel free to ask away in the comments below, that's what I'm here for. Otherwise, get on out there and build something great. Thanks for hanging with me this far. ;-)
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There's been a fair amount of discussion about the declining importance of video production quality in recent months. As you know, technology has induced a tsunami of 'user generated' video content by virtually eliminating the traditional barriers of entry, making it much easier for people to shoot and post videos to the web. All of this has fostered an undoubtedly exciting and liberating time for video as a medium.
However, whenever a set of rules is being re-written like this, it's often a good idea to examine the new ground-level assumptions that are quietly becoming burned into mainstream acceptance. Without doing so, a number of elusive fundamentals can work their way into your filter without you even noticing. As such, here's a question that I'd like to shake around a bit:
Does video production quality matter?
If I were asking a similar question about any other form of content, you would probably not hesitate to answer with a matter-of-fact 'yes'. It's for this reason that I'm writing this post and calling this to your attention. Why would it make sense to treat (or neglect) video any more then you it would any other aspect of your presence? From where I'm looking, it doesn't.
As of late, it has almost become fashionable to play down the relevance of quality and presentation value when talking about video. Now, most of this is routed in the dismissal of the traditional, high budget 'production requirements' implied by television, film, and video production firms, and I completely applaud this self-enabling progression. I'm all about leveling the playing field and getting the tools into the hands of the people.
But does this mean that you as a video creator should completely abandon the pursuit of quality? Not to me it doesn't. There is a middle ground to acknowledge here, and I feel compelled to mention it. Not because I have an agenda to sell you something (I don't), but because I want you to get better results from your efforts. Plain and simple.
It's all branding, right?
Super-polished, 'over the top' production is usually overkill and can even work against you in terms of relaying transparency and accessibility. But I also think that being able to create clean and effective video is well worth the learning curve, and that your brand will likely benefit from the extra attention that it requires.
You see, video - much like your blog, website, Twitter background, etc. - is content that will ultimately reflect your brand. As such, offering an acceptable level of quality should matter to you, as it will very likely influence your the perceptions of your viewers. The bottom line is this: even though your fellow video-bloggers may be totally cool with a shaky, inaudible and totally untreated video that you post, there's an honest chance that others will not be quite as forgiving. I come to this realization pretty often when talking to people who spend their time well-outside of the social media sphere.
In short, I'd say that you should apply the same sort of attention to video quality as you would to anything else you're willing to put your (brand) name on. Why would anything less make any sense?
A happy medium.
Now I'm not at all implying that you need to become a Final Cut Pro master or spend tons of time (or money) getting your video content out there. That's hardly my intention. I'm rather suggesting that you focus some attention on enhancing your production skills (or outsourcing if necessary) so that your videos compliment the presence that you've been so deliberately crafting via other mediums.
It's amazing what a few clean edits, good sounding audio, a nice title screen and some clean on-screen text can do in terms of helping to keep a viewer engaged. So why not allot some attention to getting it right?
Please post your thoughts in the comments below - This is a topic that I'd really like to extend. ;-)
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I get asked questions about creating text caption overlays or 'lower thirds' all of the time, so I decided to throw together a basic video tutorial to help those of you using Final Cut Pro. If you don't know what a lower third is, don't feel bad at all. It's a pretty strange name, and it's roll is not exactly obvious from a distance. To fill in the blanks, here's an overview courtesy of the all-knowing Wikipedia:
A lower third is a graphic placed in the lower area of the screen, though not necessarily the entire lower third of it as the name suggests. Lower thirds are most commonly found
in television news production, though they also appear in documentaries and even have begun to make appearances in amateur videos thanks to home video editing.
In their simplest form, lower thirds can just be text overlying the video. Frequently this text is white with a drop shadow to make the words easier to read. Lower thirds can also contain graphical elements such as boxes, images or shading. Some lower thirds have animated backgrounds and text.
Finally, here's the video tutorial for helping you create lower thirds in your own productions. It's meant to serve as a starting point, so please excuse the simplicity…and enjoy.
Download the Mp4 or View on the iPhone
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There's a ton of great blog content being created these days, and I'm well-aware that sifting through it all can be a bit overwhelming at times. For the sake of helping to ease the strain on your own filter, I'm now packaging up the most valuable posts that I've uncovered in my weekly web explorations. Enjoy.
The Fine Line Between Analysis and Excuses | Altitude Branding
- Amber Naslund talks about strategy vs. hesitation when sitting on the social media sidelines.
Digital Darwinism will change the marketing ecosystem for Brand Managers | Hard Knox Life
- Survival of the fittest for brands as they adopt SM - an excellent analysis by Dave Knox.
They are starting to "Get" the power « As Seen Through My Eyes…
- A local restaurant's Twitter profile earns them a happy customer.
Why Is It So Hard to Shop for Enterprise Software?
