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TechnoparkToday.com> It is in human nature to seek out experiences. Some thrill, some joyous, some frighten, some scare, some causes despair. But to live is to experience. People crave for a varied experience and the demand far exceeds the supply. This is the missing link in today's mainstream tourism. Tourism should be the market of tourist experiences. For a perspective …Read More »
Travel & Living
KTDC Ponmudi weekend tours to start from Technopark
TechnoparkToday.com >> A new weekend plan for Technopark employees..!! The Kerala tourism development corporation (KTDC) will launch a bus tour project – "Refreshing Ponmudi" exclusively for Technopark employees. The bus will start from Technopark campus at noon on all Saturdays. The package includes guided luxury bus trip to Ponmudi via Kallar, overnight stay at KTDC Gold Peak, food, and sightseeing. …Read More »
Green Tsavorite Farm Resort – a natural outing experience
TechnoparkToday.com>> Green tsavorite, an organic farm resort in Varkala, stretching across 6 acres of nature's green and scene; with a functional landscape of fruit trees, plantation crops, spices, vegetables, bamboos, forest trees, medicinal plants, biodiversity of birds, butterflies, fish, indigenous livestock varieties. Located in Elakamon, Varkala, Trivandrum. 3.5 km from NH 47, is one the favourite hangout spot for corporates. …Read More »
Agasthyakoodam Trek : A Travalogue by Techie Mukesh Seetharaman
TechnoparkToday.com>> "If happiness is the goal – and it should be, then adventures should be top priority." – Richard Branson And mountains provide it, maybe Richard forgot to mention. I'm writing about Agasthyakoodam trek, for it's season have come, and some people will be on their way to the peak. Sharing my last year's experiences. Of many treks this divine …Read More »
Registrations for Agasthyakoodam Trekking starts at 11AM today(5th Jan '17)
Technoparktoday.com>> The registrations for Agasthyakoodam Trekking starts on 5th January '17 at 11AM. This year the trekking starts from Jan 14th and ends on 24th February. Only 100 persons allowed per day for trekking. The booking can be done in Akshaya Centre or Online (www.forest.kerala.gov.in OR serviceonline.gov.in). Inorder to enroll/register in Akshaya, a copy of identity card and photo have …Read More »
Celebrate this Christmas at Poovar Island Resorts with stay and special dinner (Offer for Techies only)
TechnoparkToday.com>> Poovar Island resorts, one of the most beautiful resorts in Trivandrum, offers a special stay and dine package on this Christmas eve. The package includes a double room for stay on December 24, Christmas eve gala dinner, usage of swimming pool, to and fro boat transport from Poovar boat jetty, welcome drink on arrival, breakfast for one day, and …Read More »
A Monsoon Trip – A techies day out
TechnoparkToday.com >> This is about a Monsoon trip in Trivandrum, where I am working for the past 2 years (Almost). To be honest I am not very fond of many things about Trivandrum, but there are certain things I love about it too. It's a sweet dilemma. It was on a whim that I invited my parents to visit me …Read More »
Solo Drive to Tiruchendur and Thoothukudi- Travelogue of a Techie
TechnoparkToday.com>> I always prefer to travel any where all alone. If I get a chance to drive through out India all alone, Im always ready for it. Hope will make it one day for sure. We can have our own freedom if we do a solo drive. No disturbance, No late comings, etc etc. We can set our own limits. …Read More »
Visit Kolukkumalai – An Exclusive Ladies Trip by Appooppanthaadi
Appooppanthaadi – a voluntary group of travellers with a motto 'Wanderlust' headed by techie traveller Sajna Ali, organizes yet another trip exclusively for Ladies to Kolukkumalai on 6th to 7th August 2016. Itinerary shared by Team Appooppanthaadi : A Silent, Early Morning drive from Cochin on August 6th will see you reaching Munnar by early morning, all set to soak …Read More »
Biverah Hotel and Suites won Better Holiday award from HolidayIQ
TechnoparkToday.com>> HolidayIQ, India's largest travel community announced the best in Indian travel and tourism at The Better Holiday Awards. Biverah Hotel and Suites Trivandrum won Better Holiday award 2016. This annual tourism award has been established to celebrate the sheer beauty in diversity that India offers and equally importantly acknowledges the role of the Indian traveler that is driving Indian …Read More »
'Leh Calling… 2016' – Techies Trip to Leh-Ladak
TechnoparkToday.com>> Vivekananda Study Circle (VSC), a non-profit socio-cultural organization in Technopark, organizes Leh-Ladak trip for Technopark employees 'Leh Calling… 2016'. Trip is scheduled from July 02nd till July 10th. Itinerary Details : Day 01: Delhi -Jammu – Srinagar- Hang out at Srinagar in the afternoon Day 02: Srinagar to Kargil Day 03: Ule, enroute visit Mulbek, Giant Living Buddha Sculpture …Read More »
Trip to Chikmagalur on June 3rd : Exlcusively for Ladies
TechnoparkToday.com>> Appooppanthaadi – a voluntary group of travellers with a motto 'Wanderlust' organizes yet another trip exclusively for Ladies to Chikmagalur. Last time the team conducted Jeep Safari & Trekking to Rosemala for a group of ladies. The trip starts on 3rd June 2016 at 7PM. Total package is Rs 6700 per head, which includes, -Accomodation(twin sharing) -Food(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) …Read More »
Vroom all the way to Rameshwaram – Travelogue of a Techie
TechnoparkToday.com >> I had planned to do a solo drive to Rameshwaram twice. But each time I plan some sort of problem will arise each and every time. I thought solo driving to Rameshwaram is a bad dream for me. One day while casually discussing with a colleague of mine we planned to do a drive to Rameshwaram. It was …Read More »
Sanchari organizes trip to Kolukkumala on 7th May
TechnoparkToday.com>> Sanchari organizes a trip to Kolukkumala on 7th May 2016. This is the 3rd trip conducted by Sanchari Trivandrum unit. On the first day(7th May), the trip starts in the morning and reach the destination – Chinnakanal, followed by camp fire and night stay. On the second day(8th May), jeep ride to Kolukkumala to view the sunrise and tea …Read More »
Jeep Safari & Trekking : Exclusively for Ladies
TechnoparkToday.com>> A one day trip exclusively for ladies to Rosemala & Kurishumala is scheduled on 24th April 2016. Pick up and drop at door step facility is available. The event is organized by Sajna Ali & Team(a group of Techies). The total package costs INR 2000. Package includes : -Transportation -Jeep Safari to Rosemala -Trekking to Kurishumala -Breakfast & Lunch …Read More »
Kuthiramalika Palace Museum: Experience the Traditional Travancore Architecture
TechnoparkToday.com>> Kuthiramalika Palace Museum or Puthenmalika Palace Museum, a beautiful two-storeyed palace situated near the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple is a best option to experience the workmanship in traditional Travancore style architecture. The palace was built by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal Balarama Varma – the King of Travancore, who was a great poet, musician, social reformer and statesman. The palace museum displays paintings …Read More »
Trek to Varayadumotta – A Techie's Travel Biography
No Trivandrumite would have missed Ponmudi. For its scenic beauty and for the ride through the hills, a must visit place in Trivandrum. But very few would have trekked it, to take the feel of Ponmudi ranges into soul. Basically there are three trekking routes in Ponmudi as of now. Braemore estate to Ponmudi, Ponmudi to Chinnapulla, and Ponmudi to …Read More »
Kowdiar Palace, Trivandrum
TechnoparkToday.com(Sept, 2015): Kowdiar Palace located in Thiruvananthapuram was built during the reign of Sree Moolam Thirunal in 1915 and was presented to Sethu Parvati Bayi, who once was the Junior Rani of Attingal under the Senior Rani, Sethu Lekshmi Bayi. It is also the official home of the Travancore Royal Family. The palace has 150 rooms and each room is …Read More »


