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HAWKI News
On this page, we list the main changes that affected HAWKI and this web site.
- During 2017, ellipticity was detected in HAWK-I, MUSE and SINFONI observations onwards when pointing away from the wind. Problem under investigation.
Elongation = 100*(1 – A/B) %, where A and B are the FWHM along the major and minor axes.
The HAWK-I data classifications are :
A. If elongation < 10% for most stars
B. If 10% < elongation < 20% for most stars
C. If 20% < elongation for most stars
- HAWK-I will not be available for operations due to the following technical activities :
- March 29th to April 4th 2015 : installation of the 1st unit of the 4LGSF and Change of Period activities
- April 29th to May 8th 2015 : commissioning of the 1st unit of the 4LGSF
- July 28th to September 1st 2015 : the HAWK-I CCC maintenance, followed by the installation of GRAAL, re-commissioning of HAWK-I after the GRAAL installation and test with the 1st unit of LGSF.
- September 21st to September 30th 2015 : UT4 maintenance.
- As of Dec 04, 2014, all images affected from rounding off problems have been repaired and are available in the archive.
- As of Oct 28, 2014, HAWKI rounding off problem is solved.
- Since August 05, 2014, HAWK-I is suffering of a rounding-off problem which affects the coordinates keywords (RA and DEC). We are working hard to understand and solve the problem. In the meantime these values are being corrected at the archive level.
- HAWKI is now back and will be offered from Period 94; The filter NB1190 will also be back, and the filter NB0984 removed.
- HAWKI has not been offered in P93. However, it will stay on UT4 Nasmyth B and carry-over programs will be regularly executed.
- After the last recoating, UT4 M1 had some incorrect force setting, which affected HAWKI image quality. All programs observed from Sept 21, 2013 to Oct 13, 2013, might have this problem. Presently, HAWKI is undergoing an intervention to clean the entrance window, which will be completed by Oct 23.
- August 28, 2013: HAWK-I will be temporarily removed from the UT4 Nasmyth A focus during Period 93 and until it is necessary for AOF-related activities
- September 2012. Important news for P90 and P91 users: the filter NB1190 has been removed to make space to the filter NB9840. P90 users who asked for NB1190 can use NB9840 instead. Later we shall inform if and when NB1190 will be back.
- March 21 - May 3, 2012: Because of preparatory work for the installation of the Adaptive Optics Facility, Yepun is not available for operations. Observations with HAWK-I are therefore not possible.
- Dec 01, 2010: HAWK-I underwent an intervention and won't be available until Dec 05
- Mar 01, 2010: the fast photometry mode, suitable to study transit phenomena, is officialy offered. See the manual for continuous updates
- Nov 23, 2009: we are implementing a fast photometry mode, suitable to study transit phenomena. The mode will be offered for Period 86
- May 29, 2009: To be consistent with all VLT instruments, HAWKI has now a different offset scheme. Read carefully the P84 User Manual
- May 07, 2009: A few parameters controlling the readout mode of the instrument were changed. These parameters improve the ringing seen when observing bright sources. The parameters that have been changed are stored in the headers of the images and can be used to distinguish the mode used for a given file. These parameters are DET.RSPEED changed from 6 to 8 (effectively increasing the minimum DIT from 1.3 to 1.6;DET.VOLT1.DC6 was changed from 2.4 to 2.1 Volts; and DET.VOLT1.DC7 was changed from 3.4 to 3.6 Volts. This change take effect starting the night of 2009-04-07.
- Jan 31, 2009: The January intervention was successful, and the thermal background is now three times lower.
- Nov 19, 2008: An intervention is planned for the beginning of January 2009 to investigate the thermal background increase.
- Sep 1, 2008: A new HAWK-I cooling mode has raised the thermal background of the instrument to approximately 2 e/s/pix (previously it was 0.1-0.2 e/s/pix). The only filters seriously affected are NB1060,and NB1190, which will need approximately 50% more integration time for each same S/N for faint objects. The origin of this increased background is under investigation.
- July 11, 2008: HAWK-I entrance window damage giving troubles for sky subtraction. See this report.
- August 22, 2007: HAWK-I takes off (ESO press release)
- August 2007: Call for proposal for Science Verification


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Sorry for the delay, but I was pretty tired yesterday after coming back and all I did was play games before I went to sleep. Well for the follow up here we are, pictures from Cosfest day 2. No more delaying, lets get right to the pictures.
Also, do note, while some pictures will still be blur (I'm a bad photographer), these were all taken via camera, so the quality isn't too bad.....
Starting off day 2, a bunch of call of duty guys! I was suprised to not see them yesterday, because these kinds of cosplayers always show up in these events. Well here they are in day 2, and they are looking damn good.
Vocaloid? Well, not one that I know off. One thing's for sure, she's looking pretty good, and I don't mind that one bit.
Moar Miku x Luka! Well, I have seen this duo countless times, and in these exact costumes at that! I wonder what song this is...