- Why would you make it difficult for people to find out about your products? (it's broke - please fix it)
The Importance of Staying Relevant | Greg Cangialosi - The Trend Junkie
- Brands must adapt to stay relevant in the economic climate, here's why.
A Social Media Job Interview | Altitude Branding
- A social media readiness checklist. (thanks again, @ambercadabra)
How UGC Impacts Every Corner of Your Company | Bazaarblog
- Using customer input to add value. UGC beyond ecommerce.
The Marketing of Unmarketing, A History and Primer
-What traditional marketers need to learn to thrive in the age of SM - Jason Falls.
Lao Tzu and Lisa Haneberg on Leadership - The Brand Builder
- @thebrandbuilder breaks it down for you, as usual. Quality.
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There's a really good chance that the audio in your video deserves more attention then it's currently getting. I'm pretty darn sure about this. Why? Because I'm running into serious cases of audio neglect everywhere I look these days. As a result, I'm going to make a quick suggestion which, if listened to, may vastly improve the overall video viewing experience for everyone on the internet. Yes, I'm dead serious here.
This is what the world at large desperately needs you to do:
Normalize the audio output levels of the videos you produce.
Now, I'm not going to go nuts here and preach to you about things like de-artifacting, denoising, and compressing your individual audio channels, even though I definitely could - especially being that I'm an audio perfectionist of sorts. That's for another post. All that I'm asking of you here is to come up with a reasonable 'standard' audio output level - something like minus 2 (-2) or minus 3 (-3) decibels - and stick with it.
Here's why it's important:
Do you hate it when you're watching TV and a commercial comes on that is REALLY loud compared to the show that you were peacefully enjoying? I know that I really do. Well, if you don't take the time to attend to your video's audio output level, you may very well be offending your own viewers in the same totally annoying way. Yes. Exactly.
Similarly, if your audio levels are too low (which may even be more prominent on the web these days), it's equally frustrating. I'm really tired of ganking my computer's volume level up and down all day long to account for the oversight and/or laziness of internet video producers. Plus, if I have to crank up my computer's volume to hear what you're saying, I run the risk of blowing my eardrums out when then next properly-gained video starts playing. I don't know about you, but this is really starting to bother me. So, let's work to squash this bug together, OK?
Here are some ways to fix it:
There are a number of methods you can use to stabilize your audio output levels, but here are some really basic ways to get the job done quickly:
- The first option is to take the audio 'master track' in your video editing application and 'normalize' it to -2 or -3 decibels (or 'db', as it's commonly referred to) with a plugin inside of your video app. This should be applied to your audio 'mix' channel, which is the master audio output that combines all of your audio tracks.
- If that's too much for you to swallow, then just take a look at your master audio track's levels in your level meter and visually adjust it to somewhere within the -2 to -3 db range. This eyeball-based method is 'quick and dirty' and less then ideal, but it will probably at least get you into the passable range. Compare your results to other videos on the web. Adjust as needed.
- Record all of your audio properly, compress and gain each audio track separately, and finalize and master the mix to a suitable output level which is the same across every video you produce. Ok, fine - maybe not. If this sounds like way too much for you to think about, then I totally understand. Please go back and see #1 and #2 for my reasonable and easy-to-swallow solutions.
Anyway, thanks for listening. I really hope that you'll work with me in resolving this epidemic of audio neglect. It's within your power to do so, and it's totally the right thing to do. The ears and patience of countless others will be appreciative of your efforts. ;-)
Questions? Feel free to drop them in the comments. I'd love to help.
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This is the second post in a series I'm writing with the intention of helping you produce better video. In this installment, I'm going to dive into some basic video editing and production tips to help you earn the respect and attention of your viewers. Video editing can be a tedious and time-consuming skill to perfect, but as a Ninja it's your duty to approach it with dignity, honor and ultimate precision. As such, it's time to sharpen your editing skills and fulfill your destiny, young warrior. There's much video to be made.
In my last post I touched upon the pre-recording and filming stages of production. In the name of progress, I'm assuming that you've already mastered that and are now ready to get down and dirty with some footage in your editing application of choice. So, here we go.
1. Cut it out. After importing your video footage into your editing application, the first step will be to cut out anything that you don't need in your timeline. This process often benefits from a few quick rounds of slicing and dicing. You'll probably find that multiple attempts to 'widdle down' your footage will usually uncover more content that you can cut to the curb.
On your first run, edit away any of the extra footage, obvious mistakes, and nonsense that you find. Then, once you've cleared the debris in your timeline, go back through your footage again to see what else can be cut without remorse. If it isn't essential to the intended message or presentation, yank it. With most web-targeted video, less is often more. Kindly give your viewers their time and attention back before they demand it - it's the courteous and respectful thing to do.
