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By DR ABUBAKAR BUKOLA SARAKI
My dear brother Dele, let me thank you most sincerely for your article last weekend, "My Candid Letter to Saraki." I take everything you said in that article to heart and I must commend you for your candidness indeed and the sincerity of your intentions.
As you said in your article, you are someone I have known more by reputation than by any personal relationship, until recently when we struck up some personal acquaintance based on our shared political interests, especially during the last presidential election. However, I understand why you had to sound so defensive for knowing me at all and had to publicly map the boundaries of our relationship. We have got to that point in our country when we no longer believe that anyone could stand for anything based on principles and convictions alone. Moreover, in the growing culture of media crucifixion and presumed guilt; it is rare to find a voice like yours that calls for fairness and justice.
I would have simply sent you a text message or call you up for your candid advice to me, which I take seriously. But I feel the need to make some clarifications on some of the issues you raised. One of them was that in seeking to be Senate President, I struck a deal with the PDP and made it possible for one of them to be the Deputy Senate President. I know this is the dominant narrative out there, but it is far from the truth.
I did not do any deal with the PDP. I did not have to because even before the PDP Senators as a group took the decision to support my candidature on the eve of the inauguration of the 8th Senate, 22 PDP Senators had already written a letter supporting me. What I did not envisage was a situation where some members of my party would not be in the chambers that day, especially when the clerk had already received a proclamation from the President authorizing the inauguration of the Senate. Pray, if a team refused to turn up for a scheduled match and was consequently walked over, would it be fair to blame the team that turned up and claimed victory? I believe those that made it possible for PDP to claim the DSP position were those who decided to hold a meeting with APC senators elsewhere at the time they ought to be in the chambers. What the PDP Senators did was to take advantage of their numerical strength at the material time. They simply lined up behind Senator Ike Ikweremadu while those of us from APC voted for Senator Ali Ndume. It was a game of numbers, and we were hopelessly outnumbered. If the PDP had nominated their own candidate for the Senate Presidency position that day, they would have won. It was as simple as that.
Secondly, I don't know if you were aware that in the build up to Senate inauguration, the National Working Committee of the APC sent two signals. The first signal specified how leadership positions in the National Assembly have been zoned. While we were trying to give effect to this decision, the second signal came, which contained names of people to which these zoned position had been allocated. What was not acknowledged was that the President of the Senate is not an executive president. He is primarily one of 109 senators. Therefore, I cannot decide by myself who gets what in the Senate. Therefore, when they said I defied party directive in the choice of principal officers, they are invariably ascribing to me the power that I did not have.
My dear brother, most people talk about the Senate Presidency position, but this was not my only offence. I have also been accused of helping to frustrate some people's opportunity to emerge as President Muhammadu Buhari's running mate. But I have no problem with anybody. My concern was that it would not be politically smart of us to run with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. I doubt if we would have won the election if we had done this, especially after the PDP had successfully framed us a Muslim party. I felt we were no longer in 1993. Perhaps, more than ever before, Nigerians are more sensitive to issues of religious balancing. This, my brother, was my original sin. What they say to themselves, among other things, was that if he could conspire against our ambition, then he must not realize his own ambition as well. For me however, I have no regrets about this. I only stood for what I believed was in the best interest of the party and in the best interest of Nigeria.
Now to the substantive issue of my trial. As you rightly noted, this trial is not about corruption. And I am happy that since my trial started, people who have followed the proceedings have now understood better what the whole thing is about. I have had opportunity to declare my assets four times since 2003. Over those years, the Code of Conduct Bureau had examined my claims. There was no time that they raised any issues with me on any item contained in my declarations over those twelve years. This is why you should be surprised that while I am being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the witness and the evidence supplied against me were all from EFCC.
Like you, I have an abiding faith in the judiciary. May God forbid the day that we would give up on our judicial system. However, the onus is not on me to prove that I have confidence in the judiciary; the burden is on my prosecutors to prove to the world that justice is done in my case. If the process of fighting corruption is itself corrupt, then whatever victory is recorded would remain tainted and puerile!
Some people have wondered, why has Saraki been "jumping" from one court to another instead of facing his trial? To those people, I would say that I have only gone to those courts in search of justice. Strange things have happened, and they are still happening. For example, Section 3(d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act states that the Bureau shall refer any breach or non-compliance to the Tribunal. However, where the person concerned makes a written admission of the breach, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary. It was on this basis that the case against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was dismissed in 2011, by this same judge in this same Tribunal on the grounds that he was not given an opportunity to deny or admit to any breach before he was brought before the tribunal. This was the ruling that I relied on in making my case. But what did the judge say? That he had judged in error in 2011 and he had since realized his error and departed from it. My question is whether a Tribunal of first instance has the power to reverse itself. I should expect that everyone would be worried if justice is applied differently to different people. However, in spite of my fears, I remain hopeful. Why? Because the judiciary does not end with this Tribunal.
Do you know the genesis of my real problems with President Goodluck Jonathan? I have had a touchy relationship with him, but the turning point was in September 2011 when I moved a motion on the floor of the Senate that exposed the N2.3 trillion fuel subsidy racket. I remain proud that I was the Senator that blew the lid on the most elaborate corruption scheme ever in this country. But after that I became a marked man. My security was withdrawn. I was invited and re-invited by the EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit. I was even declared wanted at a point. I believe I am still one of the most investigated former governors in this country. I have no doubt that if the Jonathan government was able to find anything against me, they would not have allowed me to go unpunished.