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Carol C. from Eden Prairie, MN
DualMate, Share Your Studio 3 Comments
I've had my DualMate Plus IV for a year now and couldn't be happier! I wish I had room for another. Notice that my cat Frank likes it just as much – perhaps you can offer a cat bed as an accessory in the future!!

subset: commoncrawl


text: The Club Hug is a simple and efficient way to carry your juggling clubs. It's an alternative to stuffing them into your small backpack, precariously tying them to your bag, or attempting at carry five club around with you at a juggling festival. How are you going to hug, dance, and frolic when you are carry a bunch of clubs in your hands?$45.00


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The Loop Standard
The Loop Standard divides a loop into two main concepts: a loop and one or more entries.
Both a loop and an entry have three sections: a header, a content section, and a footer. The header contains title information, any meta information, and any necessary navigation links. The content section contains the content relevant to that loop or entry. The footer section is a place to hold additional or duplicate meta information and navigation links.


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If you have ever had to navigate pharmacy isles searching for something that is safe to help make you well, you know what 13 syllable words look like in 7 point font. (Why anyone thinks this is a good idea, especially if you are sick and already out of it, I don't know.) Or you have gone to the counter to get a prescription and you ask the pharmacist if the generic version is also gluten-free and all you get is a shoulder shrug. TOTALLY BOGUS
There are places like: gluten free drug which lists gf meds. This site has saved me time standing in the cold & flu relief isle on hold with customer service, but its still shouldn't be this hard - nor should people have to have access to a cell phone or the internet to be able to be healthy!
Ok, ok, I am done complaining, because Perrigo just announced that in 2010 it will be labeling its over the counter medications that do not contain gluten, "gluten-free"!
Thanks to Gluten-Free Fun for posting this awesome news and info.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
First company in US to label OTC meds gluten-free
Posted by Kristina at 11:25 AM
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Disney's The Lion King Opens Saturday at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
Ottawa, ON, Thursday July 14 - The Ottawa premiere of Disney's THE LION KING opens this Saturday, July 16th at 8:00 PM at the National Arts Centre for a limited engagement of four weeks through Sunday, August 7th. In Ottawa, THE LION KING will play Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm, Saturday matinees at 2pm and Sunday's at 1pm and 6:30 pm. There will not be a 6:30pm performance on Sunday, August 7. There will be 2pm matinees on Thursday, July 21 and Thursday, August 4. "We are thrilled to be working with Disney to bring this phenomenal show to our audiences in Ottawa. Tickets sales have exceeded our expectations but are still available" says Ronald Andrew, President of Broadway Across Canada.
Tickets to THE LION KING are available at the National Arts Centre Box Office, TM outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at 1-888-991-2787 (ARTS), or via the Internet at www.ticketmaster.ca Orders for groups of twenty (20) or more may be placed by calling 1-866-530-7469. Ticket prices start as low as $32.50. Premium Ticket Packages, which include prime seat locations, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available.
THE LION KING began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the Walt Disney Company. The story, a coming of age parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle.
The sardonic and deviously cunning "Scar" is played by J. Anthony Crane. Dionne Randolph is "Mufasa," the great warrior and ruler of the Pridelands. Buyi Zama is the wise baboon shaman "Rafiki." Mark David Kaplan portrays the prim and proper hornbilled bird "Zazu." Ben Lipitz is the carefree warthog "Pumbaa" and Nick Cordileone is the wisecracking meerkat "Timon." Mufasa's son, "Simba," the lion prince born to be king, is played by Jelani Remy and Syndee Winters is the loyal lioness "Nala."
The three evil hyenas are played by Omari Tau ("Banzai"), Monica L. Patton ("Shenzi") and Ben Roseberry ("Ed"). The role of "Young Simba" is alternated between Niles Fitch and Zavion J. Hill and the role of "Young Nala" is alternated between Sade Phillip-Demorcy and Kailah McFadden.
The North American touring production of THE LION KING has been seen by over 13.2 million theatergoers and grossed over $867 million to date. Having already played more than 60 cities across North America, THE LION KING now proudly makes its Ottawa premiere at the National Arts Centre. The award-winning musical returns to Canada after a recent eight-week sold-out engagement in Toronto in June. The current schedule is listed below.
Now in its 14th year, THE LION KING remains ascendant, continuing to reign as a cultural phenomenon and one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its 1997 Broadway premiere, 18 global productions have been seen by more than 55 million people, grossed over $4.3 billion to date and have cumulatively run 83 years. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING is the seventh longest-running musical in Broadway history and one of only five productions in theatre history to play for ten years or more, both on Broadway and in the West End. Translated into seven different languages (Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Mandarin, Spanish), the show has been performed in 14 different countries on five continents. THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway (its flagship production), on stages across North America, and in Las Vegas, London's West End, Hamburg, Tokyo, Singapore and Sapporo. In October, the first Spanish production will bow in Madrid.
THE LION KING won six 1998 Tony® Awards: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical, making Taymor the first woman in theatrical history bestowed with the honor. THE LION KING has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.
On stage, Taymor's creative vision blends elements of African art and Broadway artisanship to depict anthropomorphic animal characters. Taymor, along with designer Michael Curry, has created hundreds of masks and puppets for THE LION KING. The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed The Lion King animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the film's screenplay. Other members of the creative team include: Steve Canyon Kennedy (sound design), Michael Ward (hair and makeup design), John Stefaniuk (associate director), Marey Griffith (associate choreographer), Clement Ishmael (music supervisor). Anne Quart serves as associate producer.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice's music from The Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from "Rhythm of the Pride Lands," an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy® Award-winning song "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" to the haunting ballad "Shadowland."
For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com
The Ottawa engagement of Disney's THE LION KING is presented by arrangement with Broadway Across Canada and is a subscription offering of the Broadway Across Canada, Ottawa 2011/2012 Series.
Ottawa - National Arts Center
July 14 - August 7, 2011
Montreal – Place des Arts
August 9 – September 4, 2011
Syracuse – Oncenter-Crouse Hinds Theatre
September 6 – October 2, 2011
Buffalo – Shea's Performing Arts Center
October 4 – 30, 2011
Denver – Buell Theatre
November 2 – December 4, 2011
Baltimore – Hippodrome Theatre
December 7 – January 8, 2012
Minneapolis – Orpheum Theatre
January 11 – February 12, 2012
New Orleans – Mahalia Jackson Theatre
March 14 – April 15, 2012
Orlando – Bob Carr Performing Arts Center
April 17 – May 13, 2012
Miami – Adrienne Arsht Center
May 17 – June 10, 2012
Greenville – Peace Center for Performing Arts
June 12 – July 8, 2012
Houston – Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
July 10 – August 12, 2012
St. Louis – Fox TheatreAugust 15 – September 2, 2012
Labels: Disney, National Arts Centre, ottawa, The Lion King


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Wordpress in Paranoid Mode with Pablo González Pérez.
June 30, 2016
. Wordpress in Paranoid Mode is a code that strengthens the database engine and protects information integrity and availability. Pablo González shares a concept test carried out at ElevenPaths. Pablo is a member of the quick ideas and concept testing team within the innovation area. Check out this interesting chapter!
You may be interested in other articles by our experts about this subject:
» The Latch plugin for WordPress: how does the database change? (in Spanish)
» Chema Alonso at OpenExpo 2016: WordPress and its main security issues (in Spanish)