2. Tie it together. After you remove the gaps in between the edited segments that you've just sliced in your timeline, it's time to smooth things out in-between each cut. This is especially true for a 'talking head' style video or a videoblog, where 'straight cut' edits don't often work very well. There are a few ways that you can accomplish this, and here are your basic options:
The first option is to use a 'transition', such as a dissolve or fade. Your video editing application already has a number of these included under its hood. Since I'm a minimalist (and a bit of an elitist as well, perhaps), I'm going to encourage you to stay far away from obvious 'wipe' and 'peel' transitions. Why? Because they are overused and, well…pretty cheesy. Subtlety is good in the transition department, which as a Ninja-in-training, I'm pretty sure you already know.
The second option is to use a piece of B-roll footage or even an image to lay on top of the edit in your sequence as a 'cutaway'. Cutaways are used to cover up transitions between clips or problems within your footage by literally 'cutting away to' different footage or imagery for a moment. You can accomplish this by literally placing a piece of footage 'over' the edit or visual glitch in your sequence, and it really does come in handy. This also allows you to preserve audio you may need to keep during a poor visual 'take'. Here's a link to a basic video tutorial on using cutaways which will demonstrate what I'm talking about a little bit better.
3. Spell it out. One great way to spice things up is by adding some tasteful text overlays to your video where they make sense. Text overlays allow you to call specific attention on-screen to things such as your company name, a website URL, or even key points you're trying to help stick in your viewers minds. Again, I strongly suggest that you practice good judgment here and keep things on the minimal side. Here are some basic tips to help you utilize on-screen text properly:
- Limit your text to an upper or lower edge of the screen so that it won't obscure your primary content (often called a 'lower third').
- Use any text animations such as fly-ins or fly-outs very sparingly. This isn't a circus, right?
- Display your text for long enough so that your viewers have the time to notice it and digest it.
- Contrast your text color with your background video, so that it stands out and is actually readable.
Again, taste is the key to achieving good results with on-screen text - I cannot stress this enough (or adequately teach it within a blog post, for that matter). Experiment within your editing application and consult other videos for further inspiration. There are plenty of good examples out there to absorb and learn from.
4. Sort your sound. This is an area where I tend to place a good amount of emphasis, as nothing irks me more then terrible audio quality. As such, here are a few tips to help you not scare people like myself away.
Start by recording your video's audio signal properly in the first place. Be sure to get a strong audio level into your microphone that does not distort or clip. Test this before you begin filming. If you really want to ensure consistent audio levels (as I always do), run your audio track though a compressor. You can either do this within your editing application (if it offers one) or via an external audio editor or plugin.
Next, add-in some suitable, unassuming background music. Be sure to only use royalty-free or 'podsafe' music to avoid getting sued by a major record label (or to avoid getting the audio track stripped from your video on YouTube). To help you in your search, here's a link to a pretty thorough blog post that will get you pointed you in the right direction.
Once you've found something appropriate, carefully mix your audio levels in your video editing application so that you strike a good balance between your dialog and your background music track. Fade the music in to (and out from) your dialog, lowering the volume on the music track when you are speaking. This is easier then it sounds, I promise. Of course, if you'd like any specific help with this, just drop me a line and I'll be glad to sort you out. I aim to please.
Anyway, I hope that some of these tips will help you inch closer towards becoming a master of video form and function. As always, feel free to post questions or any of your own tips in the comments below.
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This is the first in a series of posts that I'm putting together to help aspiring DIY video-makers film and produce better video for the web. Although the tips below may seem a bit obvious to a number of you, I run into questions about this stuff almost daily when talking to clients. As such, I'm starting off with the very basics here. If you've already got them covered, please bear with me until the next few posts are written. Remember, not everyone is a ninja like you…yet.
1. Gear Up. The first and most obvious step is to get your equipment on lock-down. These days, a totally adequate video camera is easy to come by on the cheap. For example, the Flip Video line of cameras will totally do the trick on a tight budget. Their top of the line HD version only costs about $229, and this will more then do the trick. If you'd like something a bit more fully featured, just shop around a bit and read all the reviews that you can before buying to get the most bang for your buck. The internet - as usual - will be your friend in this regard. Cnet's camcorder review section is a great place to start.
Next on the 'must-have' list is a tripod. This is probably more essential than you might think, and it's a definite requirement for shooting shake-free video footage. You can grab a totally decent tripod for around $50 or so, and it'll be some of the best money you've ever spent. I promise. Nothing wreaks of amateur more then a shaky camera, and your tripod will keep your pans and tilts as smooth as silk.
2. Script Your Dialog. Before going into any sort of project that you are serious about, take some time to map out what you're going to say. You don't necessarily have to write things out word for word, but a solid outline is highly suggested. The more confident you are about what you'll be saying, the more smoothly the recording process will go. Spend some time rehearsing your topic to help ease the nerves and to loosen up your mind a bit.
Once you're feeling pretty good about your delivery, you can proceed towards the lights, camera, and action phase. Of course, you're still probably going to be at least a little nervous (or clumsy) and have to grab a number of 'takes', but, well…just get used to it. Almost everyone looses at least a little bit of their cool once the red light goes on.