Can it be?! 3 mikus?!?!! Ah well, I have once again no idea whats going on, and that getup is just weird. But well, thats cosplaying for you :). Not a bad trio IMO.
Moar vocaloids! This time its matroshika I think. I heard the song before, but didnt see the MV. But this looks accurate, good cosplay.
If you don't know who they are, you deserve a good smack. Well, we saw a haruhi and nagato yesterday as well, but this is a better duo.
Another random maid girl from another anime I don't know. Ah well, at least she looks legit. Not too bad.
I'm assuming one piece, but then again, I don't know. Lots of one piece love this year, much more than previous events especially.
The entire ao no exorcist team. Pretty awesome actually, even if some of them don't actually look the part. As a group, they are pretty awesome.
Index eating takoyaki. Its nice to see index, but her eating was not part of the plan. Lol. Still, it was actually part of her pose, when we took up our cameras she took up her fork.
Kamen rider! Sup bro, haven't seen you in awhile. As usual, kamen rider costumes are pretty damn well made in my opinion, and this is not different.
Its the genocide gang from AFA! Nth else to say, they still kick major ass with their costume and props. Love it!
The madoka magica crew. Yes indeed, this was quite an awesome trio, with tons of people snapping pictures of them. Love that madoka.
I guess a couple of priest from maybe D.grayman or 07-ghost.....or some other anime. Not bad I would say.
Nero! Its alright actually, just that I would picture a slimer and sligher taller nero. That sword looks big and badass though.
The crew from D.gray man! Lenalee, lavi and Allen. Now it just makes me wonder why they didn't start showing a season 2, after taking this picture.
You want the force? You get the force! A malevolent duo, the sith and jedi are ready to cut down all in thier path! Great cosplay.
More Madoka love. I don't know the name of the characters, but it just seems Madoka magica is getting all sorts of love right now.
Very blur take (my bad), but its the fking ghost busters! Its nice to see a change of pace, and these guys did a good job.
Vongola power! Hibari with the little bird and a little primo power. Not bad, the hibari looks better than the primo IMO.
Street fighters! Damn they all look really funky, but at least they got the spirit! A really energetic group we have here.
Miku again, something to be expected from cosplay events everywhere. This one is alright. I always found vocaloids sitting down to have a better impact.
A good attempt at a weird trio. No idea who the 2 at the sides are but the center of the trio is definetely yui from angel beats.
Erm this is....that tissue hime person I guess? Alot of appearances recently so theres not really much to comment about since the costume is the same :).
Rorona!! I have been dieing to play her fking game and I just ordered it but it hasn't come yet....and it has been 2 weeks! Man this is good cosplay and I WANT TO PLAY THE GAME!
Another classic Luka. We need more of these around IMO. I don't its the same one as the one I took for day 1 though.
More digimon? I don't know, that there can't be a random cat plushie now can it?.....I don't know. Pretty cute though.
Miku again! This looks like popipo or something, I don't know. Still, she is cute, and she is doing a cute pose. Good job on this one.
Once again I am clueless to the character. Everytime I see this I think of digimon. Lol. Not bad overall.
Refilia I think? From touhou. Not too bad, the costume is actually pretty good, with them plastic wings or something. Good stuff.
Noel vermillion! Pretty naise stuff we got going on here, and its great to see blazblue love as always. This is actually the 1st legit Noel I have seen in any cosplay event.
Another random kimono girl? To me all girls wearing kimonos look almost the same so its pretty damn hard to differentiate them. This looks good though.
Shizuo and Kida from durarara. Pretty good stuff though, and that shizuo looks quite menacing! It would've helped if he was a smite taller though.
BAM! Konata Izumi in the house! I haven't seen much legit Konata cosplayers in any cosplay events so this is as close as it gets. Still wanting to see a short and cute konata though.
Erm....more vocaloids? The one on the right definetely isn't a vocaloid though. A weird trio nonetheless, but not too bad.
WOYEAH. Ragna and guess who. TSUBAKI! Rare stuff my friends rare stuff, and definetely good too. That tsubaki is legit as hell.
Hmm...I don't really know. If I gotta guess it should either be vampire knight or 07 ghost. Oh well........
The vocaloid family! We have Miku, Luka, Len, Kaito and Kaiko. Together they look good as a "family". Nice group.
Just Len. If its a guy I guess this is ckise enough to what you call a "bishounen". If its a girl, then I have nothing to say. Good stuff.
Lightning with a weird hairdo. The costume at least looks the part though, but this is definetely not lightning's hair.
Good lord, this is one pretty girl! Not really have I had a thing for blonds but this one is pretty good looking. Two thumbs up!
A one piece gang? As a group, these are easily some pretty badass people. They were gathering lots of attention too.
Wassup troller man! Hazama isn't a rare appearance in the cosplay events, and here he is again, looking sleek like he should be. Not bad, but needs ouroborous XD.
I would say pokemon/digimon because of the little creature she's holding, but meh, I don't know. Overall she's alright I guess.
School girl with headband, book and swervy hair. Once again I have no idea which anime she's from, further showing my lack of knowledge XD.