Let me make this point clearly. I do not expect to be shielded from prosecution because of my contribution to APC, if there was genuine basis for such action to be taken against me. But I have every reason to expect not to be persecuted by the party that I contributed so much to build. The New PDP may not have given APC victory in 2015, but it was an important factor in the dynamics that produced that victory. And with all sense of modesty, I was an important factor in the formation of New PDP; in leading that group to the APC; in ensuring our group's support for the candidate during the primaries and in mobilizing substantial resources for the election. For these, I have not expected any special compensation. Rather, I only expect to be treated like every loyal party member and accorded the right to freely aspire!
Some people have complained that I have been taken Senators with me to my trial. But I did not force them to follow me. The Senators have freely accompanied me to the Tribunal not because they are loyal to me as Abubakar Bukola Saraki, but because they are committed to the principle that produced me as the President of the Senate. The same principle that produced Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President and produced Ali Ndume as Majority Leader. They see all of us in the Senate leadership as manifestation of their jealously guarded right to freely choose their own leaders. Because they know they made us their leaders without any external interference; they are confident that they retain the power to remove us whenever they so wish. They also know what this trial is all about. They believe I am being victimized because they have expressed their right to choose their own leadership. This is why I am not in any way perturbed by my absence in the chambers during this trial. Because I was not imposed on the Senate, I feel confident that the Senate will protect its own choice whether I am present or not. It is never about me. It is about the independence of the legislature. It has always been so since 1999. It is so today and it would be so in 2019, it would be so in 2023, and as long as we practice a democracy that operates on the principle of separation of powers.
My dear brother, let me end by observing that I am not alone in this trial. On trial with me in this process is the entire judicial system. On trial with me are our entire anti-corruption institutions and our avowed commitment to honestly fight corruption. On trial with me is our party's promise to depart from the ways of the past, a promise that Nigerians voted for. And I dare say, on trial with me is our media; and their ethical commitment to report fairly and objectively. In the end, it is my earnest hope that whatever we do will ultimately ennoble our country.
Dr. Saraki is President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria


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Long Hill Township is located in the most southern part of Morris County, NJ. The community has a total area of 12.1 square miles and has approximately 3,200 housing units. The Township consists of four sections: Gillette (07933), Millington (07946), Stirling (07980), and Meyersville. The community has a mixture of homes from various time periods. Homestead Park is the name of the first subdivision in the Township developed in the 1920s. Other housing developments and neighborhoods include: Clover Hill, Colonial Woods, Sandalwood, Skyline Ridge, Sterling Ridge, Sherbrooke, Sherwood, and Rose Wood Estates.
The Long Hill Township School System serves public school students in Kindergarten through eighth grade. Schools in the district are Gillette School (K-1), Millington School (2-5) and Central Middle School (Grades 6-8). High school students in public school attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township.
There are some great hiking trails and recreational facilities located in and close by the community, which include Hicks Tract, the Watchung Reservation, the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge, and Stirling Lake.
Long Hill Township is easily accessible to Interstate 78 for an eastbound commute. Millington, Stirling, and Gillette have train stations on the NJ Transit Gladstone Branch which provides service to NYC.
Content published by Shawn and Diane Fox. Copyright © 2007-. All Rights Reserved. All information on this site is deemed accurate but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Photographs may not be used without express written consent by the owners. Please contact us for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tuesday, May 8, 2012
California Pronto!
Whenia not make a da weddings i a make a da emailings and tzen i a make a da dinner and opening da wine and talk about da soil structure
Whenia not make a da weddings or talk about da soil structure i a take a da meetings with a da clients at da country clubs and get in da trouble for dressing in da jeans
Whenia not washada dog ina da bathtub after she makea love to carcass ofa dead raccoon, then ia use da internet to learn about da rabis. itsa not a joke a
mama mia!
When i not a doa dis tings i make a airplane travel with the professor to da sunny shine state to make flower classes for da students and i take a da picture of flowers that grow by the road like a precious diamonds. You look at me instagramo!
20 comments:
- amygoround said...
Ha! You are always funny, but I hooted out loud at this one. My boyfriend inquired of my hooting, "Brooklyn blogger?", which is how I refer to you whenever I look up from my computer and talk at him about ranunculus or crop cover or crazy dogs (I am a florist, we aspire to own a farm, we have a crazy dog). Enjoya da sunny shiny tripa makeeng!
- May 8, 2012 at 8:13 AM
- Unknown said...
Ha! You are hilarious! I love that you got in trouble for wearing jeans to the country club. I am always sadly underdressed for those occasions. Last time I was like "Hey, I thought I looked good, these are my dressy jeans!" Have a great trip, would love to get to one of your classes one day.
- May 8, 2012 at 8:18 AM
- Unknown said...
You are a goof. I know what you mean about the raccoon. (We just had a recent trip to the vet....)
The flowers, as always, are lovely. Soak in some CA sun for us. - May 8, 2012 at 9:46 AM
- Jo said...
Dear God, why do dogs have to roll around in dead things? If only they could all smell like fresh lilacs or something. Have fun in the sun, chica!
- May 8, 2012 at 11:57 AM
- Camille said...
My favorite country club ooops was when I wore jeans (dark ones, sheesh) and the thin-lipped angry lady behind the desk silently interrupted my meeting to hand me a brochure about the dress code: with large drawings of what not to wear, in red circles with slashes through the middle. Not a lot of words, written for the illiterate maybe?