3. Set The Scene. Before actually hitting the record button you'll need to quickly setup and frame your scene. Set your camera up on your trusty tripod and point it at the area in which you'll be filming. Although there are no hard-set rules about what should be on camera, your taste and judgment will certainly come into play here. Look into your camera's viewfinder and move things around until you're happy with what you see. Also be sure to remove any ugly, distracting or incriminating objects from view.
Another pretty important factor that is often overlooked is lighting. Make sure that the area you're filming within has adequate lighting (yes, turn the lights on). If this isn't enough or you wish to raise the bar a bit, you can always bring in a lighting from another room (or even a lighting rig) to supplement. Experiment with the placement until you're happy. Keep checking your camera's viewfinder and adjust to taste.
4. Hit Record. It's finally time to get down to business. Get in position and fire away. If you loose your footing during your delivery (and you probably will), just back up to a recent 'checkpoint' in your dialog and give it another try. You can easily edit out the errors and mishaps in post production as long as you have a good take of each 'section' to work with. This is what applications like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premier are great for, and I suggest that you make friends with at least one of them for this very reason. I will have much more for you on that topic in my next post.
5. Grab Some B-Roll. B-Roll is extra video footage that you can use to cut away to within your video. It can be helpful in making things more interesting for your viewers and also in covering up visual flaws in your delivery. For example, if you're talking about a new book you've written, a cool shot of the book itself could be used as b-roll. If you're talking about your company's local presence, various shots of the area can be used as b-roll. You get the picture. In short, b-roll can a great way to enhance the visual appeal of your video and can seriously help to break up your longer speaking segments. Grab some footage when you're filming and experiment with layering clips on top of your dialog to see what I mean.
In my next post, I'll be getting into some video editing and production tips that will help you spice things up considerably. It's no secret that serious magic happens in the editing room, and as everyone knows - Ninjas are all about magic. See you then, oniwaban.
Of course, feel free to post specific questions in the comments below. It's what I'm here for.
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It seems like there's been a lot of buzz surrounding Friendfeed since they released their Twitter friend import tool this week. As such, I'm seeing a lot of interest and related questions coming out of the Twitter community about making FriendFeed a bit more…well, friendly. If you're looking to do the same, here's something you may find useful.
After you perform your Twitter friend import on FriendFeed, you'll notice that all of your friend's Twitter status updates are visible within your FriendFeed stream. This can really get in your way if you have a lot of Twitter friends and not much else going on in your FriendFeed's 'home' stream.
Anyway, if you're like me, you may find that seeing these Twitter updates from your friends in FriendFeed can be both distracting and redundant. If you want to reduce this specific source of noise, here's how you can remove all Twitter updates from your FriendFeed stream. (much thanks to Louis Gray):
- Locate a Twitter update somewhere in your FriendFeed stream. Click on the 'hide' link underneath the post.
- After you click on "Hide", you'll see a dialog box come up saying "Entry hidden. Undo or hide other items like this one." Click on where it says "hide other items like this one".
- Now a dialog box will appear. Select "Hide everyone's Twitter entries", and then optionally 'even if they have comments or likes". I personally left the 'even if they have comments or dislikes' option unchecked, as Twitter updates with FriendFeed conversations around them are still worth seeing to me. As always, your own preference may vary.
…and that's it, you're done. Now you'll only see non-Twitter updates within your FriendFeed activity stream. Enjoy!
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Do you handle a wider range of tasks by yourself today then you did a few years ago? I know that I do, and that most of my friends certainly do. Heck, even my parents are surprising me in this department. I guess it makes sense that as this democratization of information continues to evolve at light speed, more of us are grabbing the reigns and expanding our horizons 'DIY style'. It's the logical progression, and a darn good sign that we're getting collectively smarter.
Nothing seems to pronounce this movement more profoundly for me then today's scope of television programming. DIY shows are literally everywhere on the tube right now, as the rise of 'reality' television coupled with the socially hip, eco-friendly green movement has inspired a natural explosion within this category. People seem to love to consuming this stuff, and I completely understand why they do. 'Know-how' is an easy sell to people like me.
After all, if you factor in the economic concerns that we're all dealing with today, the cost-saving core basis of DIY-ing makes more obvious sense than ever. Why not save a few bucks while simultaneously learning a useful skill in order to cross a pending (and potentially nagging) task off of your list? It's seemingly becoming a smarter and easier choice for people to make these days. The DIY approach lines up in theory and in practicality with the fundamental shifts that appear to be fueling our collective evolution. At least in my mind it does.