Sweet! More Blazblue love, lots of it going around this year, which is good! The trios amigos, 3 main characters of blazblue are here, which is great.
Another one piece cosplayer? Not really sure but at least shes looking pretty cute. And that stuffed otter just adds more points to her costume overall.
We know this dude already. Same old same old, not that its a bad thing. Storm trooper costumes always manage to look alright.
Cute kimono girl. Some pretty good stuff going on here. If I had to guess its another one of them vocaloid songs.
YOU GONNA DIE AND GET SPRAYED TO DEATH. Army guys are cool, but starting to become a little generic.
A little Guan yu love I can see. For an old man, he's pretty awesome! Still, its weird to see something like that at cosfest.
Nuraihyon no mago...or something. Its super hard to do that cockroach hairstyle so yeah, props for having the right costume and hair.
Gumi? I don't know but she looks like it. Looking good I would say, thats a cute dress and overall her figure is quite solid.
Here we have a pretty slender and good looking Mio. Most Mio cosplayers like to cosplay as her in that costume, which is fine. Still I have yet to see one wearing the "Listen" attire. We'll see.
Wut, you again. Well no need for descriptions, the awesomeness speaks for itself :).
It looks like Rinoa from final fantasy 8 and Stella from final fantasy 13 versus. Very good stuff, both look quite pretty.
Death the kid and that geko girl from soul eater. Nice to see soul eater getting some love here, love those cannons.
More miku, many of which flock to these events like birds of a feather. This one is pretty good, can't complain on that.
Not sure about the character, but at least she looks neat! Probably one of those samurai anime that I never ever got to watch :p.
Shura! Those are....ahem...some big "assets" there...nice job. The costume is well made too, with the sword and stuff. Not sure why she wears that headband though.
Some vocaloids again? Gakupo and Gumi maybe? Having no shoes just means you put more effort into the cosplaying :).
Not sure...chobits? Or maybe another vocaloid (gotta stop assuming everything I don't know is a vocaloid...). Ah well, at least she looks alright.
Shit damn you Gakupo getting all the love. The girl on the right (looking alot like luka), seems to be pretty hot.
Taiga from toradora. Much better than the one from day one, and she looks quite cute too. I would say this is one of the better pics of the day.
Finally we have mephisto just chilling! Lying down in that relaxed pose sure got him tons of attention. Overall I'd say the costume is well made.
Now then, as usual, my top 5!
First up is a character I don't know at all. But who cares, you know a hot girl when you see one, and believe me, this girl is hot stuff! Nice curves, a great body, a cute pose and that costume is just great. No complaints here at all, this is easily one of the hottest girls I have seen that day.
Yup! As a huge index fan, this should have been seen coming. As a bigger Accelerator fan, how can I say no to this? Accelerator and Last order make a great couple, and this picture just emphasises on that point even more. Accelerator looks good, and last order (though not really a little girl in this picture)looks cute. My faith in index cosplayers just went higher :D.
Believe me I have never watched one piece, but this scene in the picture makes me want to do so. Both cosplayers are great, and the scene they potray just screams badass all over! Now this is how you cosplay a fight, get it right people! Awesome stuff from both cosplayers.
*Slurp* Lulu is so smexy, and this proves it. I haven't seen a single Lulu cosplayer, and while this one is a little flat, she makes an amazing Lulu. With the little cactoid dude as her stuffed toy, she looks like an alluring figure. And that amazing hair is just icing on the cake :).
Yeap, hands down the best picture of the day. Whats better than individual blazblue characters showing up in a convention? Thats right, all of them, together, in an amazing group shot. FUCK YEAH. While individually they may not be perfect, as a group they immediately stand out and look great. Those little kids just want a piece of the action :). Too good to be true bros, too good to be true.
Yawwwn......thats it for now people. This post took 3 days because of the immense amount of filtering I had to do. I had over 70 pictures and filtering them out and sorting them is tough work. Sorry for the late post, but I hoped you enjoyed the pictures. Cosfest is the shit, just like my impression of it last year, I'll say the same thing.
I can't wait to go again.
Peace out!

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John Navarro, Public Works Director /
Marie Santi, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (860) 974-0330
Email: click on names above to send an email
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It is the intention of the Public Works Department to provide the residents of Woodstock with the highest quality of service. We will accomplish this through constant preventative maintenance, continued capitol growth, and dedicated upkeep of the Town's highway system.
Contact us if you need help on:
The Highway Facility is responsible for the following operations on Town roads:
- Brush and limited tree work
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We also assist the following:
The highway facility also has the following for Town residents: Wood chips, firewood, and sand in small quantities. These items are not available for commercial or business entities. Come stop by and see us!
The Highway Facility Foreman is John Navarro. He is also responsible for:
- Facilities Maintenance
- Fleet Services
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The Highway Facility (Public Works) is located at 215 Coatney Hill Road.
See the "Forms" tab for highway-related publications like the Town of Woodstock mail box policy, tree and brush cutting policy, snow removal plan, and ordinances regarding snow and ice removal.
