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Whatever you're searching for, our scope of industry knowledge and resources can help.
When IR35 was introduced by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it was intended to combat tax avoidance by setting out rules by which self-employment would be defined by the department. The aim was to ensure that contractors were not taking advantage of the tax benefits of being self-employed, which are designed to offset some of the risks and costs of operating in this way, whilst enjoying the security of permanent employment.
Despite the purposes of the 'intermediaries legislation' being to clarify the employment status of those who could potentially be taking advantage of the tax system, the question of whether or not someone's working practices come under IR35 or not are not always as clear cut as one might hope. One of the most concerning elements to the legislation is that many people believe that they are genuinely self-employed, but could find out if investigated, that HMRC consider them to be inside IR35.
One of the key factors which HMRC will look at if they are trying to ascertain your employment status is the kind of relationship you have with your client. They will look at both the current contractor-client relationship and any pre-existing relationship between the two as well. This means that if you have previously worked for your client as an employee then you will need to prove a significant change in the nature of your role and the way it is carried out to avoid this being considered a major pointer towards 'false self-employment'.
An arrangement which appears to be designed to avoid PAYE tax on the part of the contractor and National Insurance contributions on the part of the client will be viewed unfavourably by HMRC. This is considered disguised employment and, in the context of an arrangement that is already questionable, will usually be considered to be an attempt to avoid tax on the part of both parties.
Whilst HMRC will not make a decision based on their assessment of a single aspect of your employment arrangements, the various elements that they consider will be weighted when it comes to how important they are considered to be in the overall picture. One of the major considerations will be the nature of your employment arrangements, particularly in terms of whether you are providing a service or a skill. When a contractor operates as a limited company, it is the companythat is engaged rather than the individual. This means that, in their capacity as a company director, a contractor should be able to send a substitute to complete any work they are undertaking if they are truly working outside IR35.
This may not be practical or even advisable, depending on how much you rely on your business's reputation and whether you can find a reliable substitute for your own skills, but it shouldn't be specifically precluded by any clauses in the contract between the client and contractor.
A client wanting to ensure that you don't work for anyone else might seem like a positive comment on your work, but any contracted exclusivity will be considered a pointer that you fall inside IR35. Being able to conduct your business for as many clients as you choose is a significant part of running your own business, and any agreement with a client that limits that will be considered a sign that your employment contract will fall inside IR35. Even if your contract is a 9-5 one, you should still be able to pursue any other work of your choice in the time outside your contracted hours.
If your client offers you training in order to complete your job, then it is worth negotiating a payment to them to cover the costs of the training in order to demonstrate that your relationship is not equivalent to an employer-employee one.
Many of the factors which will be taken into consideration when ascertaining your IR35 status are actually a matter of good business practice as well. Relying on a sole client for your income can be risky, as can failing to ensure that you have appropriate professional indemnity and liability cover, and these are all true whether you are concerned about your IR35 status or not. Promoting yourself through a well-maintained website, purchasing and maintaining any equipment you need and generally conducting yourself as a business will all contribute to the bigger picture of your working practices.
Most limited company contractors benefit from operating in a manner that indicates that they are outside IR35. Marketing your company, working for more than one client and keeping your training and skills up to date are all good practice for making a success of your limited company. Although you cannot exclude yourself from IR35 just by 'appearing' to be independent, managing your business effectively will benefit you as well as helping to demonstrate your IR35 status.
If you are concerned about your IR35 status, then it is best to speak to a qualified professional about your specific situation in order to get specialist advice. Ultimately, HMRC will have the final decision over how they view your employment situation, but a specialist accountant can help you to determine the likelihood of being caught under IR35 as well as providing you with invaluable advice about a range of other elements of working for yourself. Some people work on a mixture of contracts, including those that bring them inside IR35 and others for which the legislation does not apply. To keep track of your tax and National Insurance obligations, most people find it helpful to use an accountant who is experienced in the legislation to ensure that they are not over or under-paying on either.
IR35 has been described by experts as some of the most confusing legislation around, and there are still some queries over various interpretations of its details. Trying to understand it all yourself whilst maintaining your career as an independent professional is a daunting prospect.
Because all our accountants are specialists in dealing with the finances of independent professionals, we know all the ins and outs of the system, so we can help you to decide whether you want to work through your own limited company, use an umbrella company, or have the option of switching between both, as offered with our Platinum and Professional packages.
For more information on how we could help you, fill out the short form below and a member of the best advice team will be in touch.


text: What eBay Can Teach Us About Security Breaches by Nick Kolakowski May 23, 2014 3 min read Major e-security breaches have become depressingly commonplace among major companies: When eBay announced that attackers had compromised an internal database loaded with customer passwords (still encrypted, the company insisted) and personal data, many people seemed to greet the news with a shrug. After all, this past holiday season saw Target and other major retailers hit with similar thefts. While eBay has admitted the breach, the company seems to be taking a relatively low-key approach to getting users to change their passwords. "Because your password is encrypted (even we don't know what it is), we believe your eBay account is secure," read a note linked to eBay's homepage. "But we don't want to take any chances. We take security on eBay very seriously, and we want to ensure that you feel safe and secure buying and selling on eBay. So we think it's the right thing to do to have you change your password." Click here to find IT security jobs. But there's a crucial difference between politely requesting a password change (especially via a link that some website visitors might not even bother to click) and forcing customers to create a new password the next time they sign in. While the latter might irritate some people, few will likely quit the service over something so minor; in fact, the majority would probably be thankful for eBay's diligence. However, eBay's note doesn't include a streamlined "change your password now" link, requiring users to go through the multi-step process to lock down their account. (CNET offers a handy guide to those steps.) While this breach is unlikely to wreck eBay's fortunes in the long term, the criticisms leveled at the company's approach to post-attack security could be leveraged into some useful tips for any firm facing its own hacking crisis. Let Your Customers Know Immediately: Again and again, one of the biggest criticisms leveled against companies suffering a security breach is that they didn't let their customers know as soon as possible. Even eBay allowed rumors of a breach to circulate for hours before it released any sort of official statement. Posting a note on a homepage is a necessary step, but it shouldn't be the only one: By emailing customers with news of the breach, a company can ensure that even infrequent website visitors know there's a situation. But Have a Plan: The only thing worse than a breach is an indecisive response. Once a company's made an official announcement, it should stick to the repair plan outlined in that announcement. Make It Easy to Change a Password: Either force customers to change their password the next time they log in, or provide a prominent link that allows them to change their password in one or two quick steps. Offer Updates: A lack of information is nobody's friend. Frequent updates about the situation on an official blog and social media can go a long way toward repairing the relationship between company and customers. Unfortunately, massive breaches seem to have become more frequent in recent months. In light of that, it's important for every company to have a plan in place for cleaning up the aftermath of an attack. Related Articles The Out-of-Channels Project That Turned eBay Around How the Target Breach Could Affect Retail Analytics Survey: Certifications Are Key to Security Salaries Image: Wikimedia Commons

subset: commoncrawl


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Commemorating March on Washington, Foxx Links Transport to Civil Rights
Today marks 50 years since the landmark March on Washington, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. I was privileged to join tens of thousands of others on the National Mall this weekend to commemorate the anniversary.
In a blog post today, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx noted the role that transportation has played in the nation's civil rights struggles:
In the mid-1950s, a young woman who sat down and refused to get up — she did it on a transit bus. And the boycott of the Montgomery, Alabama, bus system resulted in changes that spread across the South.
Foxx notes that the nation's highway-building boom contributed to racial divides. "Rarely in the last century did an urban interstate highway plow through a neighborhood that wasn't characterized as poor," he writes. "In 2013, many communities are tearing down those divisions and building bridges."
He doesn't necessarily cite the clearest examples of how transportation and streets can heal divisions, however. He points to Columbus, Ohio, where a "once-vibrant community was cut off from the downtown area when I-71 was built, leading shops to close and families to relocate." But the current project aiming to "reconnect the city's communities" will actually widen I-71, as well as I-670. Not a good way to reconnect communities.
A better project that Foxx highlights is the highway teardown in New Haven, CT, where the state DOT "is helping the city reclaim a highway that has split the city in half, creating a barrier between New Haven's downtown and the Medical District and Hill neighborhoods."
Meanwhile, Foxx says, transit can bring communities together:
And when I was Mayor of Charlotte, I fought to bring a streetcar system to our city. The whole community got behind it. That streetcar is the first effort in Charlotte's recent history to connect a poor part of the city with modern transit.
"President Obama gets this," Foxx writes. "He understands that when you isolate communities, it's not just those who are affected who are hurt. We're all hurt."