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Disappointment, decisions and...dirtyness :-)
Crystal here.
What a whirlwind. Friday: we arrived at the vet's office for Jaida's pre-op consultation, only to discover that a booking error had scheduled us in to see the WRONG VET!!! As much as we like Dr. Currie (she actually saw Jaida during her first two days and was great), she knew nothing of Jaida's amputation, the prosthesis option, or anything. She was able to show us an old orthotic support made for another client's dog, but didn't know much about it. It was really disappointing, and extremely hard to go home without answers to our questions and "the decision" still unresolved.
Our strong desire to get this monkey off our backs (plus a couple of cold beers) kept us talking for most of that evening, and we've made a decision:
Jaida will have a partial amputation, and we will have a prosthesis made for her after she heals. There. It's done.
We figure this way we will have provided Jaida with every opportunity, we will have explored and pursued all options, and the worst possible outcome would be another surgery and/or some money down the toilet if Jaida refuses to wear the device. If, however, it all works out, Jaida will have a new crutch that will slow or prevent wear on the joints of her good legs. The decision is made, so now we just have to deal with the pre-surgical nerves, of which there are plenty - eek.
So, with this out of the way, we threw ourselves into enjoying a beautiful, sunny, warm weekend with Jaida and Graice. Kim actually treated the girls to a "day out" before our vet appointment. They got a big, long car ride (Gracie's favourite, and Jaida even likes them now too), went to visit Kim's co-workers, then stopped at a pet store where Gracie spotted a bald guinea-pig she really wanted to *ahem* meet (maybe just have a little taste?). Then off to ANOTHER pet store where miss Jaida promptly selected a pig's ear from the shelf and headed for the door. This act of thievery was cute enough to score her some extra cookies from the cashier. On the way home from the vet, Gracie made friends with a construction worker who stopped us to allow some vehicles to pass. The woman leaned over to speak through the open car window, and was surprised by a very enthusiastic and very wet kiss from Gracie! The look on her face was priceless, but she was a good sport about Gracie's forwardness.
Saturday was glorious, so we started it off with a long walk in the woods.......and, of course, MUD (what would a fun weekend be without mud?)... (there are hazards associated with closeup photography of boo-boo leg mudpuppies:) ...and we followed up the muddy fun with a nice dip in the creek... Hopefully we'll be able to enjoy a few more fun-filled days before the surgery this Thursday. Here is a portait of Jaida with all four legs, possibly one of the last we'll take:
It may sound strange, but we're so used to her little leg the way it is, and her with it...we're going to miss her little boo-boo foot.


