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Watercolour Portraits
with Colleen Reynolds
- 10+ Video lessons in HD
- Exclusive bonus content
- 30-day access to instructor
- Over 10 hours of in-depth instructions
- Lifetime access, anywhere, anytime
- Available on desktop, mobile and tablet
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
What you will learn:
Class 1:
Proportions of the Head and Facial Features
Class 2:
Draw/Paint What You See (not what you know)
Angles, Proportions and Interrelationships
Class 3:
Drawing – Adult Male, sketch and value study
Class 4:
Sketches: Adult female
Sketches: Child
Class 5:
Pigment choices for a variety of skin tones
Class 6
Straight-on portrait, light skin tone
Class 7:
A Little "Perspective" on the Face – In three-quarter view
Class 8:
Drawing – Three-Quarter view adult female
Class 9:
Painting – Adult female, dark skin tone
- Creating Value Study and Contour Drawing for Watercolour Painting
About the course
In this 3-day workshop, participants will learn the basics planes of the human head and evaluate pigment choices for a variety of skin tones.
Open Facebook Group to students of this course:
Curious Mondo: Watercolour Portraits
Time table:
9 hours
Intermediate / Advanced
Target market:
Anyone who wants to perfect their watercolour painting skills.
Main objective:
Understand pigment choices for skin tones and paint human heads.
About the instructor
Colleen Reynolds' watercolor paintings feature a variety of subjects, including figures, portraits and botanicals. She considers her paintings of "furry critters" and "flower critters" an enjoyable version of the more "serious" focus on figurative pieces.
Colleen is an award-winning painter who shows her work regularly throughout Utah and other western states. She has a Master's in Education and Bachelor's degrees in Fine Art and Mathematics. Because of her teaching credentials, Colleen has also become an "in-demand" art workshop instructor.
Colleen paints out of her Cottonwood Heights studio (near Salt Lake City, Utah). She also teaches monthly watercolor classes at her classroom location in Millcreek, Utah. She is a Past President of the Utah Watercolor Society and member of the Intermountain Society of Artists. You may be interested to know, Colleen completed a 20-year career in the U.S. Navy! She is a retired Cryptologic Officer and maintains many friendships and contacts around the world as a result.


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Doctor Who fans hoping for a glimpse of some former Time Lords in The Day Of The Doctor had their patience rewarded when Tom Baker showed up in the closing scene of the episode.
Baker – best known as the fourth Doctor, who played the role from 1974 – 1981 – made an appearance as a curator at the National Gallery, engaging Matt Smith's Time Lord in conversation as he contemplated his future.
And Twitter went into an inevitable meltdown as his mild-mannered character dropped hints that he might just be an older incarnation of his own Time Lord after all.
The tom baker cameo just made my night, you always love the Doctor from your childhood,' tweeted one enthusiastic fan.
Another summed up the feelings of many by saying: 'I'm sorry, but my only reaction to the episode is TOM BAKER TOM BAKER TOM BAKER TOM BAKER TOM BAKER TOM BAKER!!!! '
The actor had previously hinted that he would be appearing in the anniversary episode despite previously denying he had been asked to take part.
'I am in the special,' Baker told the Huffington Post earlier this week.
'I'm not supposed to tell you that, but I tell you that very willingly and specifically; the BBC told me to not to tell anybody but I'm telling you straightaway.'
He added that the cameo had 'worked out very well I think, judging by the reaction of the technicians.'
Saturday's show also saw Peter Capaldi make his unofficial debut as the Doctor, with a close-up of his eyes appearing momentarily during the climactic battle to save Gallifrey.

subset: commoncrawl


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If you are thinking ahead to the upcoming spring and summer canning seasons, you might want to have a look at Kmart today. They have this 12-count case of Ball Mason (Regular Mouth) Quart Canning Jars on sale for just $7.91!
About these jars:
Superior quality trusted since 1884. Easy serving. With lids and bands for home canning. Creative decor. From jams and jellies to pickles and salsas. Made in USA.
If your order totals $59 or more, you will receive FREE shipping. However, you may also be able to arrange for a free in-store pick up as well.


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While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—altogether there were about twelve of them.We see in this passage that if we are going to claim the power of the name of Jesus in our lives then we must receive the Holy Spirit and be filled with the Spirit. Apollos' incomplete preaching in Ephesus led to an incomplete spiritual experience on the part of the Ephesian people. It's like the saying goes: "Fog in the pulpit, fog in the pew!" Priscilla and Aquila had to explain to Apollos the way of God more adequately because he only knew the baptism of John. One can only pass on what one has. Thus Apollos had not passed on to the Ephesians the full message of Christianity. The result was that the people of Ephesus did not know anything about the power of the Holy Spirit.
He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God.
But God sent Paul to Ephesus to correct this deficiency; he baptized people into the name of Jesus and laid his hands on them so they might receive the Holy Spirit. In a later letter to this same church Paul says:
Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession–to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
In the same way as the Ephesians, if we have trusted in Jesus for our salvation, if we have come to the point of faith in him, then we have received the Holy Spirit. Believers in the Lord Jesus don't need to have a second work of grace in order to receive the Spirit. But we do need to work at being filled with the Spirit just as Paul commanded this same church in Ephesians 5:18, "Be filled with the Spirit." or literally: "Be being filled with the Spirit." Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an ongoing activity in the life of the Christian. Whenever we surrender to the Lordship and leadership of the Spirit in our everyday lives, then and there we are filled with the Spirit. Paul wrote about this to the church at Corinth:
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
How are we supposed to surrender to the Lordship of the Spirit on a daily basis? Practically speaking, how does it happen? The Spirit exercises his Lordship in our lives through the Word of God in Scripture. As we see in Ephesians 6:17, we are to put on the armor of God which includes taking up "the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." It is as we spend time daily reading God's word in Scripture that we will know what the Holy Spirit wants us to do with our lives. Hebrews 4:12 tells us,
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.The monarch butterfly is a familiar sight in many places across our country and is a beautiful sign of spring. Few butterflies can compare with the striking beauty of the monarch's orange, yellow, and black wings. Each year people in many regions of the United States enjoy the unique pleasure of seeing thousands of these butterflies fill the sky as they begin to migrate south for the winter. These butterflies spend the winter months in forests of fir trees in the volcanic highlands of south-central Mexico. Environmentalists have identified nine areas where the monarchs cluster in colonies, and Mexico has designated five of these sites as sanctuaries of protection.
But these five sanctuaries are not enough to protect the monarch
population; they only cover sixty-two square miles. Meanwhile poor farmers and commercial loggers are clearing fir forests, at times even in the restricted zones, putting increasing pressure on existing butterfly colonies. Some experts have predicted that we will not have a monarch migration in twenty years if sanctuaries aren't expanded and protected.
Like a beautiful, fragile monarch butterfly, God's Spirit usually fills the heart in a gentle way. But we must intentionally keep a sanctuary for him because there are many things that can encroach upon his home in us. Our sense of his presence, our ability to hear his voice, our awareness of his direction–all can be lost if we do not safeguard a place for him.


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Buying the best web hosting account might not be easy if you're just getting started online.
Everyone praises on any given company for many different factors.
Good (or bad) experiences, high paying commissions, popularity, because everyone else says so, etc.
However my opinions on this matter are very simple though.
I have tried many hosting companies in the past, including:
- cheap hosting accounts
- expensive hosting accounts
- shared hosting accounts
- reseller hosting accounts
- and I've even built a server from scratch myself!
So I may know a thing or two on this matter but keep on reading.
Sometimes It Is Smart To Follow Someone Else's Advice
This is a bit embarrassing to accept but man, I also had to start somewhere!
And being the stubborn mule that I am and that I always want to try things for myself without help, I registered my first domain name many years ago on my own.
Note: I'm not going to go all the way back to when I got started because I'm going to get side tracked so let's fast forward to when I bought my first domain inside GoDaddy.
Got my domain there and I also ended up getting hosting from GoDaddy.
Super bad choice!
I don't like to trash companies so I'm just going to tell you I DO NOT recommend GoDaddy for hosting, period.
Before that hosting year was over, I swallowed my pride and asked for a recommendation to someone that made a living out of website developing.
And he told me "dude, is so easy, you use GoDaddy for domain names and HostGator for your hosting account, that's it."
Now I don't recommend GoDaddy because their sales funnel is ridiculous misleading and complex for someone just getting started but for domain names, they're just fine.
However, if you want the best for domain registration I do recommend Namecheap over GoDaddy hands down.
You can check out more about it on this article: How To Register Your First Domain Name With Namecheap
So enough about domain names, let's move to the best web hosting account talk!
Is HostGator The Best Web Hosting Account For You?
It took me a few years to come up with the best solution but I can say I have finally found it.
My answer to this is HostGator and I'll let you know why.
I believe the price for what you get in return, is simply one of the best out there.
There are other hosting companies that are cheaper and others that are more expensive.
In my opinion the Hostgator price is just perfect.
Tech Support.
I'm not sure where I saw this before but I think they were claiming to have about 120+ live technicians.
Maybe it's not all of them at once but still, if you ever need to solve out something on a Sunday or even really late on your location, they are ALWAYS there.
You don't have an idea of how stressing can be to be having a server problem and nobody that can help you immediately.
They offer several plans including shared hosting, reseller hosting, vps hosting and dedicated hosting.
All of them are easy scalable in case you need more power, speed, bandwidth, etc.
Important: Buying the Hatchling account inside the web hosting (shared hosting) does NOT allows you to upgrade to a hosting account with multiple domains.
For doing that, you're going to need to get at least the Baby Plan, I'll explain all of this in the video.
Hostgator is literally PACKED with features.
From video tutorials, to e-mail preferences, statistics logs, file management, SEO tools, one-click script installations, domain controller, database management, you have everything you need.
Everything is laid out in a very clean interface which is multilanguage as well.
I could really go on and on with this but I'm sure you can find plenty of great stories all over the web.
So I'll just jump on to video instead and show you how you can save a nice amount of money, offer you some great tips and show you what you should be doing after you register your domain name for the first time.
How To Register Your Web Hosting Account With HostGator Video
The video took a WHILE to create and to edit.
It goes for a bit more than ten minutes long and I really believe it shouldn't bore you because as always, I try to add value in everything I do.
I was trying to separate the buying hosting part from the DNS updating part but I honestly couldn't pull that off so just check out the video and learn away!
In case you want to learn how to update your DNS from within Namecheap go to minute: 7:30 in the above video.
Buy Your Hosting Account With HostGator Here
By clicking on the below banner you will be taken to HostGator and will be able to buy your hosting account over there.
Before You Click Away
This article is complemented by the information given on the video.
And the same holds true for anyone just reading this article.
To get the 25% OFF discount you have to use MARKETINGWITHSERGIO coupon code.
Your Turn
Question: Where are you hosting your websites and why do you think that's the best option?
Take care everyone and hope to speak to you again tomorrow.