More Information
Town of Woodstock
Highway Department
Facts and Figures
The Highway Facility utilizes a computer software system called RSMS. This system is for pavement evaluation and allows us to score our roads. This information is then used to make needed repairs to the town roads.
The Highway Department also inspects drainage, cross-pipes and culverts on the roads to determine their condition. In 2006, the Highway Department used a new product on town roads called crumb rubberized chip-seal. This product has recycled car and truck tires in the asphalt oil mix. The Highway Department is working towards being more environmentally friendly.
- Square miles: 61.6
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- Highway Department Employees - 11: Highway Foreman/Fleet Manager, Mechanic, Equipment Operator, 8 Drivers/Laborers.


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In February, the streaming service Spotify announced a milestone: "Wake Me Up," by the dance artist Avicii, was now its most streamed song ever at more than 200 million plays. The track, an unlikely union of country guitar and stomping electronic beats, has been a barnstorming hit for the Swedish DJ whose name appears on it. But the other star of the song, the singer who carries its tremendous hook, has stayed mostly in the shadows.
Aloe Blacc didn't just perform the vocals of "Wake Me Up" — he also wrote the lyrics, well before the collaboration with Avicii began. The California singer-songwriter says the concept came to him in a moment of disbelief: sitting in first class on a flight home from Geneva, where he'd been invited to perform at a conference – all expenses paid.
"It was just a moment where I felt like my life could get no better," Blacc says. "You know, from indie-label struggling artist to first-class flights? I thought, "Wake me up when it's all over.'"
Blacc wasn't listed as a featured artist for "Wake Me Up." His new album, Lift Your Spirit, includes a stripped-down, acoustic version of the song — but it's another track, "The Man," that is making its own dent in the charts and finding its way into major commercials. Blacc spoke with NPR's Arun Rath about licensing deals as a road to music stardom, writing lyrics to impress Dr. Dre and why it's sometimes better to keep side projects a secret. Hear the radio version at the audio link, and read more of their conversation below.
"Wake Me Up" has become an incredibly popular and successful song, but a lot of people don't know that that was your voice and your lyrics. How have people found their way to you?
I think online. There have been a lot of fans that have posted the song and added my name as the featured artist, and many radio stations that put the song in their programming. And if you have digital radio, they added my name to the credit, which was quite helpful.
Why was it not there initially?
I think the true answer would lie, I guess, in Avicii's camp. But from what I understand it was just an agreement his management had with the record label, that no artist would be featured.
Your voice is so distinctive; for those who know your music, it's pretty easy to tell right away that it's you.
Well, that's what I've heard from some folks who were familiar with my other music. They recognize the voice, thought it was familiar — they just didn't know who until their hunch got the best of them and they went to the internet to find out.
How did you work with Avicii on the song? He came to you, right?
Right. He was putting together his album and looking for a soul artist to sing some songs, so he contacted me and we met in the studio. We recorded an acoustic version with Mike Einziger [of Incubus] on guitar, and I drove home that night listening to the acoustic version over and over again, to become familiar with the song. A couple days later, Avicii made his dance remix, and that's ultimately what made it to the marketplace. But I'd always had an affinity for the acoustic version and wanted my fans to hear the song for its songwriting, not the steroids of dance music around it.
Your other big hit right now, "The Man," has been climbing up the Billboard charts, at the same time that "Wake Me Up" has sort of turned into a popular anthem. What is it about these songs that's worked?
Well, my goal, of course, is to make songs that are evergreen and that evoke a strong enough emotion to be memorable. "The Man" was a theme that I wrote based on an Elton John interpolation: I took one line from an Elton John song, and part of the melody as well, and made a loop of it. I come from a hip-hop background, and that's what we do quite often — however, hip-hop songs often use the actual recording. In this case I decided I would sing the interpolation and write lyrics around it. The music underneath it is inspired by a Russian folk song that I learned when I was in middle school, playing the trumpet in the school orchestra. And the lyrics I wrote were to try to impress Dr. Dre.
And did that work?
Well, the song ended up in a Beats by Dre commercial. So, I think it worked.
You've always had a pretty enthusiastic, but select, audience. It seems like recently you're finding bigger success in a way that's very reflective of the present: It wasn't radio that got behind you, it wasn't record stores. It's been this sort of third way.
It seems to me like the third way is sync licensing: It comes down to television shows and television commercials. It's been extremely helpful in my career. "I Need a Dollar" was the first, with the licensing for the theme of How to Make It in America, the HBO special. Since then, I've had a few songs that have been synched to television commercials and sporting events, and that's been extremely helpful in magnifying my voice, getting the music out there for people to hear, and decide whether they like it enough to go find it and buy it.
I think my favorite track on this new album might be "Love Is The Answer," which is a collaboration with Pharrell Williams. What was it like working with him?
I never thought I'd have the chance, but he happened to be in L.A. and Larry Jackson, who is the A&R at Interscope working with me, introduced us. I'd finished my album — at least, I thought I had. Pharrell was eager to challenge that notion by creating a new song, which we did within four to five hours, and I loved it.