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The relationship of limbed vertebrates (tetrapods) to lobe-finned fish (sarcopterygians) is well established, but the origin of major tetrapod features has remained obscure for lack of fossils that document the sequence of evolutionary changes. Here we report the discovery of a well-preserved species of fossil sarcopterygian fish from the Late Devonian of Arctic Canada that represents an intermediate between fish with fins and tetrapods with limbs, and provides unique insights into how and in what order important tetrapod characters arose. Although the body scales, fin rays, lower jaw and palate are comparable to those in more primitive sarcopterygians, the new species also has a shortened skull roof, a modified ear region, a mobile neck, a functional wrist joint, and other features that presage tetrapod conditions. The morphological features and geological setting of this new animal are suggestive of life in shallow-water, marginal and subaerial habitats.
Tiktaalik is a lobe-finned fish, in the same broad group as coelacanths and lungfish. In the Devonian period lobe-finned fish were more diverse than they are today and Tiktaalik adds to that diversity. The term 'tetrapod' conveys the belief (based on philosophy rather than science, though science plays a role) that all animals with four limbs and a certain number of digits have a common ancestor, and hence it is common ancestry that makes the term meaningful. Tiktaalik then helps to corroborate that story.
Although still a fish, Tiktaalik shares some features with early amphibians, and one could (depending on one's point of view) interpret the whole animal as transitional to tetrapods. These features include: a lengthened snout (measured from the eyes to the tip of the skull), a mobile neck, overlapping ('imbricate') ribs and a pectoral girdle that may have given it an ability to lift the front part of its body by its fins. On these grounds the animal is analysed as being intermediate between the lobe-finned Panderichthys and the first four-limbed animals, Acanthostega and Ichthyostega. Appearing in the fossil record soon afterwards, these two tetrapods are nonetheless very different from each other, so presumably their Tiktaalik-like ancestor evolved in two separate directions, with Acanthostega on one branch and Ichthyostega on the other.
Some caution is appropriate, even with these tetrapod-like features. Among sarcopterygians the mobile neck is not unique to Tiktaalik, being also found in Mandageria, a fish closely related to Eusthenopteron and not thought to have been ancestral to any tetrapod. In evolutionist terms the feature must be interpreted as 'convergent', i.e. it evolved in Mandageria, disappeared in Panderichthys, then re-appeared on another branch in Tiktaalik.
Imbricate ribs do not occur in any other fish, nor in Acanthostega, but do occur in Ichthyostega. Shubin et al. state that 'expansion and imbrication of the ribs is a feature seen in some early tetrapods such as Ichthyostega'. Apart from Tiktaalik, however, they seem to be unique to Ichthyostega, and since even Ichthyostega was primarily aquatic, it seems unjustified to suggest that they played a role in supporting the weight of the animal. The stiffening of the spine produced by this arrangement would have inhibited horizontal flexion (the wiggling motion of most fishes) just as it would have done in Ichthyostega (Clack 2006), and this fact alone is sufficient to explain the mobile neck and fin joints: without some compensating mobility the animal would not have been viable as a predator. In overall morphology, the ribcages of Tiktaalik and Ichthyostega are unlike each other.
A Devonian rhizodontid, Sauripterus, is known to possess digit-like radials, but phylogenetic analyses indicate that this group is not the closest relative of tetrapods.
The gap between the pectoral fin of Tiktaalik and the front foot of Acanthostega is large, as Ahlberg and Clack note. How far the pelvic fins differed from the hindlimbs of Acanthostega and Ichthyostega is unknown, because the fins are mostly not preserved. In the drawing they are illustrated as fleshy lobes.
Overall, this is not an animal that falls plumb in the middle between Panderichthys and Acanthostega. It is a fish, albeit an unusual one, and while there is only a relatively small gap between Panderichthys and Tiktaalik, there remains a big gap between Tiktaalik and Acanthostega. In a significant number of features, body scales, fin rays, lower jaw, palate, the fossil resembles sarcopterygians that are considered to be evolutionarily less advanced. As Ahlberg and Clack say, 'we have almost no information about the step between Tiktaalik and the earliest tetrapods, when the anatomy underwent the most drastic changes.' It may be reasonable enough to link the first pair into a group that had a common ancestor (the 'elpistostegalian fish'), but it requires a lot more extrapolation to link the second pair together.
There is, moreover, a large gap after Ichthyostega. It often fails to be noticed that, so far as the fossil record is concerned, both Acanthostega and Ichthyostega are dead-ends. They shed no light on the origin of modern tetrapods.