text: On 15/06/07 01:02 +0200, Stefan Reinauer wrote: > * Jordan Crouse <jordan.crouse at amd.com> [070615 00:36]: > > I disagree. Letting payloads rely on LinuxBIOS to set up devices is the > > start of a slippery slope that we should try like mad to avoid. > > We do know there are devices that won't work if LinuxBIOS does not do > the job. RAM, PCI resources, SCSI, VGA, ... > > There are plenty of cases where the payload relies on LinuxBIOS setting > up the hardware. > > This is the whole point of LinuxBIOS: setting up the hardware. I guess it sort of depends on your definition of "hardware". :) We do the steps to enable the system to run, and to enumerate certain parts of the hardware so that the payload can see them, but we don't often make policy decisions for devices hanging off the end of the busses. We don't set up IDE drives. We don't configure sound cards, or initialize NICs, or any of those things. The point is, that LinuxBIOS shouldn't really be required to leave individual devices in any sort of sane state. > > There is nothing about LinuxBIOS today that guarantees that any output > > method is available (even serial). If we encourage payloads to use > > structures like these and make assumptions about the state of the > > hardware, then when a developer chooses to omit initializing the serial > > port or other output method, his e-mail will quickly catch on fire, > > thereby implicitly forcing everybody to support serial and video and > > heaven knows what else. > > Why would LinuxBIOS not initialize serial console, but a payload would? > If LinuxBIOS does not initialize it, it's not there. Again, words get in the way. LinuxBIOS does initalize and enumerate it, but I don't really think that the intent is to require LinuxBIOS to tromp out and touch the 16550 and set baud rates, and other such configuration settings so that the payload doesn't have to. Am I wrong? > > It is not LinuxBIOS's responsibility to make life easier for the payloads. > > Ok, so what would you say is LinuxBIOS' job then? I think LinuxBIOS is there to initalize and enumerate the hardware at a very low level. I don't think it is there to be a surrogate serial / smbus / IDE / VGA / whatever driver for payloads that don't wish to implement those things on their own. Of course, I say that because I'm pretty much only interested in loading payloads that do support those services on their own - but I personally think one of LinuxBIOS's greatest assets is that it does only what it needs to, and puts the responsibility on me to do the rest. The power and flexibility of that single trait is worth it. Jordan -- Jordan Crouse Senior Linux Engineer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. <www.amd.com/embeddedprocessors>


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The Direct to Video Connoisseur
I'm a huge fan of action, horror, sci-fi, and comedy, especially of the Direct to Video variety. In this blog I review some of my favorites and not so favorites, and encourage people to comment and add to the discussion. If you click on an image, it will take you to that post's image page, which includes many more pics from the film and other goodies I couldn't fit in the actual review. For announcements and updates, don't forget to Follow us on Twitter and Like our Facebook page. If you're the director, producer, distributor, etc. of a low-budget feature length film and you'd like to send me a copy to review, you can contact me at dtvconnoisseur[at]yahoo.com. I'd love to check out what you got.
Hi everyone, it's been a while since I checked the page, and I wanted to make a few announcements.
First and foremost, it appears a dubious site has claimed the old url, meaning any link in any review that goes to the old mattmovieguy url is corrupt. I'm in the process of trying to remove them all, but it's a lot! It's best not to click on any link without hovering over it first to make sure it doesn't have mattmovieguy in the url.
Second, it appears since my last trip to the blog, Photobucket has decided to charge for third party hosting, meaning none of my images are appearing anymore. That's simply an aesthetic issue, but still annoying.
Thank you all for your patience, and again, hopefully this will all be fixed soon.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Deep Cover aka Checkmate (1997)
So I got my hands on this strictly for the Cynthia Rothrock. Eventually we'd like to have all of them, but some, like this one, are very hard to find. Luckily a friend got me a copy from a Dutch VHS with hardcoded subs. Also, the name "Deep Cover" on imdb, while it'll take you to this movie's page, the cover shot they have for it is for the Laurence Fishburne film of the same name. I guess Checkmate is the better name to avoid confusion.
Checkmate has Rothrock as an FBI agent who has an evil White Supremacist/Right Wing Militia leader from her home town that wants her dead. After he tries to trap her with a phony hostage situation, Rothrock comes back home, and with her father, who's the sheriff, investigates things. What she finds goes way deeper than she expected. Will she make it out alive?
This one isn't so great. Rothrock only gets a few fight scenes, but the ones she gets are pretty sweet. The problem is we get more scenes of the bad guys scheming, especially early on. I wonder if something happened to some of Rothrock's scenes, like some reels went missing or something, because it was weird how many more scenes we had of the baddies. One that irked me was when Rothrock was fighting, and it was cut with scenes of the head baddie getting laid. Why would you do that? You don't do that to a Rothrock fight scene. For casual Rothrock or action fans, this is a pass.
Rothrock is pretty solid in this, and the fight scenes she gets are pretty top notch, and she nails all of them. It's just, there aren't that many, and, especially at the beginning, we lose her for large amounts of time. That can't happen in a Rothrock film. And some of those baddie scenes were so long and drawn out. I don't mind if a Rothrock scene is drawn out because I'm coming to the film for her. And that travesty they did where they cut one of her fights with scenes of the head baddie having sex was appalling. Rothrock deserves better.
This has its share of low budget silliness too. Check that out. "1:PM". Yep, not "1:00PM" or "1PM", but "1:PM". They do it later with "7:PM", but they do get it right after that with "7:22PM". I don't know how that happens, how they get something like that wrong. There's another scene where the bad guys are playing pool-- which went on too long of course--, and one guy goes for a shot, but another one on the couch behind him is in his way. It was like "did you script that like that?" It didn't look like it, but I guess they kept the take. Also, Rothrock's character never goes undercover at all, but at the end a news report of her bust says she cracked the case by going into "deep cover". Who knows why they kept that either.
The baddie was played by soap star Stephen Nichols. His hair was a little shorter than it is on his soap, so he looked more like a Poor Man's skinnier Roddy Piper, mixed with the heel from the first Fast and the Furious. It was a decent baddie, though when you play a White Supremacist, half the work at being bad has been done for you. Still, he made him really vile, and we couldn't wait for Rothrock to take him out.
We always look to Cynthia Rothrock as a great role model. She stood out as a woman in a male dominated industry, and really kicked ass. Here though she's doing something really bad. That's right, she's using her cell phone while driving. I guess like her martial arts scenes, people should know not to do this at home. To be fair to her too, the cell phone taboo was new then, and she was playing a character who played fast and loose with the rules, something of a maverick. Still, cell phone use while driving is not maverick behavior, it's just bad.
I believe this is European VHS, either Dutch or German, maybe some other countries too. Checkmate is probably your best bet for a title, though you may see Deep Cover too, but I think you'll run into problems with the Fishburne film when you look for it. I'd say only for Rothrock completists, otherwise it's not really worth it.
For more info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116064/
Posted by Direct to Video Connoisseur at 11:48 PM
Labels: action, Cynthia Rothrock
2 comments:
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Home Building Blog
The Merits of Buying a Customized House
Home Building Blog
The Merits of Buying a Customized House
The Merits of Buying a Customized House
In building a house that you intend to be living in for a long time, you need to be careful about what you do because regrets will not look good on you. Instead of buying the house that you find within your budget, get one that has been built with the specifications you want in mind. It does not mean you cannot get a new home that is in line with what you are looking for and some might need just a few tweaks in order to fit what you are looking for. You should be happy about going home after you have been toiling the entire day and this means that the space should be according to what you have in mind because in case you have a home you hate then, even going home is not going to be of any consolation. It is easier to customize houses which are new than those which have already been occupied before. You can observe the information about
new home construction Annapolis
by following the link.
When you here about customization, don't just think that it is only about making sure the structure looks great to your eyes. You can design your house in a way that means you will not be using a lot of energy. This is very critical especially for people who do not want to be giving a lot of their income to utility companies. Also, you will be able to get a house which is suitable for your family. Trying to fit a large family to a house which was not built for that is not going to be an easy thing for you. Remodeling projects can make the house like what you want but remember that it will be rather difficult for you and expensive to finally turn it to something you can be proud to call your home and if you do not have that kind of money or time then you should not even try so.
When you are customizing a new home you might have some financial advantage because items like air conditioning and heating system, windows and ventilation are included in the warranty. It is possible to use some part of the money you will be given for mortgage when buying a new house for customizing it but this is not going to be an alternative for you if you decide to buy an older house. This is the best thing you can do to your property if you do not want to suffer. Go to the reference site of home building
Makati City, Manila, Philippines
This site was built using
Create Your Website Today >>