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aldo-vallon - October 22, 2017
Chloe Grace Moretz sure has come a long way since she first made waves as a superhero kicking ass in that movie whose currently name escapes me. Butt Kicker? No, that could not be it, but I will remember it eventually.
Chloe definitely appears to be one of the harder working young ladies in Hollywood right now. She is churning out movies quicker than...a thing that churns out a lot of movies. She is like a modern day John Henry, albeit much more pale, only instead of racing against a steam-powered hammer she is racing against aging. She is destined to lose that fight, but hopefully she succeeds in producing more scenes while wearing a bikini. We would all be eternally grateful.
I also have to applaud her for avoiding some of the other teen trash her peers are putting out. Starring in a movie with Louis CK is going to be a great addition to her CV. If she ever needs to apply for a job at Kinko's she is sure to be moved to the top of the pile. An interviewer will be helpless to the allure of a blonde beauty who knows that bald ginger.
Photo Credit: Pig Newton, Inc.
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In class 4, the transport entity associates a response time with TPDUs sent requiring a response. If an appropriate response is not received within time T1, the recovery procedure must be invoked by the sender. This will usually involve the retransmission of the corresponding TPDU. A TPDU may be transmitted a maximum number of times, This number is referred to a N. The value of N is chosen so that the required quality of service can be provided given the known characteristics of the network connection. 126.96.36.199 Relationship of Times and Intervals The following note describes the relationship between the time described in Section 220.127.116.11 - 188.8.131.52. Note: a. The interrelationship of times for the worst case is as follows: M: maximum transit delay of the network (see 184.108.40.206) Ar maximum acknowledgement time of the remote transport entity (see 188.8.131.52) R: maximum local retransmission time (see 184.108.40.206) N: maximum number of transmission for a single TPDU (see 18.104.22.168) L: maximum time for a TPDU to be valid (see 18.104.22.168) R = T * (N-1) 1 R * M L * A =2*M + A + R R R * M
t t b. The interrelationship of times for the average case is as follows (see 220.127.116.11) E: average transit delay for the network (E<<M) X: TPDU processing time T : average time from sending a TPDU until 1 the receipt of its acknowledgement (see 126.96.36.199) A : maximum acknowledgement time of the R remote transport entity (see 22.214.171.124) X E A T = 2*E + X + A R 1 R E t t 18.104.22.168 Sequence Numbering In Class 4 sequence numbering is applied to certain control TPDUs and their acknowledgements, as well as to DT TPDUs. These are ED and its acknowledgement EA. The length of sequence numbers may be negotiated at connection establishment. Where other than the default length is used, an extended header format is used for sequenced TPDUs containing additional octets of sequence numbers. Extended header format includes a credit field on the appropriate TPDU types allowing extended credit allocation. 7.4.4 Procedures for Connection Establishment Phase The following features pertain to connection establishment for Class 4: o In Class 4, a connection is not considered established until the successful completion of a 3-way TPDU exchange. The sender of a CR TPDU must respond to the corresponding CC
TPDU by immediately sending a DT, ED or AK TPDU. o As a result of duplication, a CR TPDU may be received specifying a source reference which is already in use with the sending transport entity. If the receiving transport entity is in the data transfer phase, having completed the 3-way TPDU exchange procedure, the receiving transport entity should ignore such a TPDU. Otherwise a CC TPDU should be transmitted. o As a result of duplication or retransmission, a CC TPDU may be received specifying a paired reference which is already in use. The receiving transport entity should ignore such a CC TPDU. o A CC TPDU may be received specifying a reference which is in the frozen state. The response to such a TPDU should be a DR TPDU. 220.127.116.11 Connection Request When a transport entity transmits a CR TPDU it starts timer T1. If this timer expires before a CC TPDU is received, the CR TPDU is retransmitted and the timer restarted. After transmission of the CR TPDU N times, the connection establishment procedure is abandoned and the failure reported to the transport user. The reference must be placed in the frozen state for a period L (see section 184.108.40.206). 126.96.36.199 Incomimg Connection Request An incoming connection request is processed as for Class 3 184.108.40.206 Connection Confirm When a transport entity transmits a CC TPDU it starts timer T1. If this timer expires before an AK or DT TPDU is received, the CC TPDU is retransmitted according to the retransmission principles in Section 126.96.36.199 184.108.40.206 Incoming Connection Confirm When a CC TPDU is received, the receiving transport entity enters the data transfer phase. It must immediately transmit an AK, ED or DT TPDU to complete the 3-way TPDU exchange. The CC TPDU is subject to the usual rules of the data transfer phase regarding retransmission, see Section 126.96.36.199.
188.8.131.52 Incoming Acknowledgement When an AK, DT or ED TPDU is received the receiving transport entity can enter the data transfer phase. If the entity has data to send it may send DT TPDUs or an ED TPDU. The DT TPDUs are subject to flow control. Otherwise, the transport entity must obey the inactivity principles (see Section 220.127.116.11). 220.127.116.11 Unsuccessful Connection When a DR TPDU is received in response to a CR TPDU, the timer T1 is cancelled and the reference placed in the frozen state for a period L (see Section 188.8.131.52). 18.104.22.168 Initial Credit Allocation The CR and CC TPDUs may allocate an initial credit value to their respective recipients. This value is limited to 15 by the encoding of the TPDU. Where the extended header format is in use, credit values greater than 15 must be allocated using AK TPDUs. 188.8.131.52 Exchange of Acknowledge Time A transport entity may transmit the value it intends to use for AL at connection establishment, as the 'Acknowledge Time' parameter in the CR or CC TPDU (depending on whether the transport entity is initiating or accepting the transport connection). If this parameter is present in a received CR or CC TPDU, the value of AR should be set accordingly. If this parameter is not present, AR may be assumed to be insignificant in comparison to E the typical maximum transit delay. 7.4.5 Procedure for Data Transfer Phase 18.104.22.168 Sequence Control The receiving transport entity is responsible for maintaining the proper sequence of DT TPDUs. DT TPDUs received out of sequence must not be delivered to the TS-user until in-sequence TPDUs have also been received. AK TPDUs also contain information allowing the receiving transport entity to process them in the correct order. 220.127.116.11 Duplicate DT TPDUs Duplicate TPDUs can be detected because the T(S) value matches that of previously received TPDUs. T(S) values must not be
reused for the period L after their previous use. Otherwise, a new, valid TPDU could be confused with a duplicated TPDU which had previously been received and acknowledged. Duplicated DT TPDUs must be acknowledged, since the duplicated TPDU may be the result of a retransmission resulting from the loss of an AK TPDU. The data contained in a duplicated DT TPDU should be ignored. 188.8.131.52 Retransmission Principles When a transport entity has some outstanding DT or ED TPDUs that require acknowledgement, it will check that no T1 interval elapses without the arrival of an AK or EA TPDU that acknowledges one of them. If the timer expires, the first TPDU is retransmitted and the timer is restarted. After N transmissions (N-1 retransmissions) the connection is assumed to have failed and the release phase is entered, and the transport user is informed. DT TPDUs which fall beyond the current window (due to reduction of the upper window edge) are not retransmitted until advancement of the upper window edge so permits. Note: This requirement can be met by different means, for example. 1. One timer is associated with each TPDU. If the timer expires, the associated TPDU will be retransmitted, and the timer T1 will be restarted for all subsequent DT TPDUs. 2. One timer is associated with each TC: if the transport entity transmits a DT TPDU requiring acknowledgement, it starts timer T1, if the transport entity receives a TPDU that acknowledges one of the TPDUs to be acknowledged, timer T1 is restarted, if the transport entity receives a TPDU that acknowledges the last TPDU to be acknowledged, timer T1 is stopped. For the decision whether the retransmission timer T1 is maintained on a per TPDU or on a per TC basis, throughput considerations have to be taken into account.
126.96.36.199 Acknowledgement Principles A transport entity operating class 4 must acknowledge all TPDUs received requiring acknowledgment. To avoid unnecessary retransmissions and to avoid delays to transmission by the remote transport entity, the delay for acknowledgement should not exceed timer A (see Section 188.8.131.52). L There are two TPDU types that must be acknowledged: ED and DT. Receipt of an ED TPDU must be acknowledged by an EA TPDU. A DT TPDU is acknowledged with an AK TPDU. An AK TPDU has the sequence number of the next DT TPDU the receiving transport entity expects to receive. It thus acknowledges receipt of all DT TPDUs with sequence numbers less than the acknowledgement number. An AK TPDU may be repeated at any time, using the sequence number in the last AK TPDU sent. 18.104.22.168 Flow Control Principles Flow control in Class 4 is subject to the same principles as in Classes 2 and 3. The credit mechanism and window principle of those classes still apply, except that in class 4, the upper window edge can be reduced by the receiving transport entity by sending an AK TPDU with a smaller credit. A receiving transport entity may send an AK TPDU at any time to change the window size. This AK TPDU may acknowledge a new DT TPDU or may repeat a previous acknowledgement. 188.8.131.52 Window Synchronization Principles To ensure the synchronization of flow control information the window timer provokes the frequent exchange of AK TPDUs between transport entities. The window timer maintains a minimum level of TPDU traffic between transport entities cooperating in a transport connection. In Class 4 the window size can be reduced in any AK TPDU. Due to the possibility of misordering of AK TPDUs and the associated loss of efficiency, the AK TPDU for class 4 includes an additional field called the AK TPDU subsequence parameter. An AK TPDU should contain the subsequence parameter whenever a duplicate AK TPDU is sent with the same sequence number but with reduced credit. The value of the subsequence parameter is
set to one for the first time the AK TPDU is resent with reduced credit. When an AK TPDU is transmitted whose sequence number is increased, the 'sub-sequence' parameter is omitted until credit reduction takes place. When an AK TPDU is received, it must be processed (i.e., its contents made use of) only if: o The sequence number is greater than in any previously received AK TPDU, or, o The sequence number is equal to the highest in any previously received AK TPDU, and the sub-sequence parameter is greater than in any previously received AK TPDU having the same sequence number (where an absent sub-sequence parameter is regarded as having a value of zero), or o The sequence number and sub-sequence parameter are both equal to the highest in any previously received AK TPDU (where an absent sub-sequence parameter is regarded as having a value of zero), and the credit field is greater than in any previously received AK TPDU having the same sequence and sub-sequence numbers. When an AK TPDU is transmitted which opens a closed window (i.e. increases credit from zero), it should be retransmitted at an interval of T1. Transmission should occur a maximum of N times, after which the usual inactivity retransmission timer should be reverted to. Retransmission may also cease if the local transport entity becomes sure that the new credit information has been received by the remote transport entity. If a transport entity receives an AK TPDU containing a 'Flow Control Confirmation' parameter, whose Lower Window Edge and Your-Sub-Sequence fields are equal to its own lower window edge and sub-sequence number, it may note that the credit available at the remote transport entity (relative the Lower Window Edge field) is at least equal to the value conveyed as Your Credit. This enables the transport entity to cease the frequent retransmission of window information, if it thereby knows that the remote window is open. A transport entity need not retransmit window information (except as described under Inactivity Principles) if it is aware by the receipt of DT TPDUs that the remote transport entity
has sufficient credit to prevent deadlock. When an AK TPDU is transmitted in response to a DT TPDU, the transport entity may normally assume that the transmitter of the DT TPDU will ensure that the AK TPDU is received, be retransmission of the DT TPDU if necessary. Therefore, it can normally be assumed that the credit conveyed in such an AK TPDU will be available to the remote transport entity, and frequent retransmission is unnecessary. The assumption that the DT TPDU will be retransmitted may be incorrect if credit reduction has taken place. Therefore, a transport entity may not make this assumption if the sequence number of the DT TPDU is less than or equal to the highest value for which permission to transmit (i.e., credit) has been given and subsequently withdrawn. Upon receipt of an AK TPDU which increases the upper window edge, a transport entity may transmit an AK TPDU which repeats the information contained in the received TPDU in a 'Flow Control Confirmation' parameter in its variable part an thereby assures the transmitter of the original AK TPDU of its own state. Such an AK TPDU may be tranmmitted: o Upon receipt of a duplicated AK TPDU (i.e., one which is identical in all fields, including the sub-sequence parameter if present, to the most recently received AK TPDU which was not discarded due to detection of a sequence error), not containing the 'Flow Control Confirmation' parameter. o Upon receipt of an AK TPDU which increases the upper window edge but does not increase the lower window edge, when the upper window edge was formerly equal to the lower window edge. 188.8.131.52 Procedure for Expedited Data The procedure for expedited data is as for Class 3, with the following exceptions. The ED TPDU has a sequence number which is allocated from a separate sequence space from that of the DT TPDUs. The EA TPDU carries the same sequence number as the corresponding ED TPDU. Only a single ED TPDU may be transmitted and awaiting acknowledgements at any time. Upon receipt of an unduplicated ED TPDU, a transport entity immediately forwards the data to the transport user. The ED
TPDU sequence number is recorded in an EA TPDU sent to the other transport entity. The sender of an ED TPDU shall not send any new DT TPDU with higher T(S) until it receives the EA TPDU. This guarantees the arrival of the ED TPDU before any subsequently sent DT TPDUs. 22.214.171.124 Inactivity Principles If the Inactivity Time I passes without receipt of some TPDU, the transport entity will terminate the TC by making use of the release procedure. To present expiration of the remote transport entity's inactivity times when no data is being sent, the local transport entity must send AK TPDUs at suitable intervals in the absence of data, having regard to the probability of TPDU loss. The Window Synchronization Principles (see 220.127.116.11) may ensure that this requirement is met. Note: It is likely that the release procedure initiated due to inactivity timer expiration will fail, as such expiration indicates probable failure of the supporting NC or of the remote transport entity. This case is described in Section 7.4.6. 7.4.6 Procedures for Release Phase The rules for class 3 apply. The DR TPDU is subject to the usual retransmission procedure. After N retransmissions, the transport connection is considered disconnected, the Reference is placed in the frozen state for a period L and retransmission ceases. The DC TPDU is sent only in response to a DR TPDU, and is not subject to the retransmission procedure. The DC TPDU when received allows the transport entity to release all resources maintained for the transport connection. The DR TPDU does not carry a sequence number. Any previously transmitted TPDUs (including DT and ED) which are received after the DR TPDU result in a further DR TPDU but are otherwise ignored. After disconnection, for whatever reason, the Reference is placed in the frozen state for a period L. 184.108.40.206 Unassigned Frozen References When a transport connection is terminated, the corresponding references cannot be immediately reused since TPDUs containing these references may continue to exist in the network for a time up to L. Therefore, these references will be placed in an unassignable, frozen state for this peiod.
After an event involving loss of transport entity state information, including the status of reference assignments, all references relating to network connections whose transport state information has been lost must be placed in the frozen state for a period L. If a DC TPDU is received for a local reference which is in the frozen state, or with a remore reference not matching the already recorded one, this DC TPDU shall be ignored. 7.4.7 Treatment of Invalid TPDUs The 'Treatment of Protocol Erorrs' function is used. 7.4.8 Supported Options Non use of checksum. Use of extended formats. 8. ENCODING 8.1 Summary Classes 0 1 2 3 4 Sect. Code CR Connection Request x x x x x 8.3 1110xxxx CC Connection Confirm x x x x x 8.4 1101xxxx DR Disconnect Request x x x x x 8.5 10000000 DC Disconnect Confirm x x x x 8.6 11000000 DT Data x x x x x 8.7 11110000 ED Expedited Data x NF x x 8.8 00010000 AK Data Acknowledgement NRC NF x x 8.9 0110xxxx (Note 1) EA Expedited Data x NF x x 8.10 00100000 Acknowledgement RJ Reject (Note 1) x x 8.11 0101xxxx ERR TPDU Error x x x x x 8.12 01110000 not available (Note 2) - 00000000
not available (Note 2) - 00110000 not available (Note 2) - 1001xxxx not available (Note 2) - 1010xxxx Where xxxx (bits 4-1) is used to signal the CDT Note 1: In extended header format, the code for AK=0110 0000 and the code for RJ=0101 0000. Note 2: These codes are already in use in compatible protocols defines by standards organizations other than CCITT/ISO. NF: Not available when the non explicit flow control option is selected. NRC: Not available when the receipt confirmation option is selected. 8.2 Structure As defined in the previous sections, all the Transport Protocol Data Units (TPDU) shall contain an integral number of octets. The octets in a TPDU are numbered starting from 1 and increasing in the order of transmission. The bits in an octet are numbered from 1 to 8, where bit 1 is the low-ordered bit. There are tao types of TPDUs: o Data TPDUs, used to transfer Transport Service Data Units (TSDUs). The structure of the TSDUs is maintained by means of the TSDU End Mark. o Control TPDUs, used to control the transport protocol functions, including the optional functions. Octets 1 2 3 4 n n+1 p p+1 ------------ -------------- -------------- -------- LI| | | | ... | | | .... | | | .... | ------------ -------------- -------------- -------- <--- Fixed Part -----><-- Variable Part-> (including checksum where applicable) <--------------Header-------------------><----Data Field-> A TPDU is divided into four parts:
o Length Indicator Field (LI) o Fixed Part o Variable Part (may be omitted) o Data Field (may be omitted) The length Indicator Field, Fixed Part and Variable Part constitute the Header of the TPDU. 8.2.1 Length Indicator Field This field is contained in the first octet of the TPDUs. The length is indicated by a binary number, with a maximum value of 254 (11111110). The length indicated is the header length, including parameters, but excluding the length indicator field and user data, if any. The value 255 (11111111) is reserved for possible extensions. 8.2.2 Fixed Part The fixed part contains frequently occurring functions including the code of the TPDU. The length and the structure of the fixed part are defined by the TPDU code, defined by bits 5 to 8 of the second octet of the header. 18.104.22.168 TPDU Code This field contains the TPDU code and is contained in Octet 2 of the header. It is used to define the structure of the remaining header. This field is a full octet except in the following cases: 1110 xxxx Connecting Request 1101 xxxx Connection Confirm 0101 xxxx Reject 0110 xxxx Data Acknowledgement Where xxxx (bits 4-1) is used to signal the CDT. Any other bit pattern may be used to define a TPDU Code. Only those codes defined in Section 8.1 are currently valid. 8.2.3 Variable Part The variable part is used to define parameters relating to optional functions. If the variable part is present, it shall contain one or more parameters. The number of parameters that may be contained in the varialbe part is indicated by the length of
the variable part which is a LI minus the length of the fixed part. Since the currently defined minimum fixed part for headers which allow parameters is four octets, and since the length indication field is limited to a maximum of 254, the maximum length of the variable part is 250 octets. Each parameter contained within the variable part is coded as follows: Bits 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Octets n+1 Parameter Code n+2 Parameter Length Indication (e.g."m") n+3 Parameter Value n+2+m o The parameter code field is coded in binary and, without extensions, provides a maximum number of 255 different parameters. However, as noted below, bits 8 and 7 indicates the source of definition, so the practical maximum number of different parameters is less. Parameter code 1111 1111 is reserved for possible extensions of the parameter code. o The parameter length indication indicates the length, in octets, of the parameter value field. The length is indicated by a binary number, "m" with a theoretical maximum value of 255. The practical maximum value of "m" is lower. For example, in the case of a single parameter contained within the variable part, two octets are required for the Parameter Code and the Parameter Length Indication itself. Thus, the value of "m" is limited to 248. For larger fixed parts of the header and for each succeedimg parameter, the maximum value of "m" decreases. o The parameter value field contains the value of the parameter identified in the parameter code field. o No standard parameter codes use bits 8 and 7 with the value 00. o Implementations shall accept the parameters defined in the variable part in any order. If any parameter is duplicated then the later value will be used. 188.8.131.52 Checksum Parameter (Class 4 only)
All TPDU types may contain a checksum parameter in their variable part. This parameter must always be present except when the non use of checksum option is selected. Parameter Code: 1100 0011 Parameter Length: 2 Parameter Value: Result of checksum algorithm. This algorithm is specified in Section 6.18. 8.2.4 Data Field This field contains transparent user data. Restrictions on its size are noted for each command. 8.3 Connections Request (CR) 8.3.1 Structure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 p p+1 LI CR CDT 00000000 00000000 SOURCE- class VARIABLE USER DATA REFERENCE options PART 8.3.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.3.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 7) CR: Connection Request Code: 1110 CDT: Initial Credit Allocation (set to 0000 in Classes 0 and 1 when specified as preferred class). SOURCE REFERENCE: Reference selected by the transport entity initiating the CR TPDU to identify the requested TC. CLASSES: Bits 8-5 octer 7 defines the preferred Transport Protocol class to be operated over the requested TC. This field may take on one of the following values. 0000 Class 0 0001 Class 1 0010 Class 2 0011 Class 3 0100 Class 4 The CR contains the first choice of class in the fixed part as above. Second and subsequent choices are listed in the variable part if required.
Bits 4-1 of octet 7 are reserved for options to be used on the requested transport connection. The use of bits 4-1 is as follows: BIT OPTION 4 0 always 3 0 always 2 =0 use of normal formats =1 use of extended formats 1 =0 use of explicit flow control in Class 2 =1 no use of explicit flow control in Class 2 Note: 1. It is not valid to request 'use of expedited data transfer' (Additional option parameter) and no use of explicit flow control in Class 2' (bit 1 = 1). 2. Bits 4 to 1 are always zero in Class 0 and have no meaning. 8.3.4 Variable Part (Octets 8 to p) The following parameters are permitted in the variable part: o Transport Service Access Point Identifier (TSAP-ID) Parameter code 11000001 for the identifier of the Calling TSAP. 11000010 for the identifier of the Called TSAP. If a TSPA-ID is given in the request it may be returned in the confirmation. o TPDU size This parameter defines the proposed maximum TPDU size (in octets including the header) to be used over the requested transport connection. The coding of this parameter is: Parameter Code 11000000
Parameter value field 00001101 8192 octets (not allowed in Class 0 of 1) 00001100 4096 octets (not allowed in Class 0 of 1) 00001011 2048 octets 00001010 1024 octets 00001001 512 octets 00001000 256 octets 00000111 128 octets Default value is 00000111 (128 octets) Version Number (not used in Class 0) Parameter code 11000100 Parameter value field 00000001 Default value 00000001 Default value 00000001 (not used in Class 0) o Security Parameter (not used in Class 0) This parameter is user defined. Parameter code 11000101 Parameter value and length field are user defined o Checksum (not used in Classes 0 through 3) See Section 188.8.131.52 This parameter must always be present in a CR TPDU requesting Class 4, even if the checksum selection parameter is used to request non-use of the checksum facility. o Additional Option Selection (not used in Class 0) This parameter defines the selection to be made as to whether or not additional options are to be used. Parameter code 11000110
Parameter length: 1 Parameter value field: Bits related to options particular to one class are not meaningful and may take any value in the other classes. BITS OPTION 4 1= Use of network expedited in Class 1 0= Non use of network expedited in Class 1 3 1= Use of receipt confirmation in Class 1 0= Use of explicit AK variant in Class 1 2 0= Checksums are to be used in Class 4 1= Checksums are not to be used in Class 4 1 1= Use of transport expedited data transfer service 0= No use of transport expedited data transfer service Default falue is 00000001 o Alternative protocol class (not used in Class 0) Parameter code 11000111 Parameter length n Parameter value encoded as a sequence of single octets. Each octet is encoded as for octet 7 but with bits 4-1 set to zero (i.e., no alternative option selections permitted). o Acknowledge Time This parameter conveys the maximum acknowledge time AL to the remote transport entity. It is an indication only, and is not subject to negotiation (see section 18.104.22.168). Parameter Code 10000101 Parameter Value field: n a binary number (2 octets) n is the maximum acknowledge time, expressed in milliseconds. o Throughput Parameter code: 10001001 Length : 12
1st 3 octets : Targer value, calling-called user direction 2nd 3 octets : Min. acceptable, calling-called user direction 3rd 3 octets : Target value, called-calling user direction 4th 3 octets : Min. acceptable, called-calling user direction Values are expressed in octets per second. o Residual Parameter code: 10000110 error rate Length : 3 1st octet : Target value, power of 10 2nd octet : Min. acceptable, power of 10 3rd octet : TSDU size of interest, expressed as a power of 2 o Priority Parameter code: 10000111 Length : 2 Value : Integer o Transit Parameter code: 10001000 delay Length : 8 1st 2 octets : Target value, calling-called user direction 2nd 2 octets : Max. acceptable, calling-called user direction.
3rd 2 octets : Target value, called-calling user direction. 4th 2 octets : Max. acceptable, called-calling user direction Values are expressed in milliseconds. 8.3.5 User Data (Octets p+1 to the end) No user data are permitted in class 0, and are optional in the other classes. Where permitted, it may not exceed 32 octets. 8.4 Connection Confirm (CC) 8.4.1 Structure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 p p+1 LI CC CDT DST-REF SOURCE-REF class VARIABLE USER DATA 1101 options Part 8.4.2 LT See Section 8.2.1. 8.4.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 7) CC : Connection Confirm Code: 1101 CDT : Initial Credit Allocation (set to 0000 in Classes 0 and 1). DST-REFERENCE : Reference identifying the requested transport connection at the remote transport entity. SOURCE REFERENCE : Reference selected by the transport entity initiating the CC TPDU to
identify the confirmed TC. CLASSES : Defines the selected transport protocol class to be operated over the accepted TC according to the negotiation rules specified in Section 6.5. 8.4.4 Variable part (Octet 8 to p) See Section 8.3.4 8.4.5 User Data (Octets p+1 to the end) See Section 8.3.5 8.5 Disconnect Request (DR) 8.5.1 Structure LI DR DST-REF SOURCE-REF REASON VARIABLE USER DATA 10000000 PART 8.5.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.5.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 7) DR : Disconnect Request Code: 1000 DST-REFERENCE : Reference identifying the TC at the remote transport entity. SOURCE REFERENCE : Reference identifying the TC at the transport entity initiating the command. Value zero when reference is unassigned. REASON : Defines the reason for disconnecting the TC. This field shall take one of the following values: The following values can be used for class 1 to 4: 128 + 0 - Normal disconnect
initiated by session entity. 128 + 1 - Remote transport entity congestion at connect request time *128 + 2 - Connection negotiation failed (i.e. proposed class(es) not supported). 128 + 3 - Duplicated connection detected 128 + 4 - Mismatched references 128 + 5 - Protocol error 128 + 6 - Not used 128 + 7 - Reference overflow 128 + 8 - Connection request refused on this network connection 128 + 9 - Not used 128 + 10 - Header or parameter length invalid The following values can be used for all classes. 0 - Reason not specified 1 - Congested at TSAP *2 Session entity not attached to TSAP *3 Address unknown Note: Reasons marked with '*' may be reported to the TS-user as 'persistent', other reasons as 'transient'. 8.5.4 Variable Part (Octets 8 to 10) o A parameter may be provided to allow additional information related to the clearing of the connection. Parameter code: 11100000 Parameter Value Field: Additional information. This field is intended to be used by the transport service provider for internal purposes.
o Checksum (see 188.8.131.52) 8.5.5 User Data (Octets p+1 to the end) Not allowed in class 0, This field may not exceed 64 octers and is used to carry TS-User data. The successful transfer of this data is not guaranteed. 8.6 Disconnect Confirm (DC) (Not used in Class 0) 8.6.1 Structure 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 p LI DST-REFERENCE SOURCE-REFERENCE Variable Part 11000000 8.6.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.6.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 6) DC : Disconnect Confirm Code: 1100 DST-REFERENCE : See Section 8.3.3 SOURCE-REFERENCE: See Section 8.4.3 8.6.4 Variable Part Checksum (see 126.96.36.199) 8.7 Data (DT) 8.7.1 Structure Normal Format for Class 0 to 1 1 2 3 4 5 LI DT E TPDU-NR User Data 11110000 0 T Normal format for Class 2, 3 and 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 p p+1 LI DST-REFERENCE E TPDU-NR Variable Part User Data 11110000 O T Extended Format for optional use in Classes 2,3 and 4 1 2 3 4 5,6,7,8 9 p p+1 LI DT DST-REFERENCE E TPDU-NR Variable User Data 11110000 O T 8.7.2 LI Section 8.2.1 8.7.3 Fixed Part (Classes 0 to 1 : - Octets 2 to 3; classes 2,3,4 normal format: Octets 2 to 5; classes 2,3,4 extended format: - Octets 2 to 8) DT : Data Transfer Code: 1111 DST-REFERENCE : See Section 8.4.3 EOT : When set to ONE, indicates that the current DT TPDU is the last Data Unit of a complete DT TPDU sequence (End of TSDU). TPDU-NR : TPDU Send Sequence Number (Zero in Class 0), may take any value in Class 2 without explicit flow control. 8.7.4 Variable Part Checksum (See 18.104.22.168) 8.7.5 User Data Field This field contains data of the TSDU being transmitted. The length of this field is limited to the negotiated TPDU size for this transport connection minus 3 octets in Classes 0 and 1, and minus 5 octets (normal header format) or 8 octets (extended header format) in the other classes. The variable part, if presemt, amy further reduce the size of the user data field.
8.8 Expedited Data (ED) (Not used in Class 2 when "no explicit flow control" option is selected.) 8.8.1 Structure Normal Format 1 2 3 4 EOT 5 6 p p + 1 LI ED DST-REFERENCE EDTPDU-NR Variable Part User Data 00010000 1. Extended Format 1 2 3 4 EOT 5,6,7,8 9 p p + 1 LI ED DST-REFERENCE EDTPDU-NR Variable Part User Data 00010000 1. 8.8.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.8.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 5, normal format: 2 to 8, extended format) ED: Expedited Data command code: 0001 DST-REFERENCE: Same as Section 8.4.3 ED TPDU-NR: Expedited TPDU identification number (Classes 1, 3, and 4; may take any value in Class 2). 8.8.4 Variable Part Checksum (See 184.108.40.206) 8.8.5 User Data Field This field contains an expedited TSDU. Up to 16 octets. 8.9 Data Acknowledgement (AK) Not applicable for Class 0 and Class 2 when the "no explicit flow control" option is selected, and for Class 1 when the network receipt confirmation option is selected.
Flow Control Confirmation (class 4 only - optionally used) This parameter contains a copy of the information received in an AK TPDU, to allow the transmitter of the AK TPDU to be certain of the state of the receiving transport entity (See Section 184.108.40.206). Parameter Code: 100001011 Parameter value field 64 bits, used as follows: o Lower Window Edge (32 bits) Bit 32 is set to zero, bits 31 to 1 contain the YR-TU-NR value of the received AK TPDU. When normal format is in use, only the least significant seven bits (bits 1 to 7) of this field are significant. o Your Sub-Sequence (16 bits) Contains the value of the sub-sequence parameter of the received AK TPDU, or zero if this parameter was not present. o Your Credit (16 bits) Contains the value of the CDT field of the received AK TPDU. When normal format is in use, only the least significant four bits (bits 1 to 4) of this field are significant. 8.10 Expedited Data Acknowledgement (EA) (Not applicable for Class 0 and Class 2 when the no explicit flow control option is selected). 8.10.1 Structure Normal Format 1 2 3 4 5 6 p LI EA DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR Variable Part 00100000 0. Extended Format 1 2 3 4 5,6,7,8 9 p LI EA DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR Variable Part 00100000 0. 8.9.1 Structure
Normal Format 1 2 3 4 5 6 p LI AK CDT DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR Variable Part 0110 0. Extended Format 1 2 3 4 5,6,7,8 9,10 11 p LI AK DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR CDT Variable Part 01100000 0. 8.9.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.9.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 5, normal format: 2 to 10, extended format) AK: Acknowledgement command code: 0110 CDT: Credit Value (set to 0 in class 1) DST-REFERENCE: Same as Section 8.4.3 YR-TU-NR: Sequence number indicating the next expected DT TPDU number. 8.9.4 Variable Part Checksum (See 18.104.22.168) Sub-sequence number (class 4 only - optionally used). This parameter is used to ensure that AK TPDUs are processed in the correct sequence. If it is absent, this is equivalent to transmitting the parameter with a value of zero. Parameter Code: 100001010 Parameter Value: 16-bit sub-sequence number. 8.10.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.10.3 Fixed Part
(Octets 2 to 5, normal format; 2 to 8, extended format) EA: Acknowledgement command code: 0010 DST-REFERENCE: Same as Section 8.4.3 YR-TU-NR: Identification of the ED TPDU being acknowledged. May take any value in Class 2. 8.10.4 Variable Part Checksum (See 126.96.36.199) 8.11 Reject (RJ) (Not used in Classes 0, 2, and 4) 8.11.1 Structure Normal Format 1 2 3 4 EOT 5 6 p LI RJ CDT DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR Variable Part 0101 0. Extended Format 1 2 3 4 EOT 5,6,7,8 9,10 11 p LI RJ DST-REFERENCE . YR-TU-NR CDT Variable 0l0l0000 Part 8.11.2 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.11.3 Fixed Part (Octets 2 to 5, normal format; 2 to 10, extended format) RJ: Reject Command Code: 0101 CDT: Credit Value (set to 0 in class 1) DST-REFERENCE: Same as Section 8.4.3 YR-TU-NR: Sequence number indicating the next expected TPDU from which retransmission should occur.
8.11.4 Variable Part No parameters exclusive to this TPDU type. 8.12 TPDU Error (ERR) 1 2 3 4 5 6 LI ERR DST-REFERENCE Reject Parameters 01110000 Cause 8.12.1 LI See Section 8.2.1 8.12.2 Fixed Part ERR: TPDU Error Code: 0111 DST-REFERENCE: Same as Section 8.4.3 REJECT CAUSE: 00000000 Reason not specified 00000001 Invalid parameter code 00000010 Invalid TPDU type 00000011 Invalid parameter value 8.12.3 Variable Part (Octets 6 to the end) Parameter Code: 1100001 Parameter Value Field: Contains the bit pattern of the rejected TPDU up to and including the octet which caused the rejection. This parameter is mandatory in Class 0. Checksum (See Section 22.214.171.124) SECTION THREE - CONFORMANCE 9. CONFORMANCE Implementations claiming conformance to this standard shall: 1. Implement either Class 0 or Class 2 or both.
2. If other classes are implemented, the following rules shall be observed: a) If Class 3 or Class 4 is implemented then Class 2 must be implemented b) If Class 1 is implemented then Class 0 must be implemented. 3. The following table defines the requirements for the implementation of the options defined in previous sections: Class 0 1 2 3 4 TPDU with Checksum no no no no m TPDU without Checksum m m m m o Expedited Data Transfer no m m m m No Expedited Data Transfer m m m m m Flow Control in Class 2 no no m no no No Flow Control in Class 2 no no o no no 7 bits format (normal) m m m m m 31 bits format (extended) no no o o o Use of Receipt Confirmation in no o no no no Class 1 No use of Receipt Confirmation in no m no no no Class 1 Use of Network Expedited in Class no o no no no 1, if T-EXPEDITED DATA necessary No use of Network Expedited in no m no no no Class 1, if T-EXPEDITED DATA necessary o - optional: An implementation may or may not provide this user-selected option. m - mandatory: An implementation must provide for this option no - An implementation shall not provide this option. 4. Implementations claiming conformance shall support a TPDU length of 128 octets. If larger maximum TPDU
sizes can be supported in Classes 1,2,3, or 4, then all permitted TPDU sizes between the maximum and 128 octets shall be supported. 5. Claims of conformance shall state: a) which class of protocol is supported. b) which additional options indicated by the letter 'o' in the above table are supported.