According to Nature's announcement of the fossil, Tiktaalik was a fish that crawled out of the water, but if so, the lineage must have crawled back again, for Acanthostega 'rarely, if ever, made forays onto dry land and its legs would have almost certainly been incapable of supporting its body had it done so' (Clack 2002, p 128f). That's less than is being claimed for this animal. We are told in one breath that Tiktaalik had a long snout that would have been suited to catching prey on land, in the next that it hauled itself onto land only to escape predators. It has, one feels, been impressed into the 'how life conquered the land' story a little too enthusiastically.
One of the monkfish was observed to move along the seabed for several metres at a time by walking. Several 'walks' were observed. The gait involved both the pelvic and pectoral fins and the body and tail were lifted clear of the seabed. The pelvic fins appeared to be the main weight bearing fins lifting the body up from the seabed. They also seemed to be responsible for a considerable proportion of the forwards propulsion.
Frogfish, handfish and monkfish are members of the order Lophiiformes or anglerfish, within the subclass of teleost fish, within the class of ray-finned fish. The evolutionary history of these walkers is obscure but we may presume that their particular forms are the result of immense diversification over time within the order. Certainly their appendages are quite unrelated to those of lobe-finned fish. Anglerfish are an example of how wonderfully unconventional life can be, as if whoever designed them was a non-conformist who delighted in subverting stereotypes.
Thinking that was less ideologically driven might not go amiss in the present case. While locomotion may have been a function of Tiktaalik's front fins, its probable habitat was shallow water, which it needed for support. Out of water, it could only have dragged its almost 3-metre-long body. Monkfish, which like Tiktaalik have a wide mouth, flattened skull and eyes on top of the skull, again alert us to other possibilities, for in addition they use their fins to scoop out sediment from under their bodies and make a hollow in which, having camouflaged themselves to match their surroundings, they lie in wait. At the right moment, they strike the prey by suddenly pushing with their fins upwards and forwards. The feeding strategy of Tiktaalik won't have been the same as the monkfish's, but it may have been similar. Several lineages of fish have 'evolved' an ability to crawl out of water, including mudskippers, rockskippers and blennies; but there is no reason to think they are on the way to leaving the water altogether.
Much has been made of the fossil's being just what palaeontologists would have expected to find, even what they did expect to find. The scientists who discovered Tiktaalik went to Ellesmere Island purposely looking for intermediates between Panderichthys and the first tetrapods, and they were not disappointed. In many respects, nonetheless, the fossil was surprising.
The pelvic girdle is even less tetrapod-like than that of … Eusthenopteron, but the pelvic fin … shares derived characteristics with basal tetrapods despite being more primitive than the pectoral fin of Panderichthys. The evolution of tetrapod locomotion appears to have passed through a stage of body-flexion propulsion, in which the pelvic fins played a relatively minor anchoring part, before the emergence of hindlimb-powered propulsion in the interval between Panderichthys and Acanthostega.
What Boisvert is saying here is that Panderichthys had 'front-wheel drive': its front fins were bigger and more powerful than its rear fins. However, the early tetrapods were 'rear-wheel drive'. Consequently, evolution theory predicted that the emergence of hindlimb-powered propulsion would be seen in the interval between Panderichthys and Acanthostega. Tiktaalik failed that prediction. Indeed, it was more of a 'front-wheel drive' animal than Panderichthys was.
- How does one account for tetrapod trackways in beach sediments that predate even Tiktaalik by 10 million years?
- How does one fill the gap between Tiktaalik, which was a fish with no legs, and an aïstopod such as Lethiscus, which within 20 million years had supposedly acquired legs and limb girdles and then lost them again, and changed from a fish to something more like a snake than any tetrapod?
That is the burden of proof that needs to be discharged. As Clack remarked in an academic paper a few months before Tiktaalik, Lethiscus suggests that 'a great deal happened in the course of tetrapod evolution that we know very little about'. This is one of palaeontology's trade secrets to which Darwinians do not draw public attention. Until the problem is solved, it seems reasonable to conclude that we know very little about tetrapod evolution at all and to regard Tiktaalik in much the same light as one now regards the lung-fishes, which, for all their superficial appeal as intermediates, are no longer seen as ancestral to tetrapods. The fossil record continues to surprise us because, in certain respects, animal life was once more disparate and more diverse than it is today. It will go on surprising us, whatever our point of view.
From amphibian to reptile, a discussion of the evidence for the crucial transition from aquatic to terrestrial tetrapods.


text: Thank you to the fabulous #motherdaughter dynamos behind StyleLikeU for including us in their latest collaboration with Allure. Djali and I decided that to go makeup free, blemishes and all, to represent our truest selves…and because we rarely wear it to begin with. It was a little scary because, well, PMS, but whatevs: we are better for it!