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Alexis Mabille: A new era of occasionwear
Apr 26, 2019 | By Alice Gividen
Feb 22, 2013
Milan: The first look in the fall Sportmax show – a rich brown fur coat with a grid-like pattern – set the mood for a collection based on texture and geometric shapes. Head designer Grazia Malagodi repeated that fur grid for a jacket and later included glossy, curly fur, which was used for a chic skirt suit and a pieced coat. Fringed trim, furry pile, and mohair sweaters added to the textural diversity. Materials with a slicker hand also appeared; strips of dyed eel skin decorated matte wool separates, and bonded leather panels were used for pleated dresses and skirts. Intarsia patterns on knits, fabric appliqués, and quilting all repeated the grid pattern from the show's first look, making for a consistent, strong message. The clean lines and geometric shapes suggested a futuristic inspiration, but softer materials made it feel sensuous and warm. –Joanna Manganaro
Silhouette: Long-over-long / Boxy on top / A-line / Easy hourglass /
Color: Warm brown / Black / White / Caramel / Olive / Cobalt / Yves Klein blue / Purple / Navy / Aqua
Key Items: Grid-patterned fur coats / Pleated A-line skirts / Slouchy mohair sweaters / Collarless coats / Roomy trousers
Materials: Glossy fur / Curly fur / Suede / Matte wool suitings / Mohair yarns / Eel skin / Melange tweed / Bonded wool / Bonded leather / Shaggy pile / Chiffon
Print + Pattern: Grids / Wide stripes / Blurry plaid
Details + Trim: Quilting / Piecing / Contrast lapels / Box pleats / Eel skin appliqués / Fringed trim / Bonded leather trim / Sheer panels / Tweed square appliqués
Accessories + Footwear: Boxy cross-body bags / Fur gloves / Wide quilted leather belts / Pointy-toe pumps
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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If you're reading this blog post, you've obviously found our website and had a chance to see the extensive range of information you can get from it. We have a news feed, the opportunity to obtain quotes for mortgages and insurance and also a selection of handy guides to help you find your way through both those fields and understand what is involved. You can also see our regularly – updated "Mortgage Best Buy" guide. Help is available with buying or letting property and we've got a range of other services which we will be offering soon.
You may not know that we can be found on Facebook and Twitter where we aim to keep you updated with the latest stories and talking points from the financial sectors we serve as well as news and interesting stories from the property sector which will be of interest to home owners and property investors generally. We also have some fun by posting and retweeting other things, particularly music videos and getting down to conversation with other users.
Come and join us in the wide and wonderful new world of social media. We'd really love you to "like" our Facebook page www.facebook.com/MMMortgages and to "follow" us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MM_Mortgages We'll engage with you too and try to answer your questions.
It's all about getting to know you.


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Most Recent Edit: February 2018
– My book on quitting porn addiction is in paperback for only $7.29 and e-book for 3.49 on Amazon! It's been officially endorsed by Craig Gross of X3Church. It has been updated and expanded in February of 2018. It contains this entire series of posts plus brand new info, fully updated with research, with specific steps to quit.
My podcast series "Cutting It Off" — here.
Why Do I Use Porn? Why Can't I Stop? Here.
Every question submitted about porn on this blog, here.
For the podcast episode based on this post, click here.
The science behind porn addiction will not surprise you. It can be easily mocked as apocalyptic research with an old-fashioned bias, but excuses to use porn are also biased by the hand down your pants. Objective evidence of pornography's effects has one goal: to show how much porn screws up your brain. For some that will be enough to quit.
Obviously, something serious is happening in the neurology of a person who will not stop using porn. Constant exposure to graphic, unreal, out-of-bounds sex doesn't just go in one hand and out the other (bad pun). Like the heroin addict or the gambler or the alcoholic, several key things are happening.
Much of the following research is borrowed and not my own. Please keep in mind that the term "addiction" is a serious term and might or might not apply to you, but it's worth investigating. I don't mean to over-dramatize here or make a big show of scientific language, but porn use does have a particular undeniable effect on the brain.
Sources include Craig Gross' Pure Eyes, Eyes of Integrity, and Dirty Little Secret, and William Struther's Wired For Intimacy. I've read and re-read these important resources and highly recommend them to you. There is also Michael Leahy's Porn Nation, Mike Wilkerson's Redemption, Tim Chester's Closing The Window, and David Powlison's tiny booklet Slaying The Dragon. Where possible, I've tried to research articles and current news behind pornography and the porn industry. And of course, there is personal experience with addiction plus countless hours spent with young and old porn addicts.
The Addict's Path:
One of the most well-known studies on porn's effect on the brain is here.
Neurological Pathway: A lot of pastors have been using this term to sound legitimate in their sermons about sex. While more complicated than it sounds, a person's behaviors are reinforced by continual action down a "path," like walking through a grassy field and creating a way over time. This sounds obvious with simple behaviors, but with porn addiction it feels more like a slide down a hill that keeps getting steeper. There are also tons of reinforcers that are not immediately apparent to the addict which triggers the downhill slide.
Habituation. Over time you become used to your current stash of porn. That's why you hear dudes joke about "old porn" and how it's "no good" anymore. If you drink a bottle of beer everyday for a year, you get habituated to the alcohol. Which then leads to —
Escalation. You need more to get the same high. For heroin it's a higher dosage. For gamblers it's higher stakes. For drama queens, it's increased chaos. For the porn addict, it becomes more deviant forms of porn that leads to child pornography or S&M. No one goes from drinking milk to doing meth in a day. However, someone can go from softcore to illegal hardcore in as little as 72 hours.
Apathy and Desensitization. A junkie who is far gone into their addiction begins to lose their presence of mind. He or she is not really there, instead just looking for the next fix. A once vibrant personality becomes dulled by obsession for the high, and everything else is therefore unexciting. Conversations, relationships, entertainment, and even sexual intercourse drops below the threshold of excitement — soon nothing grabs your attention but the addiction. Which leads to:
Desperation. A vibrant personality gets hollowed out to desperate methods. This is how you get addicts doing sexual favors and selling their family's stuff to get the next hit: the personality has been hijacked. There are brutal stories of pastors who began using porn and eventually spent upwards of $20,000 on prostitutes and strip clubs.
With the more obvious things out of the way, here's the scientific jargon. Since these are all so complex, I'll be simplifying and omitting some intricacies to streamline the information.
**Update 3/4/12 —
A fascinating look at porn's effect on the brain by Gary Wilson at TED Talks.
It confirms nearly everything written below.
Your Brain On Porn
Dopamine. Everyone has a reward-pathway system. Any category of reward gives you pleasure — a hug, a movie, cookies, sex, video games, praise — which releases a chemical called dopamine into your brain. Three parts of your brain are affected: the nucleus accumbens, the prefrontal cortex, and the amygdala.
Nucleus: Turns on the excitement and ecstasy.
Prefrontal Cortex: The reasoning/judgment center reinforces behaviors associated with the reward. Liver and onions, no dopamine. The smell of waffle cones at the ice cream shop, bam.
Amygdala: You might recall this from your high school science class. The amygdala processes memories and emotions, so it makes links between both. The particular shape and color of the ice cream shop can trigger dopamine all by itself. If you had a bad experience at the ice cream shop, then the smell of waffle cones may bring up anger, sadness, or a bad mood.
Shooting up heroin vastly ups your dopamine levels beyond a healthy level. You become habituated, the addiction escalates, and you move to apathy and desperation. Nearly the same model of addiction happens with porn, to the point where even the color of your bedroom or the shape of your laptop can trigger all your reinforced circuits.
The scary part is that unusual dopamine levels slow down the prefrontal cortex (reasoning) by stealing all other reward pathways. That's why when you're in the middle of porn, it feels almost impossible to stop: your reasoning is dead. The constant repetition of climaxing to porn rewires the brain to pursue the dopamine surge. You've deprived all other rewards of their dopamine value. It's literally a chemical imbalance.
Not to sound overly dramatic, but the addiction causes a slow destruction of your brain's sensitive physiology. In other words, addiction causes a physical change in the user's brain (study here and summary of the study here). If you've been addicted to porn and try to quit for a while, you'll notice classic withdrawal symptoms like sweating, confusion, foggy thinking, and porn "calling your name." The first week that I quit, as silly as it sounds, my hands would shake when I thought about using.
Substance addicts who quit using quickly show evidence of regrowing brain matter and neurons particularly in the prefrontal cortex. It can take anywhere from sixty to ninety days to recalibrate these reward pathways, and up to a year to be functionally normalized.
In simpler terms:
Porn addiction steals "joy" from other areas of your life. Since it vastly impacts your value on rewards, it becomes increasingly difficult to enjoy things that you once did. Your reasoning also becomes dull since you're so doped up on self-serving pleasure. You may think you have it under control or that it somehow enhances you as a person, but physiologically the evidence shows there are damaging changes in your brain. It's not merely psychological or spiritual: your brain rewires itself.
If you can imagine a sound mixer for a live band, then imagine that while the volume of your pursuit of porn goes up, all the other volumes — family, friends, future, church, hobbies, socializing — get turned down. Even if we assume you are just an animal with no higher purpose, then porn addiction makes you less than functional.
**Update 9/13/15 —
There are, of course, conflicting studies about hypersensitivity to sexualized images, and how they may or may not be correlated to addiction or affected neurology. Some of these are older studies, as the scientific study of internet porn and neurology is still relatively "new" and an ongoing endeavor. Here's an article that brings up counter-studies done in 1999 and 2003, both which show no major link between porn and brain changes, though none of the individuals in the study were shown videos (only photos), and none had been involved with deviant/escalated forms of sexuality such as prostitution or cheating. Here's another article from 2002 which suggests viewing porn may have significant effects on a current relationship, even if it may not affect the brain. I recommend to read every study with an open mind and to go where the evidence follows. I understand if there's disagreement about the research, though my own conclusion remains the same.
So what's all this mean?
When I teach, I try to stay away from discussing too many consequences because guilt does not change people for the long term. But with porn, you really need to know the consequences. I've actually calculated how much time I've wasted just looking at porn in my fifteen year addiction, and it amounts to almost two years (that's straight, so assuming I do not eat or sleep or work). The consequences of porn addiction, or any addiction, are too serious to ignore.
While I do expect to give you more good news about overcoming porn, here's the bad news:
The research shows an undeniable link between porn addiction and physiological damage. At the very least, even casual porn addiction causes noticeable personality changes and unproductive behaviors.
For the podcast episode based on this post, click here.
– My new book on quitting porn addiction is here! In paperback for only $5.99 or e-book for 2.99 on Amazon!