What was the back and forth? How did he challenge you?
The challenge for him was to make something worthy of adding to an album I thought was complete. The challenge for me was working in a way that honored the art I had already created, and not necessarily being relegated to Pharrell's world — because of course he can do any kind of music, I just wasn't sure what he would deliver in this instance. But he did his homework, and he studied who I was and what I was about, and created something that I think fit perfectly. The concept I'm trying to portray is that no matter what happens in your life, if you're starving, if you're homeless, human compassion is the answer to these problems. We were able to do something that was, I think, analogous to my heroes — Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder — where you create a wonderful pop production and put an awesome message in the middle of it.
I read somewhere that you said you have thousands of songs on your hard drive that are never going to see the light of day?
I may have embellished the number a bit -- my relationship with DJ Exile, in a hip-hop group called Emanon, has yielded hundreds of songs. Right now we're sitting on about 40 songs that we have yet to release, and we're just figuring out what the best timing is. I'm not trying to compete in a hip-hop market; my goal is to write songs and be a singer, and make hip-hop music for fun. Besides that, I've got a bossa nova project, a country music project, a neo-soul project, and all of these are pretty much full albums. Who knows if they'll ever see the light of day — just part of my 10,000 hours, I guess.
So with all these different styles in your head, how do you decide what to do next? Or will you go in a bunch of directions at once?
I've learned that too many directions at once kind of leaves me nowhere. What really worked well for me, in terms of my career, was focusing on soul music, for the Good Things album, and creating a singular character that my audience could recognize. It helped me to find the voice that I could use for singing. I've tried everything from dancehall to rock to contemporary R&B, and really what feels good is this folk-soul vocal. I will probably release songs that show my diversity as guest appearances on other people's projects, rather than on my own.
You say folk-soul, but even on this album you hit a lot of genres. Is there one you really want to do more with?
What would be really nice is to get into country music production and songwriting. I spend a lot of time crafting my words so that I can at least sit next to the best of the best songwriters, and I look at traditional country as some of the strongest songwriting that we've ever been able to deliver from the United States to the world of music. So hopefully one day I'll get to Nashville — work with some songwriters, work with some artists.
People used to make fun of Charlie Parker for listening to country music. He said, "Those cats know how to tell a story."
That's my goal. I feel, whenever a song becomes popular, that I've done a good job telling a story.
If you're just joining us, it's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR West. I'm Arun Rath.
ALOE BLACC: (Singing) So wake me up when it's all over, when I'm wiser and I'm older.
RATH: This is the most streamed song ever on Spotify, "Wake Me Up" by Swedish DJ Avicii. A lot of people assume that was Avicii singing, which make sense. The actual singer wasn't even listed.
BLACC: (Singing) When I'm wiser and I'm older.
RATH: That singular voice belongs to Aloe Blacc. He actually wrote the lyrics months before the collaboration with Avicii.
BLACC: I was on a flight from Geneva to Los Angeles. It was just a moment where I felt like my life could get no better. I was really happy with how things were going and sitting in first class because the organization that invited me to Geneva paid for everything. And I thought, wow, you know, from indie label struggling artist to first-class flights, I thought wake me up when it's all over.
RATH: Aloe Blacc's new album, "Lift Your Spirit," includes a stripped-down version of the song.
BLACC: When I first recorded the song, we recorded an acoustic version. It was just Mike Einziger from Incubus on his guitar. A couple days later, Avicii made his dance remix. But I'd always had an affinity for the acoustic version and wanted my fans to hear the song for its songwriting and not the steroids of dance music around it.
BLACC: (Singing) I can't tell where the journey will end, but I know where to start.
RATH: You're the really big hit right now, the man. That's the first single off this album. It's been climbing up the billboard charts. And like "Wake Me Up," that sort of turned into a popular anthem. What is it about these songs, you think, that are...
BLACC: Wow. Well, my goal, of course, is to make songs that will last the test of time and to be worthy of the space in your mind. I want to create themes that hold your attention.
BLACC: (Singing) Well you can tell everybody, yeah, you can tell everybody, go ahead and tell everybody, I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man.
"The Man" was a theme that I wrote based on, of course, an Elton John interpolation. I took one line from an Elton John song - and part of the melody as well - and made a loop of it. I come from a hip-hop background, and that's what we do quite often. The lyrics I wrote were to try to impress Dr. Dre.
RATH: Did it work?
BLACC: The song ended up in Beats by Dre commercial, so I think it worked.
BLACC: (Singing) ...in my world. Stand up now and face the sun, won't hide my tail or turn and run. It's time to do what must be done. Be a king when kingdom comes. Girl, you can tell everybody...
RATH: You've had a pretty enthusiastic but select audience. And now it feels like you're hitting it big in a way that seems very much reflective of our new times. Like, it wasn't radio stations who got behind you. It wasn't record stores.