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Enjoy this free sample of activities from our Grade 4/5 writing journal! You can purchase the complete journal here.
Are your students writing every day? Are they practicing all the important forms of writing (creative, descriptive, expository, narrative, and persuasive)? How about literary devices, sentence revisions, and skill builders like finding antonyms for vocabulary words?
This 34-page writing journal for grades 4/5 makes all of this possible in an easy-to-use, printer-friendly format. Just download, print, and have your students complete one page per day. If done every day, this will take you through six weeks of daily writing.
Stepping Out gives young writers a variety of activities to increase their fluency in writing. All writing prompts include a Writer's Checklist specific to that type of composition. It includes four activities for each of the following:
*Skill builders (antonyms, adjectives, using more accurate words)
*Narrative prompts
*Expository prompts
*Persuasive prompts
*Creative prompts
*Revision (revising basic sentences)
*Descriptive prompts
*Literary devices (simile, metaphor, hyperbole)
The journal meets the following Grade 5 Common Core Writing standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1 (Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.2 (Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 (Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4 (Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.)
View the complete Stepping Out: Grade 4/5 Writing Journal.


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SHAW CRoss Sharks Under-12s suffered a 16-4 defeat to Thornhill Trojans in the Gary Talbot Trophy final at Batley Bulldogs last Thursday.
The Sharks, pictured right, broke the deadlock late in the first half when Ben Andrassy gathered a crossfield kick to score his first try for the club.
Thornhill came out strongly at the start of the second half and scored a converted try. The Trojans scored again soon after to extend their lead 10-4.
Shaw Cross pressed late on and created an overlap on the left but a Trojans player plucked the pass out of the air and raced 80 metres to score a great try.
The Sharks can be proud of their efforts in reaching a first cup final.
Shaw Cross Sharks: Max Sheard, Ben Andrassy , Bailey Ellis, Ferzer Cass, Oliver Boocock, Nathan Smith, Nathan Littlewood, Alex Baines, Ewan Cameron, Oliver Bowie, Zak Yardley, Conor Bucknell, Josh Howgate, Thomas Power, Rhys Crookes, Callum McNaughton, Amir Kadir, Joe Wood.
Shaw Cross Sharks Under-9s made the long trip to Heworth last Saturday, and dominated the match.
Opposition MoM awards went to Bailey Woods and Seb Jeffers, who was also top tackler, parents player awards went to Alfie Ibbitson and Edan Gleadhill, while top trainer was Casey Hirst. Coaches awards went to Ellis Peake, who returned to top form following an injury, and Jack Stephenson with a confident display. Great teamwork came from Teddy Dawson, Issac Redgwick, Phoebe Wilson, Ben Tranter, Max Tune, Alfie Law, Charlie Tilford, Charlee Raby and Eviee Raby. The Under-9s host East Leeds this week.
Shaw Cross Under-11s proved too strong for Batley Boys in last Saturday's derby.
The visitors boasted a larger pack but were soon picked apart by Shaw Cross, who used their speed, ball handling and excellant defence.
Joe Wood and Luke Maclaren scored two tries apiece, while Harrison Lindsay, Harry Hardwick and Cameron Salih also crossed, with conversions added by Kier Savage, Harry Hardwick, Harri Lawn, Cameron Salih, Reece Norman and Lenni Laverick.
Batley Boys never gave up trying and were rewarded with a well deserved converted try just before full-time.
Parents MoM went to Louis Appleyard and most improved was Harri Lawn, with Maclaren picking up opposition MoM.
Shaw Cross travel to Farnley Falcons this week for their final game before the summer break.
SHAW CROSS Sharks Under-13s Red team produced a determined first half display against Eastmoor but were unable to keep it up as the visitors ran out winners.
Jed Devine was denied a try by a brilliant tackle which forced him to leave the field injured.
Kian Fitzpatrick worked hard on the wing with support from Josh Self but on the opposite side, Josh Wainwright and Tom Longley, were unable to prevent Eastmoor from scoring.
Jamie Cox took Shaw Cross close to the line before Harris Hussain forced his way over for a try. Callum Brian was unable to add the extras but the Sharks were level at half-time.
Jude Senior worked hard at hooker but Eastmoor scored soon after the break.
Cameron Calcutt was outstanding as stand in full-back for Cole Williamson, who has had surgery on a broken thumb.
Calcutt prevented two certain tries with great tackles to earn coaches MoM and magic moment, while opposition MoM Josh Taylor-Davies also produced a superb tackle to deny Eastmoor.
Freddie Lambert, pictured, scooped top tackler and parents MoM and was supported by Will Hemingway but were unable to prevent Eastmoor winning.