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The Eileen Grey Table is an elegant combination of style and grace. A modern classic worthy of its fame, this piece will fit seamlessly into your space, adding that final touch to any home decorating ensemble.VERSATILE
Originally conceived as a bedside table for the guest room in the E1027 house, it is also useful as a coffee table in living rooms and office reception areas. Its purist aesthetic complements a wide range of furnishings and settings.CONTEMPORARY
If you've ever caught a home staging show, you've probably seen the Eileen Gray side table. This table is included in the permanent collection of MoMA in New York.


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By Susan Passi-Klaus
The buzz has begun. Even before the first ads hit the pages of national magazines or TV commercials begin to air, United Methodists are talking about a new awareness campaign.
United Methodist Communications is calling it Rethink Church. As United Methodists take on the challenge of rethinking what it means to be church and to do church, they will also rethink what it means to advertise and market the third-largest denomination in the United States.
Rolling out on May 6th, Rethink Church will be unique because digital media will be a priority. Along with TV and print ads, Rethink Church messages will appear on YouTube and iTunes and through cell phone text messages.
"The idea is to provide a way for people to connect with the church in as many ways as possible," said the Rev. Larry Hollon, general secretary of United Methodist Communications. "Rethinking church and denominational marketing calls for an ability to tell the church's stories in many, many different ways, through many media and with different audiences."
The campaign will be introduced at the denominationwide training event for annual conference leaders at the end of January in Florida. In the months following, it will be featured in conference, district and regional events.
To some, Rethink Church will be an advertising campaign to continue the positive work of the successful "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors." campaign that began in 2001. Others will find it a conversation starter, inspiring church leaders to find creative ways to do church in different, more relevant ways. Rethink Church will also be a personal wake-up call inviting many to change old ways of thinking, believing and expressing faith.
"The advertising is perhaps the most visible ingredient of the campaign, but the strength of the campaign is the conversation it inspires and encourages," Hollon said.
Bishop Sally Dyck, president of the General Commission on Communication, calls Rethink Church "the self-study that the denomination has needed for a long time."
"Rethink Church will be an opportunity for people within the church to go deep into what is the meaning and purpose of church," Dyck said. "It will help the church make a transition into a new way of being in a rapidly changing world. Unless we Rethink Church, we won't be able to make the needed changes."
The campaign will use traditional and nontraditional mass media, everything from basic bumper stickers and T-shirts, to print ads in Parents magazine and radio ads on programs like "American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest." The heart of Rethink Church, however, will be in the hands of local church leaders and congregations who will explore and live out the questions the campaign will pose. Most of the questions start with "what if?"
What if church was less about Sunday, and more about the other days of the week?
What if church wasn't just a place we go, but something we do?
What if church wasn't just a building, but thousands of doors, each opening up to a different concept or experience of church?
Bohan Advertising/Marketing in Nashville, Tenn., is crafting the campaign. Agency president Kerry Graham hopes Rethink Church will help shake United Methodist churchgoers out of a Sunday-only malaise.
"Sometimes, those of us who attend church on a regular or even a sporadic basis get lulled into a bit of a 'Sunday experience' hypnosis," Graham said. "We forget we are all called to live church and the teachings of Jesus every day."
"Sunday will continue to be an important time for the church to express worship and honor the Sabbath," Hollon explains, "but we are saying that there are many doorways through which individuals may engage the Christian faith." As more and more people do not know or understand the practice or language of worship, "we need to provide alternative entry points that are relevant to them and that communicate in language they understand."
Graham suggested that church leaders will need to embrace the idea that it is OK for "church" to start out as day care, a ski trip, a basketball league or a Habitat for Humanity build. "Rethink Church is a wake-up call to remind us of the many needs in our own backyards and around the world, and to call us to action in any one of the thousands of programs, missions and initiatives The United Methodist Church is already engaged in," he said.
Hollon adds, "Engagement is not an end point, however. It is to provide deeper knowledge and experience of the life of faith. It is about providing people with a community in which to experience forgiveness and acceptance before God in a society that increasingly denies our deeper spiritual nature.
"The end result of connecting with the church is to enter into a community of faith that seeks to make disciples of Jesus Christ engaged with God in the transformation of the world even as we are ourselves being transformed."
Creators are aiming the four-year, $20 million advertising campaign at 18- to 34-year-old "seekers" -- people on a spiritual journey looking to fill the hole in their souls. United Methodists have been on a mission to bring three generations into the life of the church: baby boomers (born 1945-1964), post-moderns or Gen X (1965-1977) and millennial, Mosaics or Gen Y (1978-2000). Research shows that these generations have been difficult to involve in mainline churches. The reasons cited include church relevance, negative impressions of Christians and limited opportunities for involving young people.
"Younger people and people who haven't been a part of the church will be attracted by the ads," said Dyck. "I also think it will invite people who have been disappointed with the church or even hurt by it to rethink and reconsider what church is really about."
Levin Van Sant, chairperson for evangelism and outreach in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference, saw a United Methodist News Service story about the upcoming campaign and was quick to get on the Rethink Church bandwagon.
"It's the perfect platform for us to show people that church can be fun and flexible," Van Sant said. "And to show United Methodists aren't stuffy -- that we do things for others. We're a very missions-minded people, and for us, church isn't just a noun. We are a verb."
"Rethink Church is ultimately an invitation to missional Christianity," Hollon said. "It's about being transformed, doing those things that transform us individually and transform the world. If we rethink church, our spiritual yearning and our desire for change become integrated. We focus on faith as life lived in mission, because we are called by God to be people who serve."