So, here's what I'm wondering: how will the greater economy and individual income levels be affected by this rapidly developing shift towards greater self sufficiency? As more of us begin to self-educate, grab the reigns and take on projects and skills ourselves that we used to outsource, what are the longer throw implications for the greater economy (and society) as a whole? Uh-oh. I sense a hefty conundrum boiling underneath all of this…
For example: let's say that one of the toilets in my house suddenly stops working. Instead of calling a plumber, I do a bit of research online which reveals a simple fix. I run out to Home Depot to grab a few parts on the cheap, and then return home to perform the operation in sync with the comfort and support of a YouTube clip. Kudos - well done, right? Thought so. But what about the plumber I didn't call? What about every other professional middleman that I've been able to swiftly replace with just my own two hands and the internet? What about the suffering global economy that we're all supposed to be pumping our hard-earned money into? (and what about 'Joe the Plumber'?) ;-)
So here's my question. What will happen as people like myself begin to take on more and more of everything ourselves in the name of efficiency and self-actualization, in the midst of all of this readily available and directly applicable information? It would surely seem that we would need less money to survive on individually, since we would be spending less and less cash on external resources to help fulfill our needs. Right?
It certainly seems as though this progressive and empowering application of information must be a good thing…
…although I think I've accidentally run headfirst into the heavily-understated limitations of capitalism, yet again…
I'm curious though - what are your thoughts here? Economists and thinkers, please educate me in the comments below.


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Secret Project Preview
June 8, 2017 by Hawkins · Leave a Comment
Enjoy this preview of a fun project that we have been working on for awhile and is rolling out right now. The finished product is in vivid full-color and looks great. Our stickers, Mishka NYC stickers, and other artists' stickers are all featured. Any guesses on why we are excited about this? Tweet Share
Great New Jurassic Park Themed Tees from Johnny Cupcakes
June 12, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
With the remake of the classic film Jurassic Park coming out in theaters on June 11, Johnny Cupcakes found his latest tee inspiration. Jurassic World is the fourth installment in this popular series and the shirts look like they will follow suit in the popularity department. The brand released two shirts with the Jurassic Park […]
Rastaclat Introduces Slim-Fit MiniClat Classics
June 10, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
Rastaclat welcomes the #MiniTribe into the #CLATLIFE with the MiniClat Classic Shoelace Bracelet. In response to overwhelming demand, we've launched the MiniClat – a smaller, slim-fit version of our Classic Bracelet. The MiniClat Collection offers six colorways with product names that hint at classic small-but-mighty reminders of our youth. Take a look at how the MiniClat size compares with our original […]
iLTHY Releases Air McFly Tee with Free Delorean Sticker
June 10, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
iLTHY has finished a great collaboration with its good friend Omar Madhun from ShiptoCLE. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, he is a sneaker and clothing designer, and together, they had "a little fun with Nike Air Mags. Oh, and the hover board too." The collaboration produced the Air McFly tee which was released a few days ago. […]
Johnny Cupcakes Drops New Stickers
June 10, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
This Johnny Cupcakes sticker is 4″ in size. We have some exciting news: Johnny Cupcakes just released new stickers on his online shop! These new additions include: Bullseye Sticker Get Weird Sticker Skull Boy Sticker Although Johnny makes it tough to choose a favorite, ours is The Skull Boy Sticker. We've never seen such a […]
Two Ways Sticker Drop Fans Can Get Free Stickers
June 4, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · 1 Comment
The easiest, fastest, and best way to get stickers is by buying through our awesome online shop. However, there two ways Sticker Drop fans can get free stickers. 1. If you are talented and have some extra time, you can get some stickers by doing something cool. Set up dominoes that spell out Sticker Drop […]
Benny Gold Unveils Summer Collection
June 3, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
Summer is finally here… Come by our SF flagship store today to check out the second drop of our Bartlett Collection. Summer Collection is only available in-store. Web release to follow – Stay tuned! Benny Gold 3169 16th street San Francisco, Ca. 94103 – Benny Gold Source: Benny Gold Tweet Share
Sticker Drop Welcomes Sydney, Our High School Intern!
June 3, 2015 by Lt. Falcon · Leave a Comment
Hello everyone! My name is Sydney Johnson and I am very excited to say I am Sticker Drop's high school intern. For years, I've known that a career in communications was for me and I applied as soon as I heard Sticker Drop was looking for an intern. Communications is great because it allows me […]
Accepting Internship Applications from High School Seniors in Virginia
March 30, 2015 by Hawkins · Leave a Comment
We are accepting applications from high school students located in Arlington, Virginia for an upcoming internship. The ideal candidate is interested in one or more of the following – Online marketing (ads, blogs, and social media) E-commerce Entrepreneurship The selected individual will learn about a variety of topics, including – Online marketing Branding Graphic and […]
Pick Up a Sticker Drop X Apollo Cutts Sticker
December 9, 2014 by Hawkins · Leave a Comment
The Sticker Drop squad is proud to present a collab sticker we designed with pro-skater, Apollo Cutts. Each one is full color, custom kiss-cut, measures 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and is made of high quality vinyl with protective laminate. Made in the USA. Only 1,000 made. Each sticker is hand numbered. Once they are […]


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February 18 - 20th, 2011
Hello and welcome to Anarchist Summer School, an educational conference and convergence happening on the 18th- 20th February 2011, at Black Rose Books, Jura Books and other community venues in Sydney (to be confirmed). We are the organising collective, and our background is in radical reading groups and student environmental groups, although we are also involved in various anarchist collectives in Sydney.