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In January 2017, I set off for an amazing trip to Thailand! It was not only my first trip to Thailand, but also the first time I traveled without a shamisen or work-related reasons in a long time. It's what many would call… a vacation! Yes, it's about time I indulged in one as well.
Led by my trusty sidekick Gift, we explored so many incredible areas of Thailand, as well as sampled the delicious cuisines from the locales.
The mountains!
The islands!
The cities!
And of course, street foods!
One of the best parts of the trip was meeting a long-time member of Bachido, Catherine Thompson! Catherine and I have been in contact for several years, communicating about shamisen-building (as she has built many shamisen, as well as Kora and other instruments) and other fascinating subjects.
Previously living in Banff, she moved out to Thailand a few years ago. As life would have it, I had a much better chance of meeting her there rather than closer to home!
Catherine graciously hosted us during our stay in Mae Kampong. It was a real treat to be able to spend so much time with her. In our short stay there, Catherine led us through the nearby ridge, which was a fantastic hike!
Near the end of our stay, we made time to have a Bachido interview! Unfortunately, I didn't have microphones or tripods - our only device was a GoPro (without a viewscreen). Though our conversation can be hard to hear at times, I'm glad we have the chance to take a small glimpse in Catherine's creative life connected with nature!
Jam time
With a room full of instruments, a few jams were bound to happen!
Salt Creek - Mandolin & Coffee Grinder
Jam with Kora and Shamisen
For those interested, I highly encourage checking out her website and blog here! http://dondtreebpa.blogspot.com/p/contact.html


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So I'm inna new band now a cuppla months (still no band name!), playing bass and singing BV's on another's guy's songs, and that's pretty weird to me.
And after a month (the delay mebbe tells some, eh?) they give me their recent demo, and it's mebbe not so good.
And so I say, I can do it better, and they take the bait and now we've 95% of the tracks done on 11 songs, and I'm 2/3 done mixing the thing, and having a ball.
But what I'm posting about, then?
The loneliness of it!
I mean, we've sat down a cuppla times and done the basics together – the toughest part was developing the drum mixes (all essentially the same, as ll tracks recorded at the same place on the same day – a basement, no less), perhaps best illustrated when I note that the drummer's reference tracks were initially Porcaro with Joni Mitchell. Asked to get a little more real, last week he brought me some Steely Dan.
But I think we've done pretty well with the drum sub-mix, if not quite that good.
If only I had placed the kick mic where I wanted it, and not where the drummer said …
But stuff like recording a kiddie tom played with hands and then having to figure out that what the intent was was a bongo sound, and then getting it (tons of EQ, some heavy compression and limiting).
Or the keys being played solid thru the whole song and then being told they're too much, they need to be edited – but I didn't play 'em that way, the guy who wants 'em edited did!
Out of sync start-stop parts that I diplomatically don't mention I had to tighten …
The odd drum fill or word or guitar note I hadda fly in.
Mouth-noises and un-intended fades when the singer moved off the mic.
Out of tune, out of time guitars.
The incremental adjustments of effects and volume levels (guitars are never loud enuff for guitarists, of course) …
The bass I played, of course, was done perfectly – all first takes and needed no EQ, edits, dubs or adjustments at all. Not to mention my stellar BV's being perfectly in time, key and phrasing on every pass.
I've probably got over 80 hours into this project, more than 50 by myself, and I'm just the bassist/BV's with one co-write.
Did I mention I'm having a ball?
vlayman; THD; blog; TFP
Filed under: Beyatchin' (gen'l), Humor, Recording, Writing | Leave a comment »