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I am a real money geek and love all things money, including, sadly, spending it a little too much. If, however, you saw the way I used to treat it you would never have guessed. As soon as it hit my bank account I would do my best to remove it from my life with a splurge here and there. I never paid attention to what it was up to by looking at my bank account or credit card statements. In fact I made a conscious effort to avoid doing that as I dreaded what I would discover, and worst of all I never made it feel useful by letting it do what it loves to do, get to work and grow. I would say I had a very unhealthy money relationship which led to a very unhappy and stressed out me.
When I hit my personal upper limit of stress and dissatisfaction with how my life was going and started doing some work on my mindset I came across meditation and mindfulness. Research has shown that practising mindfulness has significant benefits for our mental health and general well being. And I can attest to that because as my overall mindset got redirected on a more empowering path, I started wondering if the successes I was having in that area of my life would be transferable into the area of my personal finances.
I tried applying the mindfulness principles to my money relationship. The outcome was better than I could ever have imagined. I literally felt like I had offloaded a 100 ton weight of stress, guilt and constant worry!
I firstly took a close look at my mindset around money and in particular spending. I came across the work of Dr Brad Klontz, a financial psychologist, and all of a sudden the disempowering, financial health sabotaging behaviour made sense.
Dr Klontz's key message is that our money problems aren't the result of us being lazy, crazy, or stupid. He states "You have a set of money scripts, which are beliefs around money, that have been passed down to you from your parents, from your grandparents, sometimes from your great, great, great grandparents. And your financial situation right now is a direct result of these beliefs that you've been carrying around in your head since childhood."
He goes on to suggest doing some deep mental soul searching to get some insight into your money scripts by asking yourself some thought provoking questions: what three things did your mother teach you about money? What three things did your father teach you about money? What's your most painful money experience? Your most joyful money experience? What are your biggest financial fears?
Armed with your new found insight into your money scripts start practising mindfulness around your money actions. It is literally mind blowing how clear the habits are that your money script has created. My script followed a well trod path; as soon as money came into my life, my mind would start playing the "you work hard, you deserve it" script coupled with the "I need x,y,z to be happy, to be accepted, loved, worthy etc". This script would play until the money was gone and then the " Money is so scarce and hard to come by" and " I will be happy when I have more money" scripts kicked in.
Secondly I bit the proverbial bullet and started taking a look at my personal finances. I started by tracking my money flows. I analysed a years worth of credit card and bank statements and summarised my expenditures into identifiable categories. My categories included living costs, transport, entertainment, vacation, exercise, clothing, insurances, general expenditures and the "I have no idea why I bought this or subscribe to this category". I took a close look at these categories to determine which were necessities, which made me genuinely and deeply happy and which served absolutely no purpose at all. You guessed it, my "no purpose" category took a huge chunk of my money which was really depressing and led to a lot of self blame. It is important to note that a big part of the money mindfulness exercise is acceptance and forgiveness of past money lessons. All the actions you have taken to this point are your money learning experiences. Your parents didn't get angry, impatient and frustrated with you when you were learning to walk and your financial journey up to this point is equally those shaky steps to money maturity. Accept this.
As I became clearer on what expenditure was important in my life I started practising mindfulness around my spending decisions. This was a hugely empowering activity as I felt in control of my money for the first time. I wasn't being led by what seemed to be something else pulling my puppet strings.
Lastly I got very clear on what my goals are. This involved a lot more than visualisation. I literally brought them across the metaphorical bridge from the unmanifested visions in my head to a physical representation that I constantly refer to. This has kept me focused when my money scripts come knocking, kept me enthusiastic when my progression forward seems slow and positive that I will reach my goals because I now know where I am going.
In conclusion, when we practise mindfulness we become more observant, non reactive and non-judgemental in our actions. We create the space in our minds for contemplation, analysis and rational reaction. Our brain develops new neural pathways creating more empowering, supportive habits, the key to building wealth.