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Benefits of Adobe Certifications
For individuals: Getting Adobe certified gives you a powerful way to communicate your skills to the world. Whether you are a consultant, instructor, job seeker, or employee, Adobe certification is a strong validation of your knowledge. With an Adobe certification
- Leverage the power of the Adobe brand and resources
- Differentiate yourself or your business
- Get the inside track on Adobe's latest offerings
For employers: If you are an employer looking to fill a position, simplify your search by looking for candidates who are Adobe certified. Using Adobe certification as a benchmark allows you to:
- Find the right person for the job
- Quickly assess candidate skill level
- Increase productivity and efficiency
About Adobe Certifications
An Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) is a person who has demonstrated proficiency with one or more Adobe software products. ACE is a worldwide standard of excellence in Adobe software knowledge. To become an ACE, you must pass one or more product-specific proficiency exams and agree to the ACE terms and conditions. The exams are computer-delivered, closed-book tests consisting of 60 to 90 multiple-choice questions. Each exam takes approximately one to two hours to complete.
An Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) is an ACE who has taken his or her skills to the next level, and provides instruction on Adobe products. In order to become an ACI, you must show you have an instructor qualification (a teaching credential, passed the CompTIA CTT+, or equivalent), and have passed one or more ACE exams.
There are three levels of Adobe certification.
- Single product certification: Recognizes your proficiency in a single Adobe product. To qualify as an ACE/ACI, you must pass one product-specific exam. Example: ACE/ACI, Adobe InDesign® CS
- Specialist certification: Recognizes your proficiency in a specific medium: Print, Web or Video. To become certified as a Specialist, you must pass the exams on the required products listed below. Example: ACE/ACI Print Specialist (with passing marks on the tests for Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat®,and either Adobe Photoshop® or Adobe Illustrator®)
- Master certification: Recognizes your skills in terms of how they align with the Adobe product suites. To become certified as a Master, you must pass the exam for each of the products in the suite. Example: ACE/ACI, Creative Suite Master (with passing marks on the tests for Adobe Acrobat, Adobe GoLive, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photshop)
Registration of Adobe Exams
ACE exams are administered by Pearson VUE and Thomson Prometric, independent third-party testing companies. You can Contact Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric by phone, on the Web, or in-personAdobe Examination Fee: Each exam is US$150 or local currency equivalent.


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GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas (AP) � A man suspected of killing his girlfriend and her teenage daughter at their Dallas-area home has been captured in New Mexico.
Grand Prairie police say 45-year-old Kirkland Reed faced extradition Wednesday from Alamogorodo, N.M.
Law officers on Monday arrested Reed after locating him at a hospital. Police didn't immediately say why he was being treated.
Police on Sunday checked a Grand Prairie residence after a relative raised concerns about not being able to contact 44-year-old Jennifer Krieger and her 14-year-old daughter, Kelsie. Police forced their way into the home and found the bodies.
Investigators say the mother died of blunt force trauma. No cause of death was immediately released for the girl.


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"There is no thought in my mind but it quickly tends to convert itself into a power and organizes a huge instrumentality of means." Ralph Waldo Emerson
Did you make resolutions for this new year? Did you set goals for your trading? For your finances? For self-improvement? For other aspects of your life?
I hope so. Without goals, without a target, we tend to wander through life drift on our good or bad fortunes. The fact that we really do have control over the direction of our life is too often overlooked. We are the authors of our own lives, the script writers of our trading. By setting goals we set a course.
The goal sets up a tension between where we are and where we want to be. The two must come together. Imagine a strong rubber band around your two hands. As you pull them apart, you feel the tension between the two positions. Let your left hand represent your current situation and your right hand represent your goal, the circumstances as you want them to be. Feel the pressure pulling the two hands together. To relieve and resolve this pressure, you can either move your left hand over to your right hand or move your right hand back to your left hand. You can take action to change your current circumstances and achieve your desire, or you can alter your dream to comply with the current situation.
It's important that goals be achievable. If they are not, we simply set ourselves up for frustration and failure. This causes us to weaken the commitment and cease courageous and diligent action in pursuit of the goal. The goal atrophies. Because the goal was not realistic, we didn't believe in it, and we didn't try, and rightly so.
On the other hand, if the goal is not large enough and meaningful enough, it has no genuine power to motivate us. We want to reach beyond ourselves but not beyond the possibilities. Goals must be realistic.
I have known traders who set themselves the unreasonable goal of supporting themselves and their families by day trading a $15,000 futures account. The first thing they lose is the $15,000. The second thing they lose is their self esteem. They have set themselves up for failure through inadequate preparation and capitalization. When setting a goal for trading, always ask yourself if it is realistic and achievable based on solid research and experience.
Clients often ask me about setting monetary goals for trading. First I ask if the monetary goal is realistically achievable in accordance with their knowledge and experience. Then I ask what they would need to be doing in order to achieve that monetary result.
What do you want? What will having that do for you? When you have a clear conception of what you want, and understand the powerful why of it, then you can begin to figure out the how of it. With a clear what, and a strong why, the hows become easier.
How will you get there? How else? And how else? Ask yourself the questions that will get you where you want to go. What do you already have, and what do you need to develop?
If you haven't already done so, set yourself seven goals for the rest of 07, and start thinking about 8 for 08. Set goals for trading and investing, as well as goals for all areas of your life.To be a successful investor and trader, you need to be balanced in the rest of your life.


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|Copyright 2003 - 2016 Aplus Mobile Inc. All Rights Reserved.
All Trade Marks on this page are owned by their respective owners, whether marked TM or otherwise.
|APlus Mobile Awarded U.S. Patent #7,773,375 B1 Aug 2010
"Ruggedized Computer and Aspects Thereof"
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Servers for Mission-Critical Applications.
High Technology Product Development.
Power Tuned Technology, Designed and Made In U.S.A.
|APlus Mobile Awarded Second U.S. Patent For
Ruggedized Computers #8,289,714 B2 Oct 2012
|The New MotherBone™ PiOne™ Watch Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jw8sajUbcU
MotherBone™ PiOne™ is a new type of Multi-Peripheral Motherboard using BeagleBone Black and Raspberry PI
Computer modules as CPU's. MotherBone™ PiOne™ enables complex Linux based control applications in an industrial
standard 3.5" Motherboard form factor. Designed and Made in U.S.A. Download the manual and data sheet here.
|VirtulatorTM Red and Blue
|APlus Mobile Awarded Third U.S. Patent For Ruggedized Computers #8,922,991 B2 Dec 2014
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|New A100 IP67 Environment Rated Machine and Robot Control Computer
|Two New Automated Machine Brands Powered By APlus Mobile Technology


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Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Welcome! These are the two pictures we had to choose from for our stories this week. We can only write 300 words. Here are the talented writers participating:
JEAN JOACHIM (Modern Historical Romance)
Now that they were engaged, the Roberts' didn't mind them sleeping together.
V.L.LOCEY (MM Hockey Romance)
He reached for me and pulled just once on my wrist.
TRISHA FAYE (Contemporary Romance)
"That's his hook then? He can kiss?"
SUSANNE MATTHEWS (Contemporary Romance)
Her heart told her to stay while her head begged her to make a run for it. The only thing waiting for her when this was over was more heartache.
DAVEE JONES (Contemporary Romance)
Laverne fretted over Lola, arranging and rearranging the sheet on the bed.
JILLIAN CHANTAL (Contemporary Murder Mystery)
Maggie hadn't heard him whistle since his wife died.
Thank you for stopping by!
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MacGyver's Life
The Mac we all love so much was born in Mission City, Northern Minnesota, on March 23, 1951. (see: ep "Friends" ., where Mac's birthday is celebrated). Here's where he got to love nature. His parents are James MacGyver and Ellen Jackson MacGyver, his grandparents from his mothers's side are Celia and Harry Jackson. When he was born, he got the old-sounding Scottish first name ANGUS, which he, as a grown-up, doesn't use when he's introducing himself. (see ep. "Good Knight MacGyver")
MacGyver was 10 years old when his father and his grandmother died in a car crash (see ep."Phoenix Under Siege"), and one year after that his grandfather Harry, whom he almost adored, has also left the small family. It was a hard thing for the child MacGyver to be suddenly the only man in the house. His mother worked hard to raise her son, while Harry was trying his luck somewhere in Alaska, and sent only rarely a check. This was also the time when MacGyver had a tragic experience - one of his friends died because of a shot that came from a gun accidentally going off. (see. ep. "Blood Brothers") This memory had such a strong effect on his life later, that he condemned the use of guns, and instead believes in solving conflicts without violence, and especially without guns.
MacGyver was 19 when his mother died after being sick for a short time, while her son was away. MacGyver never got over the pain that he couldn't say goodbye to his dying mother (see ep."Passages") Being left alone without any support, he got rid of everything that tied him to his parental house. This is the time when he went to college, where he was the first of his class from physics (see ep."Hell Week"). He had a serious romantic relationship with Amy Austin, a classmate (see ep."Flame's End"). The relationship broke up because of Mac leaving college to find a job and make a living. He gained his technical and natural science-knowledge during his wanderings.
He was working as a taxi driver in New York when he met Pete Thornton, a former secret agent of DXS. (see ep."Partners") After they've solved the dangerous case, Pete offered Mac a steady and exciting job at Phoenix Foundation.
The well established history is not the only thing that made MacGyver's character so attractive, but also that his thinking, his behavior is intertwined with the magic of Richard Dean Anderson's personality. It's not an accident that Mac also comes from Minnesota, and thousand experiences tie him to his native land, just like his personator. It's also not an accident that Mac passionately loves ice hockey, and likes to spend his free time playing sports. In the episode "Thin Ice" he admits that as a child he dreamed of a career as hockey-player. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?