Not that you need another notch on the life-ambitions list, but here goes: you really must come do a class in Santa Barbara. Because then I could attend. And Santa Barbara kicks butt when it comes to local farms, a ton of designers, and not to mention roadsidia, sistah. And it's warmer than Oakland. And I'll have margaritas waiting. - May 8, 2012 at 12:51 PM
soooooper excited for tomorrows class!!! Woot!!!
- May 8, 2012 at 8:58 PM
- crown flora studio said...
Your flowers are truly amazing, great job!
- May 9, 2012 at 6:00 AM
- Grapevine! said...
That is hilarious! Life is da life!
- May 9, 2012 at 7:17 AM
- Fleurie Flower Studio said...
The day is finally here! So excited to be attending your class today. Hope the East Bay has its sunshine rolled out for you!
- May 9, 2012 at 7:45 AM
- Elizabeth said...
thank you SO MUCH for making my day better
- May 9, 2012 at 12:22 PM
- Stephanie Niko said...
Love that teal color!!
- May 10, 2012 at 9:48 AM
You have an INSANELY wonderful way with flowers. I love your work, and your photos. I wish I wasn't on the other side of the world so I could come to all of your classes … .
- May 10, 2012 at 8:48 PM
- Healthy Family Quest said...
Congratulations! Healthy Family Quest has nominated your blog to receive a Liebster Award. Check out the details at:
Please pass it forward!
Kato - May 10, 2012 at 9:09 PM
- cosplay costumes said...
You are fabulous!The flowers are so beautiful!
- May 14, 2012 at 2:59 AM
- Sara said...
wheniasee a funny thing like this I laughmya••off
i love your jacket too. Where did you get it so canalook like you? - May 18, 2012 at 1:44 PM
- niko - juegos said...
good blog that I never saw one like it I love that picture
- May 22, 2012 at 3:02 PM
- Mihaeko said...
You have a lovely blog here, beautiful pictures. Thanks! - May 22, 2012 at 5:47 PM
your work is divine, your humor, however, is disappointing. For someone so original to use a dated and cliched stereotype. and yes, I am an Italian from Tuscany and we take great pride in our language, so I'm sad to see it mocked in this way
- May 25, 2012 at 8:04 AM
- Sarah Ryhanen said...
Thank you for your comment, I am really sorry to offend you. Yours is a beautiful language, truly.
You have made me think a great deal about the humor that I employ here.
I really don't want to sensor myself here, but I also don't want to hurt anyone. - May 28, 2012 at 8:06 AM
Uh oh, my first thougth was - you are so gonna get into trouble over this - a little bit of self-irony and a sense of humour makes the world a funnier place. Italian might be a beautiful language, does that mean one cannot pull its linguistic leg?
Love your flowers. - April 11, 2013 at 12:24 AM


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Specifying Time Delays
This example shows how the Control System Toolbox™ lets you represent, manipulate, and analyze any LTI model with a finite number of delays. The delays can be at the system inputs or outputs, between specific I/O pairs, or internal to the model (for example, inside a feedback loop).
Time Delays in LTI Models
Transfer function (TF), zero-pole-gain (ZPK), and frequency response data (FRD) objects offer three properties for modeling delays:
InputDelay, to specify delays at the inputs
OutputDelay, to specify delays at the outputs
IODelay, to specify independent transport delays for each I/O pair.
The state-space (SS) object has three delay-related properties as well:
InputDelay, to specify delays at the inputs
OutputDelay, to specify delays at the outputs
InternalDelay, to keep track of delays when combining models or closing feedback loops.
The ability to keep track of internal delays makes the state-space representation best suited to modeling and analyzing delay effects in control systems. This tutorial shows how to construct and manipulate systems with delays. For more information on how to analyze delay effects, see Analyzing Control Systems with Delays.
First-Order Plus Dead Time Models
First-order plus dead time models are commonly used in process control applications. One such example is:
To specify this transfer function, use
num = 5;
den = [1 1];
P = tf(num,den,'InputDelay',3.4)
P = 5 exp(-3.4*s) * ----- s + 1 Continuous-time transfer function.
As expected, the step response of P
is a shifted version of the delay-free response:
P0 = tf(num,den); step(P0,'b',P,'r')
If the process model has multiple outputs, for example:
you can use the OutputDelay property to specify a different delay for each output channel:
num = {5 ; -2};
den = {[1 1] ; [1 3]};
P = tf(num,den,'OutputDelay',[3.4 ; 2.7])
P = From input to output... 5 1: exp(-3.4*s) * ----- s + 1 -2 2: exp(-2.7*s) * ----- s + 3 Continuous-time transfer function.
Next consider a multi-input, multi-output model, e.g.,
Here the delays are different for each I/O pair, so you must use the IODelay property:
num = {5 , 1; -2 1};
den = {[1 1] , 1; [1 3], [1 0]};
P = tf(num,den,'IODelay',[3.4 0;2.7 0.7]);
A more direct and literal way to specify this model is to introduce the Laplace variable "s" and use transfer function arithmetic:
s = tf('s');
P = [ 5*exp(-3.4*s)/(s+1) , 1 ; -2*exp(-2.7*s)/(s+3) , exp(-0.7*s)/s ]
P = From input 1 to output... 5 1: exp(-3.4*s) * ----- s + 1 -2 2: exp(-2.7*s) * ----- s + 3 From input 2 to output... 1: 1 1 2: exp(-0.7*s) * - s Continuous-time transfer function.
Note that in this case, MATLAB® automatically decides how to distribute the delays between the InputDelay, OutputDelay, and IODelay properties.