We hope to have three days of workshop and forums on different aspects of anarchist theory and practice. Some current topics that we are keen to see discussed are: classical and modern anarchist theory, autonomous Marxism, the overlap and differences between anarchism and socialism, mutual aid, anarchist influence and involvement in social movements, and different streams of anarchist thought and action.
The organising collective would like to hear your ideas on what you would like to see happen at the convergence, what topics you would be keen to learn about, and to invite you to submit workshops that you can run. You can submit your ideas and workshop plans by emailing anarchistsummerschool [at]gmail.com or by submitting a short form on this website (click on the 'Program' tab).
We would also like to invite interested folks to join the organising collective. The collective meets weekly to organise things like venue, program content and workshops, and food.
On the final day of Summer School, we invite anarchist groups and collectives to an assembly on the Anarchist movement in Australia, where groups can exchange ideas and plan new ways of working together in the future.
See you in February! Anarchist summer school organising collective
anarchistsummerschool [at] gmail.com


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Events Calendar
Water Management Projects
NRCS Programs
NRCS Web Soil Survey Data
Educational Programs
Membership List
Helpful Links
On-Going Projects
Completed Projects
1221 Kenny Hill Avenue
Suite 2
Tunica, MS 38676
Phone Numbers:
ext: 3
Office Hours:
Mon - Fri
8 am - 4:30 pm
Tree Planting Week
Sponsored by TCSWCD and Yazoo-Mississippi Delta Levee Board
Approximately 10,000 trees are given away
Trees are given to each Elementary School, Parks & Recreation Dept.
Approximately 520 individuals received trees
High School Juniors and Seniors
Teaches about the environment, forestry, wildlife management, water quality & soil erosion
District, State and National Competitions with scholarships awarded
Field Day
5th Graders
Broaden Children's knowledge of the environment they live in
Held in the Spring of Each Year
Riverpark Museum
Students and Teachers receive T-shirts
Volunteers from Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, MSU Extension Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tunica RiverPark Museum, Bureau of Land Management, Mississippi Forestry Commission, Tunica County Sherriff's Dept.
Farm Day
First Graders
Teach and Enhance children's knowledge and interest in animals raised and crops grown in Tunica County
Held in April Each year
Tunica Arena
Volunteers operate exhibits on Rice, Soybeans, Corn, Cotton, Wheat, Chickens, Cows, Horses, Goats & Pigs
Teacher Works
Tunica County Teachers
3.0 ceu credits
No Cost to Teachers
Arbor Da
Second Friday in February is Mississippi's official Arbor Day
Poster Contest for 5th graders
Tree is planted Downtown Tunica at Arbor Day Ceremony
Kindergarten Participates in a Program Downtown
Cabbage Plant Program
3rd graders
Teaches children about gardening and the environment
Bonnie Plants donate a cabbage plant to each student
Competition based on cabbage weight
$1000 scholarship awarded in each state
Endowment Fund Scholarship
NRCS Scholarship – students interested in agricultural sciences
Envirothon Winner Scholarship
Teachers and Counselors are asked to encourage students to apply for scholarships. Applications will be delivered to the schools.
Soil Stewardship Week
5th graders
Teach children about soils, plants and the environment
Held in March
Poster Contest
Essay Contest
Copyright (c) 2010 Neputopia Designs


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text: Dic writes, <I want know what is the preferred way for identify micro-organisms in pharmaceutical laboratory. Do you use MIDI, VITEK, API or biochemical tests (catalase, oxydase,TSI) are suitable?> My experience is with Vitek and API, in conjunction with some biochemical testing. For instance, on all gram pos cocci I'd do a catalase test, and on catalase positives, a staphaurex or staphyloslide (then confirmation of staphaurex positives with a tube coagulase test). All gram neg rods I'd do oxidase tests on, too. No ID system is perfect, so there are occasions when it is necessary to run supplemental tests, usually biochemical or antibiotic (some organisms are differentiated by resistance to a particular antibiotic). Two examples of this would be Flavobacterium oryzihabitans vs. Chryseomonas luteola, which are differentiated by reactions to ONPG and esculin hydrolysis, and Staph. hominis vs. Staph. saprophyticus - S. hominis is novobiocin susceptible. But by no means are those the only examples. I can't speak to the other ID systems, but both Vitek and API come with manuals which suggest additional biochemical tests in the event of an unclear ID (and API has a very nice telephone database as well). Infectionately, Yersinia.