BLACC: It seems to me like the third way is television shows and television commercials. It's been extremely helpful in my career. "I Need a Dollar" was the first...
BLACC: (Singing) I need a dollar, dollar, dollar that's what I need. Hey, hey. Well, I need...
...with the licensing for the theme of "How to Make it in America," the HBO special. And since then, I've had a few songs from this album that have been synced to television commercials and sporting events. And that's been extremely helpful in magnifying my voice and getting the music out there for people to hear and decide whether they like it enough to go find it and buy it.
RATH: I'm talking with Aloe Blacc. His new album is called "Lift Your Spirit."
RATH: My favorite track might be "Love is the Answer."
BLACC: (Singing) Broken hearts everywhere. From stepping on them, we don't care. Somebody tell me what we're going to do.
RATH: That was a collaboration with Pharrell.
BLACC: Yes.
RATH: What was it like working with him?
BLACC: First of all, it was an honor to work with Pharrell. Of course, I set my sights on working with really talented and accomplished producers. Pharrell would be one. But I never thought I would have the chance. And he happened to be in L.A., and I had finished my album, at least I thought I had. Pharrell was eager to challenge what I thought was a finished album with creating a new song.
BLACC: (Singing) 'Cause love is the answer. It's the answer to the questions in your mind. Love is the answer. It's the answer if you look and you will find.
We finished a song within five hours - four to five hours. I loved it. I thought it was worth putting on the album for sure.
BLACC: (Singing) The answer is love. I'm telling you now. The answer is love.
RATH: You hit a lot of different feelings, a lot of different moods on this album. What was missing there that this song helps complete?
BLACC: Well, we were able to do something that was analogous to my heroes, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, where you create a wonderful pop song and put an awesome message in the middle of it.
BLACC: (Singing) Just believe that love is the only thing that's real and true. Love is the answer.
RATH: The title is "Lift Your Spirit." And they're pretty happy songs, generally pretty uplifting, but there's one tune in particular, though, that takes a different turn.
BLACC: Yeah. That's "Ticking Bomb."
RATH: Yeah.
BLACC: And, you know, I struggled with putting it on the album called "Lift Your Spirit."
BLACC: (Singing) The whole world's sitting on a ticking bomb. The whole world's sitting on a ticking bomb. So keep your calm, carry on. The whole world's sitting on a ticking bomb...
I have a relationship with an organization called Falling Whistles. And this organization does as much as they can to create awareness around the conflict in the Congo, which is a conflict around natural resources. I think it's important for us to recognize it, realize it and for me, as an artist who knows about this, to use my megaphone to bring awareness.
BLACC: (Singing) We're staring down a loaded gun, no refuge found, no solid ground. This human race can't be won.
RATH: Is there a feeling you might want to do more songs like that?
BLACC: I absolutely will do more songs like that. I have a lot of them. But, you know, I got a pretty strict directive from my pops who said to make a happier album this time. So this one's for Pops.
RATH: Seems like you can play about any style you want to. What haven't you accomplished that you want to do?
BLACC: You know what would be really nice for me is to really get into a country music production and songwriting field. I spend a lot of time crafting my words. I look at traditional country music as some of the strongest song writing that we've been able to deliver from the United States.
RATH: People used to make fun of Charlie Parker for listening to country music, and he said, those cats know how to tell a story.
BLACC: That's my goal. I feel accomplished whenever a song becomes popular that I've done a good job telling a story.
RATH: Aloe Blacc, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure speaking with you.
BLACC: Thank you.
BLACC: (Singing) Come on lift your spirits and toast to cheers to all the good times throughout the years...
RATH: Aloe Blacc's new album, "Lift Your Spirit," is out Tuesday.
BLACC: (Singing) It ain't who you know, it's who's got your back, who's got your back. Times have changed, everything's strange, nothing's what it seems...
RATH: And for Saturday, that's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR West. I'm Arun Rath. Check out our weekly podcast. Look for WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED on iTunes or on the NPR app and follow us on Twitter @nprwatc. We're back tomorrow. Until then, thanks for listening and have a great night. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Photo Credit: Photographic illustrations of Demi Lovato are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about Demi Lovato is derived from astrological interpretation of Demi Lovato's date, time, and place of birth.


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The earliest origins of the name may have been in Northern Ireland. From the Book of Irish Families, Great & Small by Michael C. O'Laughlin: According to "Keatings History", the name is given to the chief of the parish of Magheramisk, in the barony of Massareene, in the province of Ulster.
A similar reference is in "Irish Pedigrees; or, the Origin and Stem of the Irish Nation" by John O'Hart, Fifth Edition, 1892: Down and Part of Antrim, THE Chiefs and Clans of Ulidia, and the territories they possessed in the twelfth century, as collected from O'Dugan's Topography, are as follows:-- ... 9. O'Criodain (Credan, Creden, and Creed), chief of Machaire Maedhaidh, now the parish of "Magheramisk," in barony of Massarene.
|Crest displayed at the Creedon Hotel
From an article by Joe Creedon, owner of the Creedon Hotel: The name of O'Criodain (or possibly MacCriodain) seems to have derived from an eminent early Bishop called Cridan. He was buried in 638 AD on Island Mahee in Strangford Lough in nearby County Down.