P.InputDelay P.OutputDelay P.IODelay
ans = 0 0 ans = 0 0.7000 ans = 3.4000 0 2.0000 0
The function totaldelay
sums up the input, output, and I/O delay values to give back the values we entered:
ans = 3.4000 0 2.7000 0.7000
State-Space Models with Input and Output Delays
Consider the state-space model:
Note that the input signal u(t) is delayed by 2.5 seconds. To specify this model, enter:
sys = ss(-1,1,12,0,'InputDelay',2.5)
sys = A = x1 x1 -1 B = u1 x1 1 C = x1 y1 12 D = u1 y1 0 Input delays (seconds): 2.5 Continuous-time state-space model.
A related model is
Here the 2.5 second delay is at the output, as seen by rewriting these state equations as:
You can therefore specify this model as:
sys1 = ss(-1,1,12,0,'OutputDelay',2.5);
Note that both models have the same I/O response as confirmed by
However, their state trajectories are not the same because the states x
and x1
are related by
Combining Models with I/O Delays
So far we have only considered LTI models with transport delays between specific I/O pairs. While this is enough to model many processes, this class of models is not general enough to analyze most control systems with delays, including simple feedback loops with delays. For example, consider the parallel connection:
The resulting transfer function
cannot be represented as an ordinary transfer function with a delay at the input or output. To represent , we must switch to the state-space representation and use the notion of "internal delay". State-space (SS) models have the ability to keep track of delays when connecting systems together. Structural information on the delay location and their coupling with the remaining dynamics is encoded in an efficient and fully general manner. Adding the transfer functions and together automatically computes a state-space representation of :
H1 = 1/(s+2); H2 = 5*exp(-3.4*s)/(s+1); H = H1 + H2
H = A = x1 x2 x1 -2 0 x2 0 -1 B = u1 x1 1 x2 2 C = x1 x2 y1 1 2.5 D = u1 y1 0 (values computed with all internal delays set to zero) Internal delays (seconds): 3.4 Continuous-time state-space model.
Note that
The delay value of 3.4 is listed as "internal"
The A,B,C,D data corresponds to the dynamics when all delays are set to zero (zero-order Pade approximation)
It is neither possible nor advisable to look at the transfer function of models with internal delays. Instead, use time and frequency plots to compare and validate models:
step(H1,H2,H) legend('H1','H2','H','Location','NorthWest'), grid
bode(H1,'b',H-H2,'r--') % verify that H-H2 = H1 grid
Building Models with Internal Delays
Typically, state-space models with internal delays are not created by specifying A,B,C,D data together with a set of internal delays. Rather, you build such models by connecting simpler LTI models (some with I/O delays) in series, parallel, or feedback. There is no limitation on how many delays are involved and how the LTI models are connected together.
For example, consider the control loop shown below, where the plant is modeled as a first-order plus dead time.
Figure 1: Feedback Loop with Delay.
Using the state-space representation, you can derive a model T
for the closed-loop response from r to y and simulate it by
P = 5*exp(-3.4*s)/(s+1);
C = 0.1 * (1 + 1/(5*s));
T = feedback(P*C,1);
grid, title('Closed-loop step response')
For more complicated interconnections, you can name the input and output signals of each block and use connect
to automatically take care of the wiring. Suppose, for example, that you want to add feedforward to the control loop of Figure 1:
Figure 2: Feedforward and Feedback Control.
You can derive the corresponding closed-loop model T
F = 0.3/(s+4); P.u = 'u'; P.y = 'y'; C.u = 'e'; C.y = 'uc'; F.u = 'r'; F.y = 'uf'; Sum1 = sumblk('e = r-y'); Sum2 = sumblk('u = uf+uc'); Tff = connect(P,C,F,Sum1,Sum2,'r','y');
and compare its response with the feedback only design:
step(T,'b',Tff,'r',100) legend('No feedforward','Feedforward') grid, title('Closed-loop step response with and without feedforward')
State-Space Equations with Delayed Terms
A special class of LTI models with delays are state-space equations with delayed terms. The general form is
The function delayss
helps you specify such models. For example, consider
To create this model, specify Aj,Bj,Cj,Dj
for each delay and use delayss
to assemble the model:
DelayT(1) = struct('delay',0.5,'a',0,'b',2,'c',1,'d',0); % tau1=0.5 DelayT(2) = struct('delay',1.2,'a',-1,'b',0,'c',0,'d',0); % tau2=1.2 sys = delayss(-1,0,0,1,DelayT)
sys = A = x1 x1 -2 B = u1 x1 2 C = x1 y1 1 D = u1 y1 1 (values computed with all internal delays set to zero) Internal delays (seconds): 0.5 0.5 1.2 Continuous-time state-space model.
Note that the A,B,C,D
values are for all delays set to zero. The response for these values need not be close to the actual response with delays:
Discrete-Time Models with Delays
Discrete-time delays are handled in a similar way with some minor differences:
Discrete-time delays are always integer multiples of the sampling period
Discrete-time delays are equivalent to poles at z=0, so it is always possible to absorb delays into the model dynamics. However, keeping delays separate is better for performance, especially for systems with long delays compared to the sampling period.
To specify the first-order model
with sampling period Ts=0.1, use
H = tf(2,[1 -0.95],0.1,'inputdelay',25)
H = 2 z^(-25) * -------- z - 0.95 Sample time: 0.1 seconds Discrete-time transfer function.
The equivalent state-space representation is
H = ss(H)
H = A = x1 x1 0.95 B = u1 x1 2 C = x1 y1 1 D = u1 y1 0 Input delays (sampling periods): 25 Sample time: 0.1 seconds Discrete-time state-space model.