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I prefer this idea, if i donated & then my money was given away to something else it'd leave me unwilling to donate again.sfb wrote:Nice and healthy then, good!
Where would we stand if, with agreement of forum members of course, spending some on, say, forum t-shirts or badges for forum members to buy, with any profits going to a chosen charity? This would hopefully publicise the forum as well and gain us some new members.
Did we get anywhere with the t-shirt idea? I seem to remember it being discussed.
using the spare to fund stuff for the selling of is a much better idea to me. maybe we should have a regular annual meet somewhere such as ploppy's rally this year - excess funds could purchase beer, so the members who make the most of the forum get the rewards.
I know its a lot bigger forum but the 14club im on does an annual rally & the profits from club donations pays for the campsite & band etc.


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There are precious few hints of the social revolutionary around Kim Seok-kwan, the 52-year-old doctor who single-handedly brought sex-change surgery to this deeply conservative country.
But there is no gainsaying Kim's audacity in introducing sex-change operations here in 1986. Nor do many South Koreans dispute the impact his surgery has had on a society where, even quite recently, sexual matters were mostly whispered about and few dared live openly as homosexuals.
That all began to change with the emergence of superstar Ha Risu, a slinky, silky-haired singer, actor, comedienne and model, armed with a 35-24-35 figure, who is now a fixture in the Korean entertainment firmament. Ha, whose adopted stage name is a play on the English phrase Hot Issue, lived most of her 28 years, unhappily, as a man, until Kim transformed her into a ravishing transgender beauty three years ago.
Kim is a plastic surgeon whose training was in facial and cranial operations, getting his start in sex-change surgery almost by accident. For years he performed the operations largely in obscurity, with awareness of his skills with a scalpel spreading mostly by word of mouth.
"In 1986, a male transvestite approached me and asked me if I could perform a sex-change operation," Kim said. "At that time, nobody knew anything about this sort of thing in Korea, and I told him I couldn't help him."
A couple of months later, the doctor said, another man approached him asking for a sex change. With that, Kim said he became intrigued enough to start reading up on the subject. Within a short time, Kim called the patient back and said he would operate.
The surgery was a first for South Korea. Not only that, but Kim also rejected the use of skin grafts for vaginal construction, which was the standard at the time.
Although the operation's success exceeded expectations, soon afterward Kim went to the University of California at Davis for a year to study more about sex change surgery. When he returned, he found a long list of candidates desperate for the operation.
For the first few years of performing gender-change surgery, Kim said, his patients were overwhelmingly working class or poor, and few could afford to travel abroad for the operation.
The first glimmers of celebrity came to Kim in 1991, with his first female-to-male surgery, which he also pioneered here. That operation caught the attention of the nation's news media.
The brouhaha eventually died down, but by the time it did, something had changed in Korean society. Taboo had been lifted, and sexual mores were suddenly being discussed much more openly in the media and portrayed with more realism in film.


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The all-purpose shoe that started it all now comes in a true women's last offering an even greater fit for all day comfort. These light shoes will keep your feet warm and dry on cool, wet mornings. Sized for women and delivering a slimmer fit, this updated classic offers a new high traction rubber outsole and even better contact with wet surfaces. The outsole design will shed debris easily. Inside, the comfortable, shock-absorbing insoles cradle your feet. Whether you're in the garden, running errands, or walking the dog, you'll enjoy these shoes.
Sizing Chart


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AS you will remember from the first lecture in this series, two prominent historians– Edward Gibbon and Belgian Anacreon Perion—both conceived of two ways in which the Roman Empire fell. One, Edward, thought that it was Christianity which weakened the Empire and made it susceptible to Barbarian invasion. Anacreon, meanwhile, conceived of things in economic terms and saw the fall as the result of the Arab invasions of Spain and Africa, that which ended the economic unity of the Empire.
Now that we have some history under our belt, it is time to return to this thesis and see what holds up and what does not hold up.
Let's begin with Gibbon, then Perion.
There are modern historians, good historians, who feel that Gibbon has some points to be taken seriously about Christianity vis-à-vis the Fall of Rome. After all, there was a large group of clerics which demanded a lot of resources and which otherwise directed resources away from military expenditures. Today, one can find echoes of Gibbon's in modern European Marxist historians; the idea is that they have taken Gibbon's idea that the Empire lost its will to survive by extending it to a class based perspective, one where the will to live was conceived as the poor welcoming the Barbarian invaders as liberators from the Roman elite who exploited them. All though there is some truth in this idea, the wider cause of Gibbon, that Christianity was the one and only cause of the fall of the Roman Empire, needs to be rejected.
Indeed, Gibbon himself should have understood this since, in 476, only the Western half of the Roman Empire collapses. Politically, the Eastern half of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, survives the collapse of 476 and lives into the fifteenth century. So Gibbon's massive decline and fall of the Roman Empire doesn't tell the whole story. Furthermore, the Eastern half of the Roman Empire was the more thoroughly Christianized half of the Roman Empire. So Gibbon either didn't realize this or outright ignored it for his theory. Had Gibbon's theory been true, one would expect the Eastern half to be the first to fall, not the lesser Christianized West.
So, when we speak about the fall of the Roman Empire, we need to speak about why the Western half falls while the Eastern half survives.
In order to do this, we must focus on the differences between the two halves of the Empire. One of the most important differences is geography. The Western half, for instance, had a much longer frontier with the Barbarians than the Eastern half. Concerning the Rhine and Danube Rivers, Diocletian's division of the Empire places most of this territory within the West. Once this lengthy frontier had been breached in the West, Barbarians could get anywhere they wanted in the Western half of the Empire. In the Eastern half, meanwhile, even if Barbarians did get past the Danube River frontier, they are confined to the Balkans, they cannot get past Constantinople.
Another difference: The East was richer than the West.
The East had more cities, richer cities, and a more active commercial life; it also likely had a larger population. As a result, it had more weapons to deal with the Barbarian threat. The West, by contrast, is relatively poor and is hard put as a result to deal with Barbarian invasions. Ironically, Diocletian's division exacerbates the problems facing the West; once he divides the West from the East, the West can no longer draw upon the resources of the East. So a plan which had once looked to strengthen ties now weakened them.
As a form of social organization, one must remember that even before 476, Roman as a social entity had ceased to exist before 476, likewise. In many places, Rome as a social and cultural entity continues to exist after 476 (many Barbarian invaders preserve Roman culture and ideas). So we need to ask ourselves why Roman culture, despite the effort of Barbarian kings to preserve it, ceases to exist.
At present, the leading theory is one which some find hard to accept. Namely, a sudden and prolonged population drop. Though this runs counter-intuitive to modern sensibilities, since we live in an age of sustained and remarkably continuous population growth, but it is what many historians feel what happened. Beginning around the second century and not ending until the seventh century, this was a large historical population drop. Each century, there is just fewer people. Barbarian migrations will contribute to this population drop, but the de-population seems to have set in before the Barbarian invasions. So we know understand the fall of the Roman Empire vis-à-vis Barbarian invasion not as a cause but as a symptom of a much more profound problem afflicting Rome; this de-population explains why Rome could handle the Barbarian invasions of the third century, but cannot repel those of the fourth and fifth centuries, and it also explains why Barbarians become more and more sought after as military weapon within the Roman military. So why de-population effects both halves of the Roman Empire, the East is able to better handle it thanks to their higher population and greater wealth.
Measuring population levels in late antiquity is a daunting task. Even so, by combining written and archeological evidence, a compelling picture has been drawn by historians. Archeological evidence, for instance, reveals the steady decay of urban structures throughout the Roman Empire beginning as early as the second and third centuries. This process occurs most dramatically in Britain where it does away with urban life by 450 and will not resume for several centuries. It progresses more slowly the further south one goes, but nonetheless, one can see the same general trend of urban decay.
Along with urban decay, archeology also suggests that rural life is shrinking as well. Those sites which remain in existence do not grow. So the rural is not simply absorbing the urban population; rather, a general decline is happening where no growth occurs.
Written evidence confirms the picture that the archeological evidence has been pushing. In terms of written evidence, imperial laws provide abundant concern with what translates to 'abandoned fields'. The Roman land system was based on a land tax, so Roman rulers were concerned when large tracts of abandoned land started to appear in the Roman Empire; this meant that no one was tending to these lands. If no one was tending the lands then it meant that no taxes could be collected. As the centuries compound so does the obsession with these empty lands and cities; there was a point where Roman officials would sweep up people and force them back into the cities in an effort to try and stop the process of urban decay.
What causes this decay? Latest evidence suggest that it is epidemiological.
It is believed that a series of diseases throughout the Roman world touches off de-population. The first major outbreak of Roman disease I known as the antitime plague (165-180 A.D).
Contemporaries then remark upon new outbreaks of disease, with a new outbreak happening from 251-256 A.D. So why historians are not exactly sure what these new disease were, historians think that during the second and third centuries, it was measles and small pox which made their first appearance in the Roman Empire, likely originating from China. In the sixth century, though, the worst epidemiological blow comes—the appearance of bubonic and Justinian plague (542-543).
Though it is difficult to find precise figures for the drop in population, to give an idea of the severity, it is vital to think about the city of Rome; housing over a million inhabitants during the lifetime of Augustus at 1 A.D., by about 450, its population was down to about four-hundred thousand people.
By Charlemagne's lifetime, the population of Rome had whittled down to ten or twenty-thousand in a city built for about a million people. To say that there was a very high vacancy rate in Rome would have been an understatement. Of course, this is not to say that the entire whole of Europe dropped by such massive figures, but it does given an idea of the scope of the de-population.
Rome civilization depends on cities. When de-population takes effect, the educational system collapses, once the educational system collapsed, the Roman government collapses since there is no longer Roman lay people. Roman senators lose their distinctive identity with the collapse of the Roman educational system because they can no longer study classical literature in the way that they once had as they find themselves swallowed up in the illiterate warrior aristocracies of the Barbarian societies. What one fins is almost a domino effect which de-urbanization causes.
In a sense, this process of change was anticipated by Perion well. He did, after all, believe that by 476, Europe had become a relatively impoverished place compared to what it had been five-hundred years earlier. But Perion's ideas have been revised in two very important respects: (1) his chronology is no longer accepted. Thanks to archeological evidence, we know the decline happened near the second and third centuries, not the seventh century. Furthermore, Perion pointed to the Arabs as the cause of the European economic collapse; but, with Arab success at the expense of the Byzantine and Visigoths, we know now that it is the symptom of a broader social-demographic change—the Arabs succeed in part because the Arab and Byzantine worlds had been so badly weakened by this process of de-population.
As for the nature of the middle ages, both thinkers see the Carolingian period as the low point, that which deserves the title of 'dark ages'. Gibbon understands this as a cultural darkness, while Perion understands it in economic terms. There is, of course, a cultural bias in Gibbon's approach: where he saw terrible Latin, others see an evolving language, Latin into Romance Languages. Culture simply is, in other words, one language or art style is not any better or aesthetically pleasing than another style, it simply is and exists in difference.
As for Perion's insistence that the dark ages represent an economic low point, a lot of historians would have different opinions. Some speak of it in harsh terms ('third world' and 'under-developed') while others speak very well of it in terms of it constituting a recovery. There is an element of truth in both views; after all, in the High Middle Ages, the Carolingian economy does appear to be underdeveloped in contrast. But compared to the Roman economy, the Carolingian economy is a notable improvement.
It is, however, starting to become clear that the Carolingian economy cannot be regarded as the low-point in medieval Europe's economic system. This low point is more probably reached in the seventh century, with the eighth and ninth centuries represent a recovery period. Perion, in other words, badly underestimated the connections with existed within the Carolingian world and the House of Islam and the Byzantine Empire. What modern historians know now that Perion did not know, because he did not have access to the archeological evidence, was that the connection between the Carolingian Empire and the outside world did not simply run through the Mediterranean. It ran through the North; beginning in the seventh century, a thriving commercial life sprang up in the North Sea, curtesy of the Viking's 'Northern Arc'. Perion, in other words, did not know that all throughout the North, there existed tens-of-thousands of Arab coins and Far Eastern relics. It also is believed now that the Carolingian world had a greater degree of access to the commercial life of Mediterranean Europe thanks in part to the House of Islam (Carolingians would sell slaves to the Arab world).