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Have you ever wondered what a man craves in a woman?
Crave is a juicy word. Read it's definition here:
Crave – a verb. Definition: desire intensely
Here is an article written by a guest contributor, Antoinette Cabral which will answer that question for you. Perhaps you feel the desire for something delicious right now. I suggest you make yourself a cup of herbal tea, pour a glass of your favorite wine or shake up an ice cold Cosmo, curl up on a comfy chair and read on!
What Does A Man Crave In A Woman?
When you are on a date, are in you in your head, or are in you in your feminine body? Do you come on too strong? Are you wondering why he hasn't called you back for another date?
Men love our feminine qualities. When on a date, it's so important for you to embrace your feminine ways. If you are in your masculine, you will either attract a man who will be more feminine than you are, and in the future you will not respect him for not stepping up. Or you might be too competitive with him on a date. If you come on too strong or are too much in your head, he may not be enchanted by you, and not call you back for a second date.
How do you embrace the feminine ways?
1. Take a bubble bath before you go on your date. This will allow you to release stress from work. Play with the bubbles, and this will transition you from masculine mode to feminine fun mode.
2. Try less talk and more play. Over 75% of communication is made with the body. If you are talking too much, then the man will be overwhelmed by the conversation. Women talk in circles and men are more direct. So, it's best to talk more with your body language. Talk by having fun, laughing and listening.
3. Practice receiving. If a man really likes you, he wants to give to you. If he wants to open up the door for you, let him. If he wants to compliment you, receive it. When you are happy, he is happy.
Notice how much happier you will be, when you embrace the feminine ways!
If you like what I said, please contact me Antoinette Cabral, Female Sensual Lifestyle & Dating Coach, at firstname.lastname@example.com for questions. You can also visit me at http://antoinettecabral.com and sign up for more Female Sensual Secrets today!
Antoinette Cabral is a Female Sensual Lifestyle & Dating Coach. She empowers women to Magnetize the Right Man by embracing a Female Sensual Lifestyle. She teaches powerful tools, techniques and rituals for to feel more feminine, fun, flirty and free in your own body. Antoinette invites a woman to feel safe connecting to her own SENSUAL POWER by inviting PERMISSION to have PLEASURE in her life. When she does this, she becomes MAGICAL, MYSTERIOUS AND MAGNETIC to the RIGHT MAN. She calls this a Female Sensual Lifestyle. Click to learn more about desire and dating or email her at email@example.com.


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Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 - November 16, 1961) was a Democratic politician from Bonham, Texas. "Mr. Sam", as he was widely known, served as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives for seventeen years, and is regarded by some historians as the most effective Speaker in history
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text: I Like Old Crow Medicine Show Me Too Personal Stories, Advice, and Support 3 People Report Group Sort popular recent If You Love Music I suggest you take a listen to this band. They are a fantastic blend of many things. Bluegrass, folk, old time, string band, and more. Great sound, killer harmonies. Enjoy deleted 26-30 1 Response 0 Nov 4, 2008 More Stories


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JERUSALEM (Oct. 31)
The Jewish Agency has drafted a plan to transfer 90,000 immigrants to Israel from October 1,1950, to March 31, 1951, Itzhak Raphael, Agency immigration chief, revealed today at a press conference. Of this total, 80,000 Jews are expected to be brought to the Jewish state from Poland, Rumania, Iraq and Iran while the remainder will come from a total of 48 other countries.
Reporting on the present immigration picture, Mr. Raphael disclosed that only 5,000 Jews are now left in Czechoslovakia and "there are no prospects for their imminent emigration." Since December of last year, 24,000 Polish Jews have arrived in Israel, he asserted. Some 4,500 Polish Jews have registered for transfer to the Jewish state, of whom 600 have been denied exit permits by the Polish Government, he added.
On the other hand, he reported, 500 of the Polish Jews who registered for emigration to Israel withdrew their applications at the last moment, because of "atrocity" reports and propaganda being circulated by the Jewish section of the Communist Party in Poland.
Over 45,000 Jews from Rumania have arrived in Israel since November, 1949, the Agency official said. As for Hungary, Mr. Raphael stated that the "future of Hungarian Jewish emigration is still veiled." The forthcoming November plenary session of the Jewish Agency executive–to be held in New York–will have to decide the financing and "tempo" of continued Jewish immigration to Israel, he concluded.


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Roy's Response: Vela In Good Fortune
Roy Hodgson singled out Carlos Vela and Marc-Antoine Fortune for special praise following our derby day draw with Wolves.
Speaking on wba.co.uk after the game, the manager was delighted with Vela's impact in the game - not least because he secured us a point.
'Carlos did very, very well...he's very interesting. Arsenal don't make mistakes with talents they sign.'
Not only was the new manager pleased with the loan signings contribution in the game, he also had plenty of praise for Fortune who he described as an 'unsung hero' in the game despite his spurned chance that could've put us level far earlier in the match.