Note that the delays are kept separate from the poles. Next, consider the feedback loop below where g is a pure gain.
Figure 3: Discrete-Time Feedback Loop.
To compute the closed-loop response for g=0.01
, type
g = .01; T = feedback(g*H,1) step(T)
T = A = x1 x1 0.93 B = u1 x1 2 C = x1 y1 0.01 D = u1 y1 0 (values computed with all internal delays set to zero) Internal delays (sampling periods): 25 Sample time: 0.1 seconds Discrete-time state-space model.
Note that T
is still a first-order model with an internal delay of 25 samples. For comparison, map all delays to poles at z=0 using absorbDelay
T1 = absorbDelay(T); order(T1)
ans = 26
The resulting model has 26 states and is therefore less efficient to simulate. Note that the step responses of T
and T1
exactly match as expected:
In general, it is recommended to keep delays separate except when analyzing the closed-loop dynamics of models with internal delays:
rlocus(H) axis([-1 2 -1 1])
Inside State-Space Models with Internal Delays
State-space objects use generalized state-space equations to keep track of internal delays. Conceptually, such models consist of two interconnected parts:
An ordinary state-space model
with augmented I/O setA bank of internal delays.
Figure 4: Internal Representation of State-Space Models with Internal Delays.
The corresponding state-space equations are
You need not bother with this internal representation to use the tools. However, if for some reason you want to extract H
or the matrices A,B1,B2,...
, you can do this with getDelayModel
. For the example
P = 5*exp(-3.4*s)/(s+1);
C = 0.1 * (1 + 1/(5*s));
T = feedback(P*C,1);
[H,tau] = getDelayModel(T,'lft');
State-space model with 2 outputs, 2 inputs, and 2 states.
Note that H
is a two-input, two-output model whereas T
is SISO. The inverse operation (combining H
and tau
to construct T
) is performed by setDelayModel


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Tuesday 25 October 2011
HBO to bring THE DARK TOWER to the screen
Good news. This project sounded insanely ambitious, perhaps even unrealistically so, but cool that it seems to be back on the drawing board. HBO also seem to be continuing their foray into the fantastical, adding The Dark Tower to a fantasy line-up now consisting of True Blood, Game of Thrones and the forthcoming American Gods.
11 comments:
- Colin F. Barnes said...
This has so much potential, that I think HBO is likely one of the only companies to pull it off. I love the idea having the series interspersed with films, could be an amazing experience. I just hope it all works out.
- 25 October 2011 at 19:32:00 GMT
- Brett said...
Excellent news. I think the Dark Tower series goes up and down in quality, but I'm glad to see it brought to television (and film).
I wonder how expensive it would actually be to make it. Most of the first book probably wouldn't be more expensive than your average western film. The second has some things in it that are expensive, but most of it takes place in a modern setting. And so on and so forth - a surprising amount of the series is set in modern settings. - 25 October 2011 at 19:43:00 GMT
Should I read Dark Tower now? It's been on my radar for years but is always preempted by the next great author in epic fantasy....
- 26 October 2011 at 04:08:00 GMT
- Mark Lawrence said...
if they do this right it will be spectacular ... fingers crossed!
- 26 October 2011 at 06:29:00 GMT
- Michael Tabolsky said...
Probably the same abomination as the game of thrones. Sad.
- 26 October 2011 at 08:10:00 GMT
- Burk said...
This is great news. HBO just got a new subscriber.
- 26 October 2011 at 16:07:00 GMT
- Adam Whitehead said...
I should get round to reading the books now the series is done. I need to clear out a couple of other unfinished series first though.
- 26 October 2011 at 18:02:00 GMT
- Unknown said...
So very exciting! I am through book 4 and need to get back to it.
- 26 October 2011 at 18:14:00 GMT
One of the best fantasy series out there, I like to think of it as Narnia for grown up's. I wish HBO would do the entire thing. They could probably adapt the entire series in three seasons of 10 episodes. Shouldn't cost much in comparison with a series like Game Of Thrones.
3 movies + a series set in between the movies doesn't sound like a good way to do it, I assume its supposed to be possible to just watch the movies, how could that possibly work? - 26 October 2011 at 21:55:00 GMT
- shadowprancer said...
This is exciting. I just wrote an article about American Gods being adapted into an HBO series.
http://technorati.com/entertainment/tv/article/american-godsthe-hbo-series/ - 27 October 2011 at 00:43:00 GMT
After finishing the Dark Tower series I swore I would never read any other Stephen King book.
Willfully unimaginative, with this series King holds his readers in contempt. Long may he rot. - 27 October 2011 at 23:17:00 GMT


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Check Out the Stunning Secret Places in India
Places to Visit in Bir
Bir is located in the Kangra region of Himachal Pradesh, which is one of the stunning secret places in India that must be visited at least one. One will find that the significant population of this locality comprises of the Tibetan people, hence, giving the place a Tibetan culture. Bir is very renowned for the adventure it offers. Ideal from trekking to paragliding, you will find all possible adventure sports near nature. Bir is considered to be one of the best paragliding spots in the whole world; to such an extent that it even holds a yearly paragliding championship.
These adventure games are offered under awesome safety measures and they are never lethal. Bir is additionally a place where tourists and visitors from everywhere throughout the world come for meditation and spiritual studies. This town has various Buddhist religious communities along with numerous stupas. Bir has various spots to visit. Mentioned below are only some of them.