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A brand new free children's musical by Theatreworks USA, 'Skippyjon Jones Snow What' is a twist on the classic fairytale "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." More…
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the bravest Chihuahua of them all? Skippyjon Jones the Siamese cat who thinks he's a Mexican Chihuahua of course! While his sisters listen to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Skippy heads off for the REAL adventure awaiting him in his closet. There, as his alter ego Skippito Friskito, and with the help of his friends the Seven Chimichangos, Skippyjon must rescue the beautiful princess Nieve Qué (Snow What), battle the evil dragon and defeat the Bruja.
"This effort is clever, comical and boisterous...Parents can be forgiven for wondering if this isn't too big a dose of gender, not to mention ethnic, stereotypes. But the wryly satirical 'Snow What' never offends. And the story doesn't stick with tired traditions. Nieve Qué takes up sword-fighting and feminist attitudes." Full Review
"Officially aimed at children ages 3 to 9, 'Skippyjon Jones Snow What' is a great first-time theater experience for young children. It's only an hour and, though it doesn't have any audience interaction, it's extremely engaging with peppy, Mariachi-infused songs." Full Review
"Let's face it: Any review is irrelevant to the target audience for 'Skippyjon Jones Snow What,' which is unlikely to read one. But then, that audience is unlikely to read anything, period. This new musical is aimed at children who don't need critics to tell them that they'll enjoy it. So will the grown-ups who go along: This rollicking show isn't cloying in the least...I laughed like I was in pre-K, too." Full Review
"As a mother of two kids, I've seen my share of "family friendly" productions. And if I'm being honest, sometimes I'm cringing. Other times, I find myself having a ball right next to my kids. Skippyjon Jones falls in that latter category...Interestingly enough, many of my companions, a group of 8-9 year olds agreed with me about the show's highlights...the play rated a solid 3.5 out of 4 stars from the campers. Depending on who's going, that assessment might be a great deal more important tha... Full Review
"The doggone delightful kids musical 'Skippyjon Jones Snow What (& the 7 Chihuahuas)' comes with an easygoing lesson: Imagination can lead you anywhere you want to go...Del Aguila's terrific cast of actors, many of whom play more than one role, and fleet staging for Theatreworks USA remind that you don't need a big budget to make a big impact. A magic mirror trick and a fluffy woodland chorus make for dandy visuals. The show doesn't just teach about imagination. It follows its own lesson." Full Review
See it if you might enjoy a nap`
Don't see it if You loved the Skippy Jon Jones books.
Cast and Creative Team members for this show have not yet been loaded into Show-Score. If you are affiliated with this show, and would like to accelerate the process, please contact us or read the Help.


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This Luxury Villa| Hotel is run by an English couple that dedicate themselves to making your stay in Cape Town truly enjoyable.
Their Contemporary house in the wind free, most desirable location in Cape Town is situated high on Lions Head Mountain with glorious views of the Atlantic Ocean. Dolphins and whales can frequently be spotted from your room or pool area. Their rooms are tastefully appointed and all have luxurious en suite bathrooms. The lounge and dining areas look out onto a rim flow pool and terrace that has been frequently used by Film makers and Fashion photographers.
52 De Wet's location and the properties opulence is an ideal venue for intimate weddings and functions. They offer our Guests a unique "hand holding experience" for the holiday of a lifetime in Africa and are happy to help with all onward travel plans, from hotel bookings, car rental, restaurant and entertainment reservations.
Bookings|Email: firstname.lastname@example.com | Mobile:+27 76 629 2638 |Twitter:@ambienz_
Book Now:


text:
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine plans to unveil his plans for increasing state revenue by using transportation assets when he gives his State of the State speech on Tuesday, Jan. 8.
Corzine will follow the announcement by going on tour to promote his plan at town hall meetings in all 21 New Jersey counties. The governor has kept his transportation plan secret despite public demands and a court challenge seeking to force him to reveal the plan.
Within the plan, Corzine has said, he has included measures to use toll roads and existing infrastructure to generate more revenue, including the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Expressway.
In 2007, Corzine tossed around the term "monetization" to describe one possible scenario. Monetizing state assets refers to the act of putting toll roads out for bid to attract a private investor. Corzine has stated adamantly that he will not "sell" the toll roads.
Another scenario would be for the governor to restructure the state's transportation agencies and implement a schedule to increase tolls. Revenue from a toll increase or private lease would go toward state debts that aren't specifically related to transportation.
The series of 21 town hall meetings has been dubbed "Governor Corzine's Financial Restructuring & Debt Reduction Town Hall Meetings." The public is encouraged to speak about the plan. To sign up to speak, call the telephone number listed with each meeting date.
The first four meetings are scheduled for:
Additional meeting times and locations have not yet been announced. Click here to read the meeting schedule, sign up online to speak at the meetings, or to learn more about the proposal once the governor unveils it.
– By David Tanner, staff writer