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The Houston Auto Accidents Attorneys at DeSimone Law Office often get calls from potential clients who started out trying to handle a car accident claim with a negilgent party's insurance company on their own. Typically after a traffic accident a negligent party's insurance company will contact the not at fault party as quickly as possible. What they are hoping to do is get a quick recorded statement in which the not at fault party unwittingly admits to being partially at fault in the accident. Seemingly innocuous questions about time and distance related to the accident claim will be asked to the unsuspecting not at fault party. Frequently such answers to these questions are guesses but are used against the not at fault party to prove up that the not at fault party was speeding or not paying attention when such is not the case. The reason the insurance company is asking these questions is becasue Texas is a comparative negligence state. That means the at fault party does not have to pay 100 percent of the damages it caused if it can be proved that the not at fault party contributed in any way to an accident. Trick questions about time and distance will normally result in the insurance company being able to put 10 to 25 percent of the fault on the not at fault party. For example a 20,000 dollar insurance claim would then be reduced in value by any where from 2000 to 5000 dollars.
If you have been in an accident recently, don't handle the case yourself and give damaging statements to the insurance company. Contact the lawyers at DeSimone Law Office now. They will deal with the inurance company for you and make sure you obtain all the monies to which you are entitled.


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Ted Grimsrud—October 15, 2016
[This is a transcript of a talk presented to the Annual Haverim Breakfast during Eastern Mennonite University's Homecoming Weekend, October 15, 2016. Haverim is a support group of friends of EMU's Bible and Religion Department.]
I am glad to be here today to share with you. I well remember 20 years ago when I attended my first Haverim breakfast; it seems like yesterday. It's hard to believe that now as I share this talk, it's so many years later and I stand up here as a retiree.
My life with the book of Revelation
In a sense I am going full circle right now. My first book, published before I started teaching at EMU, was on the book of Revelation. Now, the first book I hope to publish after I have finished teaching at EMU will also be on Revelation. When I am done with it, maybe someone could read both books and tell my how my thinking has changed.
When I was asked to speak this morning, I faced a problem. What to talk about. Well, it's like the joke. If you have a hammer in your hand, any problem looks like a nail. My version, if you have the book of Revelation on your mind, any problem of what to give a talk about looks like something related to Revelation.
Well, I chave found Revelation to be remarkably relevant for thinking about faith in our contemporary world—over and over again. I believe that much more strongly now than I even did when I was writing a book about it thirty some years ago.
I suppose I owe my career at least somewhat to Revelation. When I became a Christian as a teenager, I was taught what we might now call "Left Behind" theology—a strong emphasis on the End Times, on Jesus's soon return, on the Rapture that will come before the Great Tribulation and allow we Christians to escape the carnage—and all proof-texted from Revelation. So, my initial impression was that Revelation was about the future and that the future predicted in Revelation is at hand. It was a book of war and judgment, death and destruction—with a joyful ending only for those whose personal savior is Jesus.
When my theology changed and I became a pacifist and learned that most Christians in fact did not believe in the Left Behind theology, I began to ignore Revelation. It ceased to be part of my usable Bible. But I was taught by some of my new pacifist mentors that all of the Bible, properly interpreted, is usable and can support pacifist convictions. I learned of Millard Lind's work on the Old Testament and had my anxiety about that part of the Bible undermining pacifism alleviated. But no one said anything explicitly about Revelation supporting pacifism. Continue reading "The Book of Revelation's Revelation to Eastern Mennonite University"


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In this study, several bacterial strains were isolated from soil samples of Jamshoro district and screened for α-amylase production, Bacillus clausii MCC 233-50 was found best amylase producing strain. Fermentation conditions were optimized for amylase production in shake flask using different carbon sources, nitrogen sources, initial pH, and temperature and time period. Amylase production of 593 U/mL was observed after 36 h in mineral medium containing glucose and this increased to 760 U/mL when starch was used as energy source at initial pH 7.0 and 37ºC.Urea was found to be best nitrogen source. Further improvement in final enzyme titer was observed when initial pH and temperature were optimized. Maximal amylase concentration of 1137 U/mL was obtained under optimized cultural conditions. Strain is alkalophilic and thermophilic which makes it suitable for amylase production.


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Ray's Daily
July 26, 2018
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. Anthony J. D'Angelo
As my wife and I begin the process of making one of the biggest changes in our 65 years of marriage I find it is not easy to contemplate abandoning the home that has given us so much joy.
Moving to a much smaller living arrangement with many of our needs being taken care of by others is going to be quite an adjustment.
It helps for me to realize that what we have had cannot continue and as I look at what life would be if we stayed where we are our move has be thought of a s a positive step. I look forward to sharing the years ahead with my wife in an environment that makes her life as pleasant as possible.
I look forward to our making new friends as we enjoy our time together. I know one thing there is no value in remorse.
What Am I
I am seldom considered, though I do more to influence everything about you than virtually any one thing in your life. I often control the time you get up in the morning, the time you go to sleep, what you eat and drink and the very thought that runs through your head. I can make you either happy or sad, loving or hateful, cheerful or remorseful, congenial or spiteful and in doing so, control the very capacity that you have for success.
No, you don't often think of me instead you BLAME the problem I create on the shortcoming of others, or the state of the economy, or your family or a million other reasons. Often at times unable to find anyone else to BLAME you look for shortcomings within yourself on which to lay the BLAME.
When my impact on your life fully is considered in your every thought and action, when you are mindful of my awesome power, when you nurture and groom me for positive use in your life, I can become more contagious than the most prolific disease ever witnessed by man. My influence will spread to every person you come in contact with.
Groomed and nurtured in a positive manner there will be no person or obstacle that can stand in the way of my success or fail to be impacted for the better.
'I Am Your Attitude'
Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.
Jimmie, an 80-year-old gentleman, retired to Florida after his wife of 58 years had passed away. He was quite alone in the world and longed for companionship. One day, as he was walking through a public park, he spied what he considered to be a very pretty silver-haired lady sitting alone on a park bench. Getting his nerve up, he approached the lady and asked graciously, "Pardon me, ma'am, but may I sit here with you."
The silver-haired Marcia looked up to see a distinguished looking white-haired gentleman and replied, "Why certainly," and scooted over gently to give him room to sit down.
For the next two hours the two sat and talked about everything. They discovered that they came from the same part of the country, liked the same big band music, voted for the same presidential candidates, had had long happy marriages and lost their spouses in the last year, and in general agreed about almost everything.
Finally, the old gentleman cleared his throat and asked sheepishly, "Ma'am, may I ask you two questions?"
With great anticipation Marcia replied, "Why certainly!"
The old gentleman removed a handkerchief from his coat pocket and spread it out on the ground before her. He very gingerly got down on one knee and looked her softly in the eyes. "Marcia, I know we've only known each other for a couple of hours, but we have so much in common. I feel I have known you all my life. Will you marry me and be my wife?"
Marcia grabbed at Jimmie's hands and said, "Why, yes, I will marry you!
You have made me so very happy!" She reached over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Then Marcia said, "You said you had two questions to ask me. What is the second question?"
Jimmie scratched his neck and said, "Will you help me get up?"
Our lives begin to end the day we start becoming silent about things that matter.
"The Five Stages of Life"
To Grow Up
To Fill Out
To Slim Down
To Hold It In
To Hell With It
A priest was given the job of hearing the confessions of an order of monks. The priest returned to his parish that night and complained to one of the nuns about how long each of the monks took to enumerate all of their sins.
"Oh Father," said the nun. "It couldn't have been that bad."
The priest replied, "Oh it was worse than you can imagine. It was like being stoned to death with popcorn."
Funny, I don't remember being absent minded.
The kindergarten class had settled down to its coloring books. Willie came up to the teacher's desk and said, "Miss Francis, I ain't got no crayons."
"Willie," Miss Francis said, "you mean, "I don't have any crayons.' You don't have any crayons. We don't have any crayons. They don't have any crayons. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
"Not really," Willie said, "What happened to all them crayons?"
The doctor explains to Abe that he would be able to resume his sex life as soon as he could climb two flights of stairs without becoming winded.
Abe listens attentively and then says, "What if I look for the women who live on the ground floor?"
You can awaken each day to obligations you never chose, or you can decide today to choose them.
Robert Brault
Ray Mitchell
Indianapolis, Indiana
Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies. The editor is somewhat senile.
Ray's Daily has been sent for more than fifteen years to people who want to start their day on an upbeat. If you have system overload because of our daily clutter, let me know and I will send you the information via mental telepathy. If you have not been getting our daily you can request to be added by e-mailing me at firstname.lastname@example.com. Back issues are posted at http://rays-daily,com/ currently there are more than 2000 readers from around the world.