Deer Park Institute
If you are planning to go Bir to learn something fascinated, the Deer Park Institute is quite a good place for you. The general people here have an intention to recreate the atmosphere of the colossal Nalanda University. Nalanda University at its radiance, used to lecture and practice all customs of Buddhism along with the typical studies of philosophy, culture, beautiful arts, and much more. You can even select for any of the courses you are keen on. Individuals who have been to this organization have returned with an enhancing knowledge with a plan to get back there someday. In any case, if you can't spend your much valuable time in Bir, you can take part in the short workshops they organize on meditation.
Bir and Billing
As I specified before, Bir is extremely well known for paragliding and also has many stunning secret places. Bir-Billing is well known worldwide for making excellent paragliding knowledge. Charging lies at the height of 8500 ft on the Dhauladhar ranges. This is the starting spot for paragliding. It has a superbly composed platform that makes it less demanding and more comfortable for the people.
Bir lies at a distance of 14 kms from Billing. Bir is the arrival spot. The height difference is very nearly 800 m. The site of the rich green glades and excellent towns is most likely the best site you would find in your whole lifetime. If you are an adventurous buff, paragliding at Bir-Billing ought to be on number one in your list. Awesome precautions measures are taken for the wellbeing of the gliders.
Bir Tea Factory
The town has miles and miles covered with tea estates. It is surprise to see the delightful fields sprouting with tea leaves and listening the women work so difficult to cull those leaves. Since such an extensive amount of land is captivated with tea plantations, it is just expected that the town will have an industrial facility to manufacture the tea.
Bir tea manufacturing plant is situated close to the town market, known as the Bir Bazaar. It is a tremendous factory and people can take visits to go in and perceive how the tea is delivered. It is interesting to watch how those little green leaves turn out to be little ruddy seed-like things. A wide variety of tea is manufactured here.
Chokling Monastery
Chokling monastery is a standout amongst the most prominent cloisters of Bir. It is home to the greatest stupa of Bir and it also has an enormous statue of Padmasambhava. There are various courses for the studies of the cloister. Every now and then, they also have workshops open for the public throughout the day. The monastery has a restaurant and small guest house with creative decorations.
Tibetan Colony
As you may definitely know, Bir has an incredible population of Tibetan people and also considered as the best holiday destinations. These are generally displaced people from Tibet. It was built up somewhere around the year of 1960. Tibetan state has various glittering monastries. It is likewise a similar place where the Deer park organization is arranged. Aside from these, the colony has a school for its kids, a medical clinic as well as the Tibetan Handicrafts center. The handicrafts work sold here are quite prominent and travellers from the most part find them extremely appealing. The colony is also well known for Tibetan food they offer.
Bir is a place that you can visit consistently all the days in a year. Being a hill station, you can get to enjoy the pleasant weather even during the summer that makes this place as the best holiday destination. During monsoons, you would encounter light rainfalls yet they are endurable. The winters experience temperatures drop to the freezing point, making it somewhat harsh. In any case, you would discover something or the other to do during all the seasons. Being one of the best holiday destinations, it is the perfect choice for adventurous people to have a blast.
These are some of the stunning secret places in India that must be visited at least once in your lifetime. Pack your bag and go ahead for the trip with your beloved family and friends.


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Each of GHC's command line options is classified as static, dynamic or mode:
For example, --make
or -E
There may only be a single mode flag on the command line. The
available modes are listed in Section 4.5, "Modes of operation".
Most non-mode flags fall into this category. A dynamic flag
may be used on the command line, in a
pragma in a source file, or set
using :set
in GHCi.
A few flags are "static", which means they can only be used on the command-line, and remain in force over the entire GHC/GHCi run.
The flag reference tables (Section 4.20, "Flag reference") lists the status of each flag.
There are a few flags that are static except that they can
also be used with GHCi's :set
command; these
are listed as "static/:set
" in the


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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Over at Whip Up Again Today: Make an Art Supply Pouch
24 comments:
- Gabrielle said...
I am so curious, how does the fabric feel/look after this treatment? Is it like the original? stiffened? gluey? shiny?
- March 15, 2011 at 1:51 PM
- Holly said...
Gabrielle--that is the great thing--it actually feels like fabric! I have used some printable fabric sheets that seem a little shiny or even plastic-y--but this really has a soft hand and feels like the fabric. It is a little stiffer initially after you treat it so you can print on it--but once you rinse the printed fabric--it feels soft again (my inks did not run either--but I know part of the rinsing process is to rinse away any excess ink that might be lingering on your fabric so it will not run later on). That said, I did not print on something that would be washed repeatedly--so I am not sure how it would hold up with repeated washings, but the Bubble Jet Set bottle claims that after following the initial process, you are good for washing...
- March 15, 2011 at 2:06 PM
- Steph at ModernParentsMessyKids.com said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 15, 2011 at 2:20 PM
- Steph at ModernParentsMessyKids.com said...
seriously cool! I did a project using spoonflower custom printed fabric to make a play mat with all of new baby's stats (height, weight, birth date). Check it out here;
I love how it turned out and it was totally worth the money for my good friend but I'm not gonna lie, it was a little spendy. - March 15, 2011 at 2:22 PM
- Jessica said...
I didn't know you could make your own printable fabric, that's amazing. Thanks for the info, the pouches are so pleasant!
- March 15, 2011 at 2:27 PM
- Holly said...
Steph--I already saw your project as part of Rae's Boy month--it was pretty rad. Really. I was impressed--and those of you who have not seen Steph's work should go check it out because it is nice.