text:
Super Sounds
About the Site
How to Access Music
Featured Sites Archive
Join In
Featured Archive
to 2005 archive
December 2004
Here's hoping you enjoy the season, whether you celebrate holidays or not! Nearly all of the seasonal traditions for this time of year are based on earlier cultures, such as Roman [Saturnalia] and Pagan [Yule Tide]. No kidding - decorated trees, wreaths, mulled wine, the works. So, everybody have fun and celebrate your season your way! You lucky friends in the Southern Hemisphere, enjoy that summer, too!
Here are some fun seasonal online recordings for celebrating a cool yule!
Dominic Halpin
2 CDs of Carolers
Snaildartha: the story of Jerry, the Christmas Snail
is a beatnik soul-jazz extravaganza coming to you from
Allied Chemical
. [Also available in a short run from
"Played by legendary Curlew leader/sax player
George Cartwright
, soul jazz sensation Scott LeGere playing Hammond organ, and master percussionist Terry Hannan on the drums. Read by humorist and author Matt Fugate. Produced by Chris Strouth." -
Last Train Home
USAF Band
Check the blog this month for more seasonal releases.
November 2004
WM Recordings
The beloved
has just launched a netlabel,
WM Recordings
. Marco, the operator of Weirdomusic, is assisted by
Jan Turkenburg
and Ton Ruckert. All three gentlemen are also
Comfort Stand
recording artists, and each created an
Oddio Overplay theme song
WM Recordings
is a netlabel operating from Heerlen, the Netherlands. WM Recordings brings you music that is a little 'different.' We do not specialize in one style, but instead bring you exciting sounds that you're not likely to find anywhere else. Everything you find on WM Recordings is free, so take as much as you like."
The netlabel opens with two releases. The first is a collection titled
Water, Wind and Sails
, and is released in conjunction with Turkenburg's
52 Weeks
. Week 18 of 52 was a radio program with the sea as its theme. Turkenburg invited listeners to contribute their own musical pieces to create a
water CD
. The release flows across genres from bluegrass to the avant garde. A track that instantly won my heart was De Zwervende Keien's "Camille's Aquarium," a brief rendition of Camille Saint-Saens's (1835-1921) "Aquarium" from his
Carnival of the Animals
The second release follows along the water theme, as well. It is
by favorite French mixmaster
Chenard Walcker
. He is a
prolific artist
and tends to explore in all directions when he undertakes a project. Guessing that this set is in addition to his two tracks on
Water, Wind and Sails
. When composing a mix for an Oddio Overplay site theme, Walcker also branched out and created an entire
CD of additional material
Super excited and grateful that
WM Recordings
has sprouted. Here's to it blossoming in the years to come.
week 33-35
August 9 - 23, 2004
Audiobulb Records is a label based in the UK with an international roster of artists "brought together under the banner of 'exploratory electronic music.'" This banner includes microtonal inorganic music, glitch, grooves, IDM and ambient.
Future Music Magazine
states, "It's a label like Audiobulb who could produce the next Autechre. Some of the atmospheres here are superb. They clearly have an ear for it."
"Filled with enough glitch to make a skipping CD jealous, this release breathes a bit more organic life into the music. However, if you want to classify what Audiobulb does, they are doing it just as well (if not better) than anyone else out there," writes
Igloo Magazine
about Audiobulb's Switches compilation CD.
Their sharp, highly interactive website showcases the label's artists in two free promotional CD releases,
Exhibition 1
Exhibition 2
. In addition to the promotional material, Audiobulb offers one-minute track samples from some of the works from their beautiful catalog. For others musicmakers, the website also provides free audio software, patches and a sample library.
Root Of Sine
is a collection of music from Audiobulb derived entirely from sounds originating from the sine wave tone. Alongside this fine set, Audiobulb explains sine waves and their distortion and even how to create your own sine works. The label offers a selection of samples derived from sine wave manipulation in sample packs to assist in your sine creations.
Oddio regulars will likely recall the marvelous releases previously available from the artist
. David, aka room, operates Audiobulb and appears on the Oddio Overplay theme collection. Other artists on the label that have been highlighted at Oddio Overplay are
. Who will become your favorites at Audiobulb?
week 27-32
June 28 - August 2, 2004
no site updates during rebuild
week 26
June 21, 2004
Mark Harp, the King of Peru
On page one of his site, you learn that
Mark Harp
is "a Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Earth based musician, guitarist, web geek, theater sound designer, sampler musician, songwriter and composer, nutbar, website and graphic designer, bass guitarist, producer, director, arranger, bon vivant, unemployable dirt eater, Clark Bar enthusiast, ex-IMAX projectionist, actor, retired paperboy, SubGenius Pope, AND The King Of Peru."
Know what? It is all true! Well, the King of Peru bit is sketchy, but he certainly is one super duper cool musician. Mark is so cool, in fact, that he is currently offering you, yes you,
24 hours
of his music for free. Goodness gracious! No fooling!
In addition, Mark has work available online with his current bands. Those include the
Motor Morons
, a long-time Baltimore standard you have to see to believe, the experimental band
, and the
, Baltimore's finest instrumental surf band.
WCVT was once my lifeline, so
is one of my favorite hours of recordings, so is
, the Cabal EP. Sinking teeth into all his more experimental material these days.
Oddiophiles will love love love this man. Thank you and hats off to
Mark Harp
. Baltimore sure is lucky to have him and so are we!
week 25
June 14, 2004
Zenguin is a hub for a family of artist sites. Creator and operator, Perri writes, "A lapsed
myself, I've always been strong on support for independent musicians. When Mp3.com arrived I was hooked immediately, and started ferrying some of my music friends to the site." [
After the passing of mp3.com, Perri reorganized this
group of artists
and shifted their audio files to new homes. She has done considerable webwork for some of the members. Zenguin is growing, too.
"I've begun adding groups from outside my original Mp3.com family, but I still get in touch with the groups to whom I've linked. I want to keep that family touch. I do what I can to steer my group members toward good promotional opportunities. NPR has been very kind to us; in fact, just today another Penguin has made an appearance. Do give a listen to
Richard Gilewitz
All Songs Considered
Nicknamed PenguinMama by the artists she supports, Perri states, "support ranges from personal to technical. Last week one [artist] got hit with a virus, another had scanner problems. I've received calls following divorce, death in the family... and for gardening advice. I help out where I can--the less stress they're under, the more time they can spend writing music!"
She has created a fantastic site that will lead you to amazing musicians. Enjoy this true gem.
has come a long way from the original 1995 purpose of celebrating Perri's
wild car
week 24
June 7, 2004
This is not a site packed with music. It is a site packed with information about music. It might just tweak your head. It may open new worlds and link you to folks who love the same sounds you cherish.
"Weirdomusic.com - your first step in exploring the wonderful world of strange, wacky, odd, and just plain bizarre music.... We'll try to find the coolest sites, the best mp3 downloads, the hottest discussion groups, and the latest news & reviews. Of course we'll give you our own original content, too."
The founder succeeds on all counts, and like frosting on the cake, he is also a super swell guy. Marco is active in online music circles and always kind, honest and ethical.
Marco writes, "I started with a site called
Record Collector's Heaven
in 1998.... soon I discovered that writing about ALL the music I loved was just too much. So I made the subject matter more specific and as time went by it became what it is now:
, a portal for strange and unusual music."
Pretty sure it was this site that led me to the excellent Exotica List. That list includes all the folks who created
Two Zombies Later
. WeirdoMusic might open your world up to all sorts of new artists, too. Highly recommended. Enjoy!
week 23
May 31, 2004
Funky do Morro
These are archives of music from the streets. Without this site, how else would we have the chance to hear it? This stuff from the ghettos would never be picked up by major players in the music realm.
"'Do Morro' translates to 'of the hill,' and has been ingrained in Brazilian slang as reflection of the culture of the segregated favelas that have firmly rooted themselves in the hills of Rio De Janeiro.
"This archive is intended to share the hip hop beat produced in the hills of Rio, the favelas of Sao Paolo, and the streets of Salvador - funky do morro: the funk of the hill.
"Much of this music was found with independent sellers, and produced in garages, with not much international distribution. Many of the individual artists on the tracks may remain anonymous to global audiences." -
site owner
Health officials
are concerned about some funk dances where train dancing and musical chairs are reported to have taken on a new edge.
week 22
May 24, 2004
not archived
week 21
May 17, 2004
This week we feature some of the remarkable compilations, samplers and split releases available to you.
rock and pop
week 20
May 10, 2004
"Our label strives to create a network, a communication-facility for musicians, graphics-artists, designers, lyricists, listeners and viewers."
iD.EOLOGY is one hell of a netlabel! Check it out for yourself. The design is ever-changing.
In adition to the seven full-length releases, the label is also home to visual artists who generate videos.
Click here
for a preview player of the latest release,
Broke Gringos - Junk EP
This netlabel was founded in 2000 by J�rg and
. In spring 2003 they joined forces with
Brigitte Bijoux
and with an Oddio Overplay hero, Moritz of
and the
Netlabel Catalogue
week 19
May 03, 2004
not archived
week 18
April 26, 2004
Observatory is the free net-label for independent electronic record label,
Skylab Operations
. It has seen a few incarnations, and many of their releases are posted in the Oddio Overplay listings.
The Skylab folks had this to say about their netlabel.
"Dedicated to the electronic experimentation of sound and vision, Observatory releases several free to download and distribute MP3 and OGG releases a month, featuring the friends and family we've met along the way of our almost 11 year journey through independent music."
Two favorite artists are
.tape. [dot tape dot]
. The catalog at the posting is up to 37 releases.
more great net-labels
week 17
April 19, 2004
Interplanetary Materials
The amazing
Comfort Stand
has done it again. The all-time fave net-label has released another two volume compilation of original music.
You may recall the splendid
Two Zombies Later
set. It was the net-label's first release, and its theme was exotica. The Interplanetary Materials theme is outer space. Yes, that's right, the final frontier.
There are so many people I adore involved with this project that I cannot list them all here. Check out the release and you'll see just how many you come to adore, too! This 2-CD set showcases 36 artists "twisting through a neighborhood of quasars on the other side of our galaxy."
Once more the artwork is thoroughly professional and gorgeous, albeit probably unreasonable for the average listener to print on their home printer. The artist this time is
, whose work will knock your socks off.
Production and all the footwork were done by the gifted
Otis Fodder
, who has brought the world wonderful things like
the Bran Flakes
[with Sir Pitt],
Friendly Persuasion
Radio Show and the
365 Days Project
, as well as Comfort Stand Recordings itself. What a darling!
week 16
April 12, 2004
is a fabulous net-label. Here is their self description.
"AcediaMusic is musicians from many places on this globe, from which most accidently met in some small hideout to rest and relax from the outer world. Most of us are widerange musicicans, but we dicided to mainly release deepmood, downtempo, non-stressing tunes. The outer world is spinning fast enuff...
"Since making music is a time thief, watchin our music vanish in the dry dust hurt us so much that we set up this place to share our stolen time. Download some music, lean back and listen. We hope u have some nice time diggin our tracks. You can expect to get new music here regulary since we all are addicted to make loops and noise. See you around, enjoy our music!"
week 15
April 05, 2004
Uncle Neptune
Boy, oh boy, are you in for a treat! Uncle Neptune, cousin to Tiny Tim and Mr. Rogers, has chosen to share his 3 CDs online. Once you fall in love with them, you can easily donate to Uncle Neptune on his site. You
fall in love with them, too!
He and his friends make sweet happy music to brighten your day. Uncle Neptune's accent fluctuates all over the planet, still the songs are precious. An immediate favorite is
The Good In Everything
. Sesame Street really ought to hear the song
I Like Being Me
, featuring Jean Bean. It sounds perfect for the show.
The first CD is self-titled. The second CD
Music For a Rainy Day
seems addressed to a shorter audience with Uncle Neptune speaking after each track.
In A Perfect World
is CD three and it hosts a number of other artists and singers.
The incredible [and beloved]
Billy Blob
does the graphics for the site.
His cartoons
were on Wired's Animation Express.
Karma Ghost
is a true gem.
For the introduction to darling Uncle Neptune, many thanks to Marco of
+ Peter of
. Oddio fans are sure to love their oddiocentric sites!
week 14
March 29, 2004
Big City Orchestra
A new member brought this featured site back to a front burner. Played the CD again and smiled throughout. This is true oddio from the smart experimental group
Big City Orchestra
and its rotating roster.
Big City Orchestra offers you the
made up of their renditions of 58 radio and television commercial jingles from the 1940's to the present day. The CD was originally released by Commercial Failure, who ironically "promptly went out of business."
The lovely
Trixxy Pixxy
is also available from Big City Orchestra through
Comfort Stand
, the fabulous free net-label.
week 07-13
February 09, 2004 -
March 22, 2004
out sick and vacation
week 06
February 02, 2004
The Internet Chinese Music Archive
Happy Chinese New Year! Welcome again the Year of the Monkey! Sure do love those monkeys.
While I personally do not support most of China's policies, I celebrate the music. The Internet Chinese Music Archive hosted by
shares a large collection of Chinese music.
The site offers collections of many types of Chinese music including traditional, folk, popular, childrens', operatic and ceremonial. Also included are examples of Taiwanese music and historical speeches.
Creators Nandi Xie and Xiaoyu Li have also created another online project titled
The Great Empire of China
week 05
January 26, 2004
Community Music Project
Another not-for-profit internet-only label, CMP features international folk music. The forms are combined on their CDs, so you may begin with modern US folk, ease into African American gospel, roll onto Chilean mountain folk and wind around into traditional Russian people's songs.
This family operation releases a lovely CD every year for free online. The project even offers extensive information on how to operate your own grass roots label, and they invite you to record with them.
week 04
January 19, 2004
Your ears are in for some unusual listening - and lots of it, brother!
WhistlingRecords.com is divided into sections spotlighting artists and collections and also features an
album of the month
Love the
, the
bird songs
[here's an example -
] and
Brother Bones
. You know Brother Bones from his version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" adopted by the Harlem Globetrotters.
Fans of 365 Days may remember
Robley Evans
Enjoy this thorough and entertaining site from
week 03
January 12, 2004
The Apartment -
Three Forks
Here it comes! Try it, cookie, you'll like it. Open wide. Here comes the airplane. Mmmmmm!
Comfort Stand Records
describes its latest free release as Electronic, IDM [intelligent dance music], Found Sounds and Experimental.
Me? I just love it. The Apartment was among those who curated the 365 Days Project. Think that is how I found
the Apartment's site
sample tracks
from the CD, and the songs stuck with me.
Bought the CD
for just $8 and I love it. Love the rare found sounds. You have just got to hear "Melody" and "Oukey" and the title track, "Slice, Consume, Pronounce."
week 02
January 05, 2004
Comfort Stand
Keep your eye on
Comfort Stand Records
, the great not-for-profit internet-only label. These babies are cranking out sweet releases to satisfy your ears.
It all began with the delicious
Two Zombies Later
2-CD set. That was followed by the lovely Twizzle EP.
Right now there are two new releases to enjoy. Both are sort of found object collections featuring personal recordings made on
and on
mic-in-track lines
Jan 12th brings a release from
the Apartment
! Eagerly awaiting that one! You have the
Slice, Consume, Pronounce
CD yet? Hop on it.
week 01
December 29, 2003
Park Studios
The latest featured net label is a friendly not-for-profit with gorgeous releases of downtempo electronica.
Electronica artists dominate the online label world, still this little one stands out.
Fans of the
All Your Base
craze [Laziest Men on Mars vs Zero Wing], be sure to check the Contemplation LP for Netpoet's interpretation.
The CD pictured is a winter holiday and friendship project called
"Life is our school, and so we never stick to a certain media or input tool for lifetime. It is our goal to see what other possibilities there are to realize our ideas."
About the Site
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Featured Sites Archive
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text:
This January I went on a surftrip to Morocco for 10 days to shoot a surf video. After dealing with the edit I found myself with lots of B-roll left, so I decided to put together a short film featuring some of the shots I didn't use on the surf edit.
Morocco is a land of contrasts. You can go from beauty to misery in just a few steps. From richness to poverty.
We visited one of the most charming parts of it, the south-west coast around the village of Taghazout. Despite his beauty, you could easily come across with the usual problems of the 3rd world.
In these shots, I decided to show the bright side of this country, the hope that always remains in every society.
Filmed with:
Canon 60D
Canon 18-135
Sigma 150-500
Canon 50 1.8