See complete article here: Uibh Laoire Families - Creedons
From Joe Creedon: One court where they were welcomed was that of FitzGerald of Cloyne. He was a distinguished member of the family of the Earls of Desmond, who for some time lived at Castle Martyr Castle. In 1621 AD there were two Creedon Harpers at his court, Patrick and Jeremiah. One of the harps which they played survives to our time.
"CREEDON, Creed, a West Cork name, is now called O'Criodain in Irish (i.-e. Tomas O Criadain the 19th century Gaelic-Irish scribe) but formerly and properly it was Mac Criodain... Creedon has been abbreviated to Creed to a considerable extent - even as early as 1659 when Francis Creed was a titulado in the parish of Kilquan, Co. Limberick. About that time the name occurs as Mac Creed in the Irish army lists preserved in the Ormond manuscripts. Both Creed and Creedon appear in the marriage licence bonds of the diocese of Cork, Ross and Cloyne from 1682 and among the names of larger landowners in Co. Cork in 1878. In 1866 there were 40 Creedon, Creedan and Creeden births registered (37 in Co. Cork) while Creed was only 8, the figures for 1890 were Creedon 15 (all Co. Cork or near) Creed 9 (5 Co. cork). In the Macroom districts, where these names are most numerous, cases have been recorded of their synonymous use by one family in registering births."
The earliest Creedon reference I have seen in the US is for a Cornelius Creden, born in the 1750's in Massachusetts. He is listed as a wagoner in Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev. War. Comp. By Secy. Of the commonwealth, Ms. Boston. The earliest Catherine Creeden I have seen is from Record of Indentures of Individuals Bound Out as Apprentices, Servants, etc. City of Philadelphia, October 3, 1771 - October 5, 1773, where she was listed as an indentured servant.
As you can see, I've collected a few Creedon crests along the way. I wouldn't put too much stock in any of them being authentic, but they're fun to look at!
Questions on the origins of the name remain. Are the Creedons connected to the distinct Creed surname or was the name simply abbreviated to Creed? Another variation that occurs in early Ireland and the UK is Credan. Are they connected? I would love to hear what other Creedon or Creed researchers think.


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True Confessions
Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative
In March of 1992, a sensational investigative report by an unknown journalist was published in a little-read magazine. Though it wasn't clear at the time, David Brock's article, "The Real Anita Hill," which appeared in the American Spectator, marked the beginning of one of the nastiest decades in American political history. In this piece Brock revived the dirty tricks of Watergate days and adapted them to the popular press. Using catchy phrases, like "a little bit nutty and a little bit slutty," and buttressing them with a tone of conviction and seemingly authoritative facts, Brock alleged that Hill had concealed parts of her past and that her testimony about Clarence Thomas was false. Brock used the language of investigative journalism to demolish Hill's credibility and character. After its charges were broadcast repeatedly on the growing right-wing talk-radio circuit, and then picked up by the mainstream press and television, Brock's long article convinced many open-minded Americans to reassess their thinking about the vexing Rashomon episode that had transfixed the country the autumn before, when Hill had accused her former boss, the nominee to the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas, of lewd behavior and harassment while she worked for him in the 1980s, and of then lying about it under oath during his confirmation hearings.
Brock's piece in the American Spectator was followed a year later by a book based on the article, which quickly rose to the top of national best-seller lists. The book treatment was not just longer. Close readers noticed that in the artful hands of his young editor at the Free Press, Adam Bellow, son of the Nobel Prize winner, and the editor in chief, Erwin Glikes, a fellow conservative who at the time ran the Free Press publishing company, Brock's political invective was softened. His dispassionate tone made the argument seem carefully reasoned. Some crudely reported episodes were cut, as was the "nutty-slutty" line. Now, almost a decade later, Brock writes in his 336-page confessional memoir, Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative, that not only was The Real Anita Hill "a witches' brew" of hokum, its editing and marketing were intentionally deceptive.
According to Brock, Glikes and Bellow realized that to convince the public, Brock would have to not just hide his conservative political bias, but actively deny it. Brock says that in an effort to cover up his point of view, his editors set about "dry-cleaning" his prose. He writes, "The key to success, Adam explained to me, as if he had a secret formula, was to 'capture' the center with rhetorical sleight of hand, just as a right-wing pol might lure swing voters." Glikes hired a media coach to help Brock present himself to the public, who showed him how to convincingly deny he had any political preconceptions at all. "Erwin coached me, the price of media credibility, of being taken seriously as a…
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Train horns disrupt another community's peace, quiet
North Fond du Lac votes to get rid of railroad crossing
Train horns have returned to several area communities recently, and one of them, where it happened just this week, has found a unique way to fight back.
The silence has been broken in the village of North Fond du Lac.
"Every time they come through, it's really loud and just really annoying," resident Ashley Bell said.