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Hurt Locker, The (2008) - Details
Iraq. Forced to play a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse in the chaos of war, an elite Army bomb squad unit must come together in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb.
Action / Drama / Thriller / War


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Art Deco inspired home of Sofia Wallenstam.
Sofia Wallenstam is the youngest of the sisters behind the House of Dagmar fashion label. Wallenstam's apartment in Stockholm is very Art Deco inspired, an era all three sisters find inspirational in their fashion line. The apartment is elegant, sophisticated and modern, just like the clothes that represent their fashion label. All photos from Residence […]Read More


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Behind the Music: Riot Ten Opens Up About Being a DJ Dad
Imagine building a music career between the hours of 10am-9pm, amidst changing dirty diapers, after-school math sessions, and trips to the hospital. For Chris Wilson, that's life since welcoming his second son into the world, three months premature. Even with all this on his plate, the rising dubstep star keeps it mellow and focuses on the positive.
EDM.com: Which came first, your family or making music?
Riot Ten: I was making music for about six months when I had my first son. I was 16, and had just started producing my earliest electronic stuff the year before.
You might think, being just a kid himself, that Chris would freak out about becoming a dad or give up his music dreams. But just like with everything else in life, he was up for the challenge.
Have you ever doubted that you'd be successful in music?
To be honest, I've always had this feeling I'd be able to make it no matter what I did. Anything I've done whether it's engineering, football or music, I do pretty well at it. I don't know if it's confidence or just positive thoughts about it, but I try to stay positive as much as I can and it definitely works.
It's not like I don't get discouraged or frustrated sometimes, but it usually lasts about a day before something big seems to happen. I get a big booking or make a good song. I remember why I love what I do and snap out of it. I've had to learn a lot of patience, though, because I want things to happen right away, which isn't often in this business
Did you get pushback about continuing to pursue music with a new baby to care for?
My family was super supportive in helping with both my sons. They did worry I would end up being one of those wannabe rockstars. But even though they weren't convinced my music career would go anywhere, I was stubborn and believed it would work out so I kept pursuing it. A lot of people were telling me I should quit music. But having a career I loved was important to me, and I knew eventually it would pay off for our family.
Not only did Chris have an unfailing faith in his dreams, he wasn't letting distance keep him from putting his work out there.
Was it challenging building a music career in El Paso?
When I was a younger artist I definitely had a kindof grass-is-greener attitude. When you're younger you think you deserve more than you do and I would say things like "Man, if I was in LA I'd already be famous by now." Just ridiculous, immature stuff.
But then I realized that it doesn't really matter where you come up from because you can get your music out from anywhere thanks to the internet. You can always reach out to this or that blogger with your new releases and anyone who can share your music. It obviously takes time, but if you're passionate then it's just like fun.
Sometimes, all you need to do is ask. You'll be surprised at the things you can get just by asking.
How long was it before you started making money with your music?
That didn't happen for a long time, honestly. I was pretty much riding off passion and hope for a lot of years. The first time I got booked for my first out of town show, in 2013 in Seattle, was exciting because it was like I started to see progress.
Fast forward to today, and Chris is on his biggest tour to date. He's supporting multiple dates on Datsik's Ninja Nation tour, just released his second EP, Hype or Die: The Dead, and six months ago became a father of two at 26.
How has life changed since your second son was born?
Life has been a wild ride the past six months. My second son, Kai, was born in September, at six months. Having a newborn is life-consuming, especially when they're premature.
If he'd been born any earlier he probably wouldn't have survived, and even when he was born he was given a 30 percent chance of survival. We're so lucky and happy he's developing well, like a normal baby just a little smaller.
But the schedule was rough there for a while. I'd get up at six-thirty to take my first son, who's 10, to school, come back and go to sleep at 8 for a few hours, wake up around 11 and eat real quick, work on music for a couple hours then go to the hospital for 3 hours, then back to go get Chris Junior from his grandma's, do music a little more then help my son with homework. He goes to bed around nine-thirty so I don't work on music after that time. It's a lot better now that Kai is home, but there's still stress because we don't know the developmental challenges he could face as he grows up.
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It hasn't been easy, but Chris has "zero regrets" about his path. Now on tour, he says he doesn't like having to be far from his family, but he's excited for the opportunities opening up in his career.
How's the tour with Datsik going?
It's amazing but it's intense! We just finished a 6-show run and I don't even know what day it is anymore. This is my first bus tour so I have a chance to visit all these smaller towns I wouldn't be able to get to just on my own. I'm really enjoying getting to meet and make new fans, and just trying not to be the first party pooper to bed every night.
In the future, Chris says he wants to have more parameters around his tour schedule.
How does your family influence your creative and career decisions?
Well, it's tough right now because I'm trying to provide in the best way I can, but also want to be there with them. After this tour I'm trying not to go on tour for more than two weeks at a time and just playing a couple shows a week.
Do you have more career support from your family now?
Yeah, they're always teasing me like "Ooh, where did you get to go this time?" My family has always supported me, though. And even though my mom always told me don't get tattoos on your face and I do it anyways, she always helps out and my dad too. They've always wanted the best for me and I'm super lucky and grateful for such an awesome support system. I think my parents love my kids more than they love me, haha.
Does your older son like music?
He does and he'll often request my music when we're riding around in the car. I hope to teach him some stuff soon when he's old enough.
How do you handle the difficult days?
When I'm depressed and have self-doubt, I like to really feel sad. I like to sulk in it and feel as bad as I can. I know it sounds weird, but I don't tell myself "it's gonna get better," I just let it be there. It's kind of like maximizing it and getting it over with, and then it goes away. Not when it's other stuff like everything with my son. Those times you have to be as positive as you can. But with doubt or career stuff, this works for me. I'll spend the day by myself being sad, then the next day wake up and think different instead.
Is there a quote that inspires you?
I heard a quote from Oscar Wilde one time I've always remembered:
"Everything in moderation, including moderation."
I was awe-struck by that quote. I love it because it's deep and makes you think. That quote's been really influential for me.
Thanks for being so real and sharing your optimistic vibes with us, Chris. We wish your family all the best. Check out Riot Ten's newest EP, Hype or Die, below.
Follow Riot Ten:
Facebook: facebook.com/RiotTen
Twitter: twitter.com/RiotTenMusic
Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/riotten


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Star Snipes adds another "action role" to his ever-expanding arsenal of "kick butt" types. Diane Lane, Ronny Cox, and Daniel Benzali supply enough backing to make this thriller passable.
The appearance of Diane Baker as the President's wife makes the movie work for me....more info
Replay value: Medium...more info
Carla Towne is a young unknown White House staffer - until her body is found in a White House restroom sporting a number of deadly knife wounds. This is not good news for the President, who is already bottoming out in the polls for still attempting to negotiate, six months into the crisis, the release of an AWAC crew captured and obviously tortured by the North Koreans. Wesley Snipes plays Detective Harlan Regis, the investigator summoned to the White House to investigate the murder. The Secret Service as an organization is less than friendly and cooperative, viewing the White House as its beat alone. Except for his buddy and sometimes partner (played by Dennis Miller), Regis is pretty much on his own. The tight-lipped and intimidating Nick Spikings (Daniel Benzali), the chief of White House security and definite contender for the next Lex Luthor look-alike contest (his Marlon Brando impersonation isn't half bad, either) assigns Agent Nina Chance (Diane Lane) as Regis' liaison with the Secret Service. Spikings doesn't mess around, and once he has tabbed an individual for the murder, he wants Chance to have nothing to do with Regis. The detective is pretty persistent, though, and Chance has to weigh her sense of duty against her sense of justice.
The list of suspects is quite fluid, and I think the movie does a very good job of sustaining suspense and the sense of mystery throughout. The facts as Regis acquires them make not only the President's philandering son, but the President himself possible suspects. Then you have the crisis with North Korea coming to the fore, with the President really frustrating his top advisors with his incredibly wimpy refusal to risk war with North Korea over the military hostage crisis. The truth, when it comes, does push the envelope to some degree, but it is certainly logical in the given context. I didn't ID the real bad guy any sooner than Regis and Chance did, so that to me is a good thing.
A great mystery, plenty of action, power politics, lust, murder, conspiracy inside conspiracy: Murder in 1600 offers the viewers all of this and more. The ending itself is well done in my opinion, as well. Thus, this reviewer counts this as an impressive and very entertaining thriller....more info