Also, you helped alleviate some of my own fears about using Spoonflower--which I plan to do soon enough... - March 15, 2011 at 2:34 PM
This is wonderful. I'll have to add this to my to-do list. We have many art aficionados in our house. Thank you.
- March 16, 2011 at 5:18 AM
- Tiphaine said...
not nice !! Very very very nice !!!!!!! Great idea !!!!
- March 16, 2011 at 6:05 AM
- caralyn said...
Ahhhhh...printables! SUCH a great idea! I just did a round of pouches for storing treasures for the Munchkins earlier this week... But I might have to do a slew more just so I can try printing on fabric too. Thank you!
- March 16, 2011 at 8:09 AM
- meg said...
super crazy awesome! I feel like I say this about all your projects, but really they all are.
- March 16, 2011 at 3:40 PM
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- March 17, 2011 at 5:31 AM
Oh my goodness I love these! I hope you don't mind that I put a picture (with a link) on my blog here: http://annabelvita.com/did-you-know - i tried doing it without a picture but it quite convey how awesome these are.
- March 17, 2011 at 5:36 AM
so beyond awesome!!!!!!!
- March 17, 2011 at 6:24 PM
- Holly said...
Annabel--totally fine by me to use my photo--as long as you credit it and link back to me. And thanks for sharing it.
- March 17, 2011 at 6:25 PM
- The Art Teacher said...
I would love to have my kids in the art room make these as a special beginning of the year project! I will be adding a link to this tutorial at http://artteacherscloset.blogspot.com/
Thanks! - March 20, 2011 at 5:06 AM
- Holly said...
The Art Teacher--thanks for sharing it on your blog. I went and took a peek at your blog--your art projects are wonderful and inspirational.
- March 20, 2011 at 9:14 AM
- Nikki said...
Super super super cute! Thanks so much for the images too!
- March 22, 2011 at 10:27 PM
- twobadmice said...
Thanks for your beautiful tutorial. The project came out awesome.
I was wondering about the process of making your own printable fabric sheets. I believe you when you say they're superior (and I hope you get some free swag!) but I am hesitant because I am unsure about the process. Any chance you'd give us a quick tutorial on making them?
: ) - March 23, 2011 at 10:38 AM
- Holly said...
Twobadmice: I could make a tutorial but I really do not think you need it because the bottle of the products you use give all the directions you need. It is pretty simple anyway--cut your fabric to printing size (cut them just slightly smaller than the freezer paper you will adhere them to later--or they may jam in the printer), soak in the jetset solution, remove and air dry (do not wring or you will wrinkles that will never really go away--I made this mistake), iron them to the freezer paper and print (allow to dry for a couple of hours after printing before the next step), rinse them in the rinse product as instructed, again allow to air dry, and then voila! printed fabric. Amy Karol also fully outlines how to do this in her book, Bend the Rules with Fabric if you want something with photos and printed--plus there is a whole lot more good stuff in there. You could also just print these as some iron on transfers--it won't be quite the same as they will be shiny and rubbery, but it will be easier.
- March 23, 2011 at 12:47 PM
- twobadmice said...
Thank you so much for talking me though it. It is super kind of you.
I have that book too so I think I will take the plunge and order some supplies.
Again- thank you for your quick generous response! - March 23, 2011 at 10:30 PM
- The Creative Miss W said...
I love it! Off to make some as soon as i can get this printer to work.I didn't know you can make your own printable fabric.I have been a long time fan of your blog and find it really inspiring.
- March 24, 2011 at 10:34 AM
- Rachel said...
WOW. Amazing idea - and it's so cool that you can make your own printable paper. I've def had trouble with some of the ones i've bought before, so next time i need them I'll give making them a try!
- June 14, 2011 at 7:45 PM
hey can u make one for me and reserve it for me on easy email me when its ready at email@example.com
Thank you. - October 2, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Hello i love this and i would like it if u could make me it and post it on etsy reserved fro me email me @ email@example.com
- October 14, 2012 at 11:05 AM


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The garish little Mopho desktop analogue synth certainly turned heads when it was launched in late 2008 - not just for its standout colour but also for its standout sound and versatile feature set, and all for less than £300.
Two years later the Mopho keyboard added a nice knobby interface, pitch/ mod wheels and a 32-note keyboard to the monophonic synth engine. Now for 2012, the Mopho has turned into a four-voice polyphonic beast.
Whether you love or hate the Mopho keyboard's yellow livery, the X4's black looks much more classy (except perhaps for the slightly tacky X4 logo). Priced at £950, it certainly feels the part with a surprisingly weighty metal case and real wood ends.
The controls feel reassuringly solid too, perhaps even more so than the Prophet 08, and the push switches feel identical to the Tempest. Note that the control panel layout is exactly the same as the Mopho keyboard, so there are some compromises.
For instance, the three envelopes use a shared set of dials with a selector button (amp/filter/ pitch) and it can be a little tiresome having to flip between envelopes and remembering where you set them.
The 44-note semi-weighted keyboard feels exactly the same as the action on the Prophet 08 and Mopho keyboard. This is a good thing as the DSI keybeds are some of the nicest synth actions around. The note range is a fair compromise, though it would have been better to have a full four octaves.
There are of course octave buttons, though we wish these had an immediate effect on the sound when you're holding a chord - you have to retrigger the chord to get the switches to take effect.
We're glad that the keyboard has aftertouch as it's often missing on keyboards (even at this price) and the aftertouch responds smoothly and predictably.