The federal government has lifted the quiet zone at Lakeshore Drive -- the only railroad crossing in town -- leaving the horns to shake the walls at Mike Freund's business just steps from the tracks.
"What's it been like this week?" WISN 12 News reporter Kent Wainscott asked.
"Loud, annoying, extremely frustrating, actually," Freund said.
The crossing is at a railroad switch yard, with trains moving back and forth 150 times a day.
"It can only go so long. How long can you go without sleep? We're just hearing one going now," Village Administrator Chuck Hornung said.
But in North Fond du Lac, village leaders decided to try something different to get rid of the horns if the trains continue to blast them every time they pass the crossing -- get rid of the crossing.
"Where did the idea come from?" Wainscott asked.
"I thought of it just because we've exhausted everything else," Hornung said.
Hornung believes closing the street will mean no crossing, and therefore no horns. But it would also mean a 3-mile detour for drivers.
"I'd much rather deal with the horns than the inconvenience," a driver said.
"Don't close the crossing, more train horns," another driver said.
But Freund would prefer the quiet, even if it means closing the road in front of his shop.
"I'd say shut it down. If they don't stop the train horns, shut it down," Freund said.
Early Friday evening, the North Fond du Lac Village Board voted unanimously to shut down the crossing while it pursues the return of the quiet zone.
It could happen within 60 to 90 days.
The Federal Railroad Administration told Wainscott on Friday that Wauwatosa's request for the return of its quiet zone is under review, and it couldn't speculate as to when it will rule on the request.


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Chiefs Tag Branden Albert, Sign Dwayne Bowe
KANSAS CITY -- With two big-name players about to hit free agency, Kansas City made a couple of moves to keep both of them. The Chiefs have placed the franchise tag on offensive tackle Branden Albert and reached an agreement on a new deal for wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, who played on the one-year franchise tender last year. A league source tells NBC Sports that it's a five-year deal for Bowe.
Kansas City will also be keeping punter Dustin Colquitt, who was also set to become a free agent but agreed to a five-year, $18.75 million deal, including $8.9 million guaranteed, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Keeping Albert in the fold is a big move for the Chiefs' offensive line, although it doesn't necessarily mean they won't use the first overall pick in the draft on an offensive tackle. Both Luke Joeckel of Texas A&M and Eric Fisher of Central Michigan have been named as potential first picks for Kansas City.


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An internal affairs investigation found that an Alachua County Sheriff's deputy was justified in shooting a dog that charged at him during a call at a Gainesville home.
The Gainesville Sun reports Deputy James Hardy shot the dog on Dec. 13 when he and another deputy went to the home to check on a teenage boy regarding threats to Eastside High School.
The dog got out of the house and ran aggressively toward Hardy. The investigation found that Hardy shot the dog, fearing for his safety.
The report states that when the boy's mother learned the deputies were stopping by, she called home to have the dog secured because it was aggressive.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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I noticed someone below asked how to start a new topic so I thought I'd test that out. After I logged in I looked on the right, I saw I had the option of starting a new topic with my name or anonymously. For the record I'm not 3 years old but for now I'm using a VERY old shot of me as a young girl for my profile. I tried changing it to a cropped one that didn't cut my head off but once I saved my profile shot it didn't seem to let me change it so for now you might want to be careful what you upload.
Re: Test post and answer(7/29/2010 - 8:37am)
Hey Carv,
I have always thought that this pic of you is more than adorable.
Just kinda getting a feel for the new format...learning my way around. Hope you are well and not sweltering in the July heat. SO almost 5 years now since your diagnosis? I am at 6 now, but August 3rd will be the anniversary of my SNB/WLE skin graft, so don't know when to celebrate.
Sumpin' tells me that it would be okay just to celebrate everyday. : )
Take good care, my Dear Friend!
And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. Confucius
Re: Test post and answer(12/20/2011 - 5:39pm)
Hi carver you probably don't remember me but boy do I remember you lol. You often saw me through a shaky patch with your wise words and realistic attitude. Hope your doin well.
Love across the pond
Laney x


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Really effective ecommerce websites
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With your new ecommerce website you can offer incentives to convert first time buyers and reward multiple-purchases to increase basket size. Then you can choose as many on- and off-site promotional features as you need to grow your sales at a rate you can manage.
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And, because mandatory registration can deter customers from making their first purchase, you can incorporate a guest check-out for the opportunity to demonstrate the quality of your products and services and convince customers to register on their next visit.
Broadcast News
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Your new Magento website will allow you to efficiently analyse sales and stock for effective planning, as well as identify sales opportunities, returns issues and much more. And, for maximum efficiency, you can manage multiple stores from a single dashboard, saving you time and resources which could be better spent acting on what you've learned about your business.
Knowledge is power
Your new ecommerce website will arm you with the information required to make confident, incisive business decisions. You'll also have the option to observe visitors in real time as they browse and shop your website, providing you with invaluable insights about hotspots and points of exit so you can act accordingly to increase your sales.
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