text:
Warning, this article is technical… If you don't care about python development, skip it 🙂 You want to create pdf reports, send letters or any other action needing pdf documents ? If you are a python expert, you'll have surely heard about ReportLab. Yeah, I know, to use it, you need to code it, and […]
Posts Tagged 'coding'
Create PDF in Python using Genshi and RML with pyjon.reports
15 Jun 2010 at 20:35


text:
Josie Lopez from Albuquerque is juror of this year's Juried Exhibit at Durango Arts Center, which will open Friday.
This is DAC's 42nd juried show, and it's national, which means that submissions were accepted for consideration from artists around the country.
Lopez, who is curator of 516 Arts in Albuquerque and has served as a juror before at the Albuquerque Museum, said for local artists, though, there's an added benefit. On Saturday, she'll offer one-on-one portfolio critiques for artists. It was this experience of giving feedback that led to Lopez being suggested for this year's juror.
"We knew that one of the components that (Exhibits Director Peter Hay) wanted to include in the juried show is also giving artists the opportunity to get feedback on their portfolios," Lopez said, adding that critique is great because "it provides another level of an arts center basically being a catalyst for creativity in interesting ways."
And for the show, Lopez had her work cut out for her: She had to whittle the pieces down from more than 200 to about 50.
"What I tend to do, is you essentially start out by just looking at the work and visually getting a sense of what's there," she said. "Initially what I did was just a very quick run-through and just visually looked at the work and gave it a one through a five."
Lopez said there are a few specific qualities she looks for when selecting pieces for a show, which can be a challenge when assessing pieces online rather than in person.
"What I look for initially is sort of what is the technique, how is the artist essentially engaging with some kind of interesting materials or technique or approach that sets the work apart from the other works," she said. "As someone who is engaged with contemporary art, some of the major kinds of elements that artists tend to grapple with are the works in relationship to the body, or the work's relationship to the space, or thinking in terms of what exactly are the social or cultural kinds of interactions that are happening, whether it's art historical or society in general."
She said that after she goes through that initial once-over, she delves deeper into the pieces – looking for bigger meaning.
"Once I get past the basic elements of lines, materials, technique, then the big question is, how is the artist engaging with some of those larger themes, and how does the work, then, elevate that discourse in some way?"
A visit to DAC's Barbara Conrad Gallery shows that Lopez's selections make for a full show, encompassing a variety of media and themes.
"I worked with Peter to get a sense of the space – that was the other consideration for this show that's a little bit different because it was sort of thinking about what could conceivably work in the space," she said. "He gave me an idea about the floor plan, but also the number of works that have been included in the past."


text:
Screenshot of the amturingpi MU desktop
I received my first Raspberry PI 2B as a birthday present from my sister in law Marij and brother Michel and haven't left it untouched ever since!
However in contrast to the majority of Raspberry Pi Enthusiasts, I am a seasoned Linux user (for 15 years), meaning my first steps with the Raspberry Pi 2B where a piece of cake, hardly a adventure ;-)
The first distribution I tried was Ubuntu MATE, which required only a single tweak.
I edited the /boot/config.txt file
sudo nano /boot/config.txt
to disable the "overscan" and get the correct screen resolution, by "un-commenting" (removing the # character) in line 10 to:
Saving the edited file by pressing:
Ctrl X and Y
Then I rebooted, which solved the annoyance of an incorrect screen resolution.
After two days, I gave Rasbian a shot and reverted back to Ubuntu MATE, because the former is too minimalistic for my likings.
The plan is to buy another MicroSD card, for "distro hopping" and keep Ubuntu MATE installed on the main MicroSD card, which I also got from Marij and Michel.
Temporarily I'm using the Raspberry Pi 2B in my living room, because of the lack of a decent power supply and HDMI to DVI-D converter, I mostly control the MU (Master Unit) via ssh and VNC.
The plan is to buy the required hardware next week and place the nano cluster computer in my bedroom, with a dedicated flat screen monitor, 2 TB USB HDD (which I own already) and a wireless keyboard and mouse combination.
Needless to say I am extremely excited by the Raspberry Pi 2B and a nano cluster is not the only application I have for the cute little, yet powerful British computer!


text:
Social Media
Tag Archives: flat earth
TRC #534: Measles vs Anti-Vax Parents + Canada's Forests & Carbon Emissions + Quebec Politician Falls Flat?
Cristina brings the stats and facts behind recent measles outbreaks and highlights the importance of teaching young people how to think critically. Darren explores whether Canada's forests actually emit more carbon than they absorb. Lastly, Adam investigates whether comments about … Continue reading
Posted in The Reality Check Episodes Tagged carbon, flat earth, forest, islamophobia, measles, quebec, vaccine 1 Comment


text:
War Horse opens in Popejoy Hall next Tuesday night. See how "Joey" the War Horse works in a live demonstration on Tuesday, April 29 at 9 a.m. in the lobby of the Center for the Arts. Learn why it takes three people to make Joey come to life through movement and voice. "Joey" will also meet a live horse from Cloud Dancers Therapeutic Horsemanship.
The interaction between a live horse and the puppet horse can be fascinating! KASA Fox 2 will be broadcasting New Mexico Style live from the lobby during the event. After the broadcast, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions of the puppeteers and learn more about Joey and his part in War Horse.
For more information, visit: War Horse.


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About Martha Ressler
I am an artist. I also walk 10,000 steps a day and keep an artistic eye open with every step for inspiration: the shapes, angles and shadows of my working class and industrial neighborhood of Pittsburgh. I pick up "found objects" (aka interesting litter!) that I find along the way. These bits tend to work their way into my pieces.
The art itself is based on fabrics, other fibers and plastics. They are collaged and sewn together by machine and hand. The technical term for them is "Contemporary Art Quilts."
For the last year I have concentrated on my intrepretations of paintings artists did during the heyday of steel-making in Pittsburgh. I will continue to make these too, using antique lace for the smoke, for example.
I have a large sunny studio in Lawrenceville, where I also live and work. With this blog I will share finished pieces, events where I show my art, and occasional thoughts about the processes I use.
I'm enjoying your blog, Martha! Wonderful start.
I do not "do" blogs but I wandered into yours and I am enjoying the journey. Janet in Camarillo.
Hello Martha. I just learned that we will exhibit together in a small-group show at some things looming. I looked you up and said, "I know her!" I think I met you in Pittsburgh last year. I look forward to exhibiting together.
Marie Bergstedt
I am struck by the warmth and I like looking at Uncanned Heat.