Four play
The basic architecture is the same as the Mopho keyboard, though it's now four-voice polyphonic. There are two DCOs per voice (with sawtooth, triangle, saw/triangle, variable pulse width square waves and hard sync) plus two sub oscillators per voice (one octave up and one octave down for thickening the sound).
In addition, there's a feedback circuit that feeds the X4's output back into itself for thickening and distorting the sound, though unfortunately the X4 has lost the audio input from the Mopho keyboard.
Obviously this is to save costs but it's a feature that a lot of potential customers will lament the loss of. The Prophet 08 also suffers from a lack of audio in, so no running anything through the filters or envelopes.
Not surprisingly, the X4 sounds almost identical to the Prophet 08 but the addition of sub oscs and the feedback circuit gives it more punch in the bass department. The overriding character is bright, in-your-face, powerful and punchy.
Audio Example 1
There are a dizzying number of modulation routings too for the money, plus four LFOs per voice, audio mod and noise but the downside is you can't stack, layer or split sounds like the Prophet or the Tetra, nor can you use it as four independent mono synths on separate MIDI channels as the X4 is mono-timbral.
Just to be clear - this is not a Tetra keyboard, it's a polyphonic Mopho. Again, this is a cost-cutting move by DSI, enabling the X4 to hit the sub £1,000 mark but nonetheless even two-part multi-timbrality like the Prophet 08 would have been handy.
Audio Example 2
The X4 filters (four-pole and two-pole) are very wide sounding frequency-wise, with really subby lows and extreme sizzling highs, which we really dig. The four-pole is our favourite with a really juicy resonance and bright cutoff that begs to be tweaked.
It makes it easy to get very cutting lead sounds and effects, though the low end is still not quite as refined and smooth as a Moog. The envelopes are pretty snappy, though, and I've a feeling they've been tweaked to be a little faster than the Prophet 08.
Cool running
Perhaps the weakest area of the X4 is warm/smooth pad making - something to do with the way the filters are voiced and the high-mid bump that the DCO/ filter combination exhibits.
You can get there with extra EQ but the in-your-face character tends to dominate. Note that the two-pole filter doesn't self-oscillate and is a little tamer sounding but it's still an important feature.
Unfortunately, there's still no filter multi-mode - so no band pass or notch and no high pass (like the Tempest). The use of DCOs gives too clean a sound at times but the oscillator slop parameter does go some way to offsetting this. Also, watch out that you don't run levels too hot internally, as the X4's signal path can distort in a not too pleasant way if you push it too hard.
In terms of polyphony, four notes is fine for most polysynth tasks but five would have been killer - especially if you tend to play four-note chords in the right hand and one note in the bass. You can find yourself running out of polyphony so you may have to adapt your playing style and chord voices a little.
Audio Example 3
We're sure those of you looking for more than four voices are starting to ask which is better: a Prophet 08 module, Prophet 08 keyboard or an X4 plus Tetra?
Price-wise, a Prophet 08 keyboard can be had for £1,400, the Prophet 08 module comes in at £1,085, while an X4 plus Tetra will cost £1,477. We'd choose the 08 if you already have a decent MIDI controller. It gives you four extra voices, bi-timbrality, splitting, layering and more dedicated controls for just £150 more than the X4.
If you want a self-contained eight-voice analogue poly, then the Prophet 08 is a very strong synth and remains unchallenged in the analogue world at its price point - bagging a Juno 106 second-hand is a good alternative but it still can't really compete feature-wise.
If you have no desire for more than four voices and require a high quality keyboard with aftertouch, then the X4 is for you, though of course you can polychain further DSI products to augment the features and voice count. So perhaps the best deal for those wanting more than four-voice poly is the X4 plus Tetra, which appears to be the most flexible setup.
You get five-part multi-timbrality, two separate compact synths, sub oscs, a feedback circuit plus an audio input (on the Tetra) though you lose the 08's five-octave keyboard.
What's great about these options is they all give you the same DSI family sound regardless of price point. The X4 sounds like the Prophet 08, yet it's £500 less, it's very compact and self contained, versatile, well built, fairly easy to navigate and it's a great base unit to add more voices to in the future, making it a great investment.
Some corners have been cut to bring it in at the price, and we really miss multi- timbrality and an audio input, but when you consider that the X4 is the only analogue four-voice keyboard-equipped poly with aftertouch at the sub £1,000 mark, you're prepared to let these issues slide a little!
It's always nice to have more but the fact is the X4 strikes a good balance at the right price. For this reason alone, the X4 deserves to sell in bucket loads. Once again, DSI have shaken up the analogue synth market. Exciting times for analogue heads.


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Consulting a professional for retirement savings
Find out how most Americans are doing with their retirement savings, if they are comfortable managing it, and the traits they want in a professional.
Do I have enough time and money?
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Thinking though financial goals starts at every stage of life and makes reaching your retirement goals attainable. Increasing your investment literacy can help you plan and make educated decisions. Working with a professional, to truly understanding your situation and goals, may take some time as well.
Consulting a professional for retirement planning
Regardless of your experience level, it never hurts to get professional advice on how best to reach your financial goals. Many find they would prefer to rely on outside experts to monitor and manage their retirement savings plan. A professional can help you see the big picture, and they can offer advice to help you make choices along the way. A professional can help you:
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Two of the most important factors in the choices you make are the amount of time until you need to reach your investment goals, known as your time horizon, and the amount of risk you're willing to take on with your investments. These seemingly simple concepts can sometimes get complicated when you start getting into specifics. So, find a financial professional who will help you understand these and other factors important to investing, and then will collaborate with you to develop a clear, logical plan that meets your needs. - Has the resources you need.
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