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So, you want a mid century modern office reminiscent of Don Draper's private workspace. Well, we don't blame you! The popularity of this style has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years due to the rise in popularity of the hit TV show Mad Men and the fact that what once was old always becomes new again at some point or another. If you're really interested in getting this look for your office, read on to find out how to do it.
Furniture Reminiscent of the 1950's and 60's
When it comes to the office furniture in your workspace, go for something that looks retro, but sophisticated. Think solid wood desks, chairs with angled legs and furnishings with funky silhouettes. Many mid century inspired pieces that are manufactured today blend 1960's style with modern aesthetics from the new millennium. For example, desks with angled wood legs but a white high gloss top are commonly found in modern day mid century workspaces.
Wall Art That Makes a Statement
When it comes to wall art, more is more! Go for pieces that are loud and in-your-face with bright colors and bold patterns that shout at you from across the room. Mid century modern décor is all about beauty blended with a ton of fun, and the best way to add that fun is via the accent pieces in the room.
Clocks That Tell More than the Time
Mid century style takes pieces that are meant to serve a functional purpose and turns them into works of art. A clock is much more than a clock when you add in solid wood sunburst panels and funky face numbers. Clocks in this style are often the centerpieces of the room, taking a place of pride above a fireplace or, in the case of an office, above the desk.
Area Rugs & Throw Pillows that Excite
Bring on the bold! Area rugs and throw pillows are inexpensive mid century additions that can drastically improve the look of the office. A mid century modern rug should feature bright and bold colors and a visually interesting pattern.
Whether you're decking out your entire office or just adding a few pieces to make the space pop, mid century modern decorating will help create a space you can truly be proud to work in. Have your own tips for decorating in this style? Share them in the comments below!


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• Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational (Final)
Colorado broke out of a tie with California during the final round of the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational on Wednesday to win its first tournament since the Heather Farr/CU Memorial last fall.
The Buffs finished two shots ahead of Oregon as California dropped down the leaderboard. Colorado shot 13-over 301 in the final round at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., and finished the tournament at 32-over 896. The Buffs were two shots ahead of Oregon. Colorado also was runner-up in its season opener, the Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic.
Host Washington was tied for third with California at 36-over 900.
Sophomore Alex Stewart led the Buffs with a fourth-place finish. The Purdue transfer, who also was runner-up at this summer's Women's Trans National Amateur, finished at 1-over 217. Sophomore Jennifer Coleman added another top finish, coming in 10th at 10-over 226.
Nebraska's Madeleine Sheils won the individual title with a 2-under 214. She climbed from fifth to first during the final round thanks to a 5-under 67.


text: Minimalist runners have a new choice with Smaat, a new brand based around lightweight running shoes. The shoes come in three versions: The Midlander, a shoe for new minimalist runners designed to aid in moving from heel striking to midfoot and forefoot striking. In the middle is the Lolander which is for more experienced runners with its 4mm heal-to-toe drop. And last, but not least is the 6.9oz Splitlander, a shoe with a split-toe that helps with balance and and flexibility. $90-$110, Smaat


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Customs officials in Shenzhen, China have arrested a woman with 102 iPhones stuffed into her clothing.
Shenzhen borders Hong Kong, and, over the years, customs officials have arrested all sorts of smugglers.
According to XMNN, customs officials recently stopped a woman after noticing that the way her body bulged appeared strange. The officials searched her, discovering she was allegedly smuggling 102 iPhones of various models as well as 15 luxury wrist watches. The total weight of her haul was over 44 pounds.
This arrest surpasses the smuggler caught with 94 iPhones back in 2015, but not the one caught with 146 iPhones that same year. For now, that record appears unbroken.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


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Within the realm of digital media today there is a growing side to the problem-solving part of printing documents: printing pages on demand. Beginning with Xerox's award-winning DocuTech introduced in the 1990's, the mass printing of books, manuals and other documents from a single digital image became reality.
Although desktop printing has been around for decades, the ability to alter text quickly using software and then print mass quantities at high speeds is a relatively recent development. And now, due to more advancements in printing equipment, you have options to consider you would not have benefited from only a few years ago.
As a publishing consultant and production specialists we can answer questions like:
- Which is preferable, paperback, hardback, or both?
- How much control over the design (of a book cover, for instance) will I keep with POD?
- What are the costs involved with using a Print On Demand strategy?
- When and how many books should I order?
- How will I distribute my books once they have been printed?
Print on Demand publishing service is an increasingly popular service, especially for new writers and those who are unsure how many books they should print. Print on Demand publishing service allows the author to take the stress out of printing their work by opting to only print and distribute books when necessary. You can print as many books as you want or as many as the market demands, or you can print as few books as you think is necessary to meet your needs. Authors can choose to print one or thousands of their completed works, or have books printed only when an order is received.
Print on Demand is also beneficial for businesses to print training materials, instruction manuals, or employee guides with the same, if not better, quality as an office store printing service, and without any minimum order requirements.


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"As somebody once said: There's a difference between a failure and a fiasco. A failure is simply the non-presence of success. Any fool can accomplish failure. But a fee-ass-scoe, a fiasco is a disaster of mythic proportions. A fiasco is a folk tale told to others that makes other people feel more alive because. It. Didn't. Happen. To. Them." Orlando Bloom intones at the very beginning of Elizabethtown.
Elizabethtown then sets about illustrating by example just what a bona fide fiasco looks and feels like. The film was seemingly cursed from its inception. Ashton Kutcher and Jane Fonda were cast, then dropped out of the lead roles of a soulful superstar shoe designer-turned-suicidal pariah who travels to the South to bury his dead father and and his mother, an eccentric widow who devolves into a manic hysteria once her husband dies. Like Jerry Maguire, it's a morality play about a cocky young man humanized by failure who becomes a success as a human being only after failing spectacularly in business. After a disastrous early screening at the Toronto Film Festival, the film was drastically shortened and its ending altered.
So when Elizabethtown limped into theaters it was already a wounded duck, as queasily personal and intimate as a teenage girl's diary. Going into the film, I remember thinking, "How bad can a Cameron Crowe movie be?" Before Elizabethtown, I could say without reservation that Crowe was one of my favorite filmmakers. Hell, I don't just love many of Crowe's movies: I want to live in his world. For the universe of Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire and Say Anything is an infinitely humane realm ruled by an endlessly benevolent deity: Crowe himself. It's a world where no existential quandary is so great that it can't be solved by the perfect combination of pop song and dream girl, a world of giddy pop epiphanies and gentle humanism unencumbered by protective irony or sneering cynicism.
In Elizabethtown, all of Crowe's formidable virtues as a filmmaker work against him. His palpable affection for his characters–always one of his most admirable traits–morphs into a kind of pathological emotional neediness. "Love me, love me, love me!" screams every frame and every character. Elizabethtown feels like an X-ray of Crowe's soul set to the soundtrack of his life.
Crowe has never been afraid to go for big, pop-operatic moments that skip delirously past realism as they lunge for greatness. There's nothing remotely naturalistic about lines like Jerry Maguire's "You complete me," "You had me at hello," and "Show me the money," or John Cusack playing "In Your Eyes" on a boom box outside Ione Skye's window in Say Anything.
But in Elizabethtown the big setpieces and flashy lines couldn't have backfired more dramatically. For me, the definitive scene in Elizabethtown involves Susan Sarandon tap-dancing to "Moon River" at her husband's memorial service and delivering a mildly risqué stand-up comedy routine that climaxes with her reciting the word "boner" twice, a performance that has the white Southerners in attendance falling out of their seats with laughter and hooting and hollering like balcony-dwellers at laughing-gas night at The Apollo. It's an extraordinarily risky scene that encapsulates the film in a nutshell. If it works, it's the kind of showstopper people talk about for decades to come. But if it doesn't work, it just looks insane and wrong. And, oh Lordy, does Sarandon's big scene not work.
Then again, Sarandon's character is the very embodiment of gritty neo-realism compared to Kirsten Dunst's stewardess/love interest. Dunst embodies a character type I like to call The Manic Pixie Dream Girl (see Natalie Portman in Garden State for another prime example). The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures. The Manic Pixie Dream Girl is an all-or-nothing-proposition. Audiences either want to marry her instantly (despite The Manic Pixie Dream Girl being, you know, a fictional character) or they want to commit grievous bodily harm against them and their immediate family. As for me, well, let's just say I'm not going to propose to Dunst's psychotically chipper waitress in the sky any time soon.
Elizabethtown shows what happens when a gifted writer-director lets his big ol' heart do his brain's work for him. Yet the film stuck with me in ways genuinely successful films haven't. I find myself talking and thinking about it all the time. Heck, the origins of this whole project began with Elizabethtown. By the time Bloom embarks on an epic road-trip set to a mix-tape of Crowe's favorite songs, Elizabethtown was starting to barrel its way through my formidable defenses. So is Elizabethtown a success? Fuck no, but it's a heartfelt debacle of rare ambition, sincerity and vision.
Failure, Fiasco, or Secret Success?: Fiasco


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Secret Lobangs
Don't say bo jio!!
Starbucks Secret Menu: Caramel Snickerdoodle Macchiato
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The Tiramisu Frappuccino from the Starbucks secret menu is a fan's take on tiramisu, the classic Italian dessert. If you're a Starbucks super fan, you may already know that Starbucks used to sell a Tiramisu Frappuccino, one that has since been discontinued. Even...
Secret Menu: McDonald's, Poor Man's Big Mac
McDonald's Poor Man's Big Mac McDonald's menu is getting more expensive. But there's a simple way to get the taste of McDonald's Big Mac for cheaper price. The Poor Man's Big Mac from the McDonald's Secret Menu should be one of the most popular secret menu items at...