'He did a very good job for the team. His target play was excellent, as was his selfless running and work off the ball.'
Hodgson goes onto say that Fortune wasn't happy come the end of the game because he knows he should've found the net and he knows that fans will judge him on his goalscoring exploits and not on the work he does getting into good positions, when he then fails to convert the chances created.
You look at the Stats from the game and you even look at our recent results and scoring isn't often our problem, it's the sloppy mistakes that have prevented us from taking maximum points and I at least don't think we've been playing too badly in the main.
If we are going to leak goals as we have been though we'll need Fortune and others to start scoring double if we want to pull away from the bottom.
Vital West Brom on:
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It's easy to REGISTER HERE, simply click the link and enjoy getting involved!


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United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar says the army and police took ingai a "Muslim minority are guilty of inhuman crimes. British broadcasters (the BBC) on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, speaking from the United Nations Special Envoy said that the Myanmar military and police perpetrators of crimes against Muslims, "they are going out to investigate charges Myanmar's ... Read More »
In Paris, French language speaking of controversial law on foreign workers
Paris-the French capital of Paris on the construction sites, local government workers have to speak another language, French language, rather than as the controversial law of fanaticism. According to British media, local government workers working on construction sites of Paris, the French-language speaking is bound to the name of the new law had been called "asmal Business Act". During the ... Read More »
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House invited Trump
Washington: American President, Donald Trump has in terms of peace negotiations with Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House is invited. According to the British broadcaster American President Donald Trump gave Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas over the phone, is invited to the White House. President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesman says the President Trump said that he is 3 years ... Read More »


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Byron Bay Australia
Everyone raves about this place; frankly I was over it. Every time I've travelled down from the Gold Coast for a day trip you are confronted by crowds of people and parking issues.
On a number of occasions with interstate friends it became so frustrating, traffic bumper to bumper into town and then finding a park was a nightmare! We all headed out of town back to the Gold Coast.
The end result was I just haven't visited the location for sometime. Then my sister arrived for a long weekend and it was time to try again.
Surely there must be something in this constant buzz about Byron Bay and it's only about 40min from the Gold Coast.
The secret to success
Up early Saturday morning and this time I was determined it was going to be a good day at Byron Bay; the great memories of the place I want them back.
Off we went early around 7.30am for Byron and a walk around the Lighthouse. Usually I do some research before I go walking, check Google maps and decide which is the best walking track?
Didn't do any of those things, just jumped in the car headed south straight down the Pacific Hwy to the Byron Bay turn off.
This is the secret, go early and stay away from Sunday day trippers.
Parking was a breeze no bumper to bumper traffic into town. It is out of season and early morning, but who cares we are here and looking for a place for breakfast.
Breakfast on the beach front
We decided to have breakfast on the beach front at Fish Heads, this restaurant is steeped in local history and it's worth taking your time to read about it on the menu.
We both ordered 'Spanish Eggs' it was filling and delicious with a bite of chilli. Now we were ready for our walk and what a magnificent day, the memories were flooding back.
Cape Byron Headland Reserve
This is what Byron Bay is about, the views from the walking track were breathtaking the water was turquoise with the colour intensifying in the deeper waters; the air was clean and cool a perfect day for walking.
700metres to the Lighthouse and every step was rewarded with intoxicating views of Cape Byron with Julian Rocks just off shore. This is the Byron I remembered, how could I ever forget?
Along the route take a quick detour off the main walking track to 'Little Wategos Beach' just a hundred metres, but worth the effort.
The button on the camera has been running hot; I love digital cameras you are only limited by how much your memory card will hold.
Back to the Main Track and the Lighthouse
Continuing on and you will arrive at the most easterly point on the Australian mainland, views all along the coast in both directions with the brilliant white Lighthouse looming up ahead.
The approached to the Lighthouse lends itself to some perfect photos; no wonder visitors love this place it is quite unique.
The lighthouse is a handsome structure, gleaming in the morning sun with an indigo ocean backdrop; the brilliance of it contrasting against the deep blue sky is quite incredible.
Time for a Break
After all that walking and climbing steps up to this exceptional location it is time to rest and have a cuppa. Byron is a very special place, best advice pick your time frame carefully.
Cape Café is a very pleasant spot to have a quick drink and snack, soak in the incredible views one last time while recuperating for the journey back down to Wategos Beach.
But before you leave take the time to check out the visitors centre, some interesting facts about the inhabitants of this fabulous location that is Byron Bay.


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Tour from Beijing to other cities
Beijing is not only the capital of China but also the transportation hub to other cities. Many tourists would like to visit Beijing first and then travel to other cities in China. The following are the tours from Beijing to other cities, such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Guilin, Datong and etc. The tours can be customized to meet your specific demand.
|Tour from Beijing to other cities, Book Online, Pay on Arrival China
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