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Page Views, Time On Site & Bounce Rate Reveal Changes In Quality Score & Revenue
Amitabh Joshi 5 Min Read
About Quality Score
Quality Score in Google AdWords is an indicator of the quality of your ad campaigns, ie. the quality of your advertisements, keywords and landing pages. The Quality score can be accessed by the following path:
Google AdWords—–> Campaigns—–> All campaigns——> Keywords
In the Keywords table, the Quality Score and its elements( Expected Clickthrough rate( CTR), ad relevance and landing page experience) can be seen by clicking on the white speech bubble next to the keyword status. See the picture below.
The more relevant the advertisement and the landing page to the user, more will be the likely Quality Score. Quality Score is measured on a scale of 1- 10.
Understanding Quality Score
The Quality Score is given to each keyword of the campaigns. It indicates the quality of the ads and landing pages that are triggered by that keyword. A high Quality Score, therefore, means that the ads and landing pages are more relevant to the user looking at those ads and landing pages. It also includes factors such as loading time of landing page, ease of navigation, quality of content to the user etc.
However, please note that the Quality Score is not used to determine the ad rank during the time of auction. The Quality Score components are given qualitative values like 'average' or 'above average'. The ad rank, ie the position where the ad will be displayed is determined by the auction time parameters of Quality Score( these depend upon other factors like actual search terms used, type of device, location, time of day, language preference etc. ) and factors like bid value.
However, the elements of Quality Score show a strong co-relation with the ad rank and by improving these factors, you can expect an improved ad rank.
- Your ad's Expected clickthrough rate: This depends partly on the historical clicks and impressions data of your ad. Improving this will improve your quality Score and hence the ad rank.
- Ad relevance: How relevant the text of your ad is to the person searching.
- Landing Page experience: How relevant, transparent and easily navigable your landing page is.
Thus, we can conclude that Quality Score is an important predictor of the success of your PPC ad campaigns. Having a higher Quality Score will result in lower marketing cost as AdWords charges lesser if the Quality Score is higher. It also gives a better position to the advertisement.
Revenue per click( RPC)
Revenue per click( RPC) determines the success of the PPC campaign in terms of total revenue.
Thus, Quality Score and Revenue per click are the two parameters which give us the success of a PPC ad campaign.
However, we find that the components of Quality Score- Landing Page experience and ad relevance are quite abstract and unquantifiable. Even though CTR is quantifiable, it is a historic parameter. Hence , e need to define better and quantifiable factors that determine the Quality Score so that we can predict the outcome of our digital marketing efforts.
Here web analytics comes to our help. Google Analytics gives the metrics of pages per session, session duration and bounce rates in its audience overview.
Benjamin Vigneron, a digital marketing strategist, ran a multiple regression analysis between the factors of page views, CTR, session duration and bounce rates with Quality Score and Revenue per click( RPC) for millions of keywords. His findings were as follows:
Findings (Quality Score )
Bounce Rate
Bounce Rate had the highest effect on the Quality Score accounting for 2.6- 3.9 of Quality Score points. A high bounce rate( above 40%), guarantees a Quality Score of less than 7. However, a low bounce rate does not necessarily guarantee a high Quality Score, as per Google.
The CTR was the second strongest predictor of Quality Score accounting for 1.6- 2.4 Quality Score points.
Time spent
The time spent on site accounted for 0.2- 0.5 Quality Score points.
For pageviews, the data was not statistically significant.
Thus having established relationships between these parameters with the Quality Score, we can predict the changes in Quality scores depending upon the changes in these parameters and thus can have a clear- cut strategy for improving these quantifiable parameters.
The objectives can be stated in quantifiable terms such as 'Target those campaigns for improvement that have high bounce rates, below average CTRs and below average time spent on sites as these campaigns have high Cost per click( CPC) and low impression shares'.
Findings( RPC)
Bounce rates
Bounce rates are even stronger predictors for revenue than for Quality Score with with 61% – 100% degree of association with RPC.
Even if low bounce rates do not guarantee higher Quality Scores, in case of RPC, low bounce rate does guarantee a higher revenue. Thus Bounce rate is a very important determinant of RPC.
Page views were associated with 22%- 39% of RPCs
Time on site
Time on site were associated with 4% -7% of RPCs
Thus we can address the challenge of low revenue ad campaigns by predicting the RPCs according to changes in these engagement metrics and then take suitable decisions obtained from these insights.
- Easily derivable metrics from Google Analytics like pageviews, Bounce rates and time spent on sites can be used as proxies for abstract metrics like Quality Scores or for RPCs.
- Changes in Quality Scores or RPC can be predicted using statistical techniques depending upon changes in these Google Analytics metrics.
- Drives can be undertaken to improve these Google analytics metrics so that the end metrics of Quality Score( indicating impression ratio and cost per click) and RPC( Total revenue) can be improved.
- The 'Bounce Rate' was the most important factor for both- Quality Score and RPC. It affected RPC more than Quality Score. So reducing Bounce Rate could be a good strategy to get a higher Quality Score and Revenue. Thus we get an actionable insight using Google Analytics.
- Time spent on site and pageviews, indicators of 'landing page experience' also influenced both – Quality Score and RPC.
Thus we can conclude that Google Analytics is a powerful web analytics tool that gives actionable insights.
Image courtesies: Google AdWords, Google Analytics
Data Courtesy: http://searchengineland.com/pageviews-time-site-bounce-rate-predict-changes-quality-score-revenue-227898


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0800 040 7526
Not really a fitness related or personal training blog today, just something i read in the papers that was interesting. This information might also come in handy if you should find yourself faced with one and are not fit enough to run away.
There are few things in nature than a sex crazed elephant. When a male goes into "musth" his testosterone levels will soar and he will attack any human who gets in his way. Domesticated elephants in India are often starved until the madness passes, but scientists in the Estosha national Park in Namibia have developed a more humane method of control, says BBC online. After recording the low rumbling call of a female in heat, they use it to influence the direction of males on the rampage. This noise is almost inaudible to humans, but elephants can sense it from miles away by feeling the vibrations in their legs and by laying their trunks on the ground. When the team from Stanford University buried speakers in the earth and played the recorded sound the response of males was "intense and directed". The technique could be used to steer dangerous elephants away from villagers.
Many people doing resistance training focus most on lifting heavier weights and feel that it's vitally important to push to failure, or until you can't do any more weight or push it up one more time. This training to failure has it's place, but what's more important, especially for the ladies doing weights in their personal training sessions (that's all of them then) is volume of work. Volume is the total amount of repetitions performed in a session or the total amount of weight lifted in one session (load). Some definitions include volume as the amount of work done in a week, month, or some other defined period. There is a strong relationship between volume and achieving goals.
So it's much better to do 4 sets of squats to the point where it becomes really hard for the last few (loss of form) than to do 2 to total failure so that you can't do any more at all, and then lose motivation or are too tired to do any more. This volume of sets is also very important in the toning and hypertrophy aspects of resistance training. Many people in the gym or class or at home do 1-2 sets of an exercise, but in effect for toning you should be doing 2 to 6 sets on a given muscle group and doing this 1-3 times a week. Within your own time frame and life balance, the more the merrier of course.
Remember to have a look at our fact sheets on all of this on the knowledge page and if you can't do it on your own then you could always enlist the help of a personal trainer!!
There are lots of different types of resistance training, and as we home personal trainers know it's not just about going to the gym and doing weights; resistance can be applied in lots of different ways.Over the next few blogs I'll be looking at a few of the more common ones..
Free weights; these can be barbells, dumb-bells, or medicine balls, as well as lots of other gizmos and gadgets out there on the market. Free weights are called this because they are moved by your muscles in open chain exercises, where the weight is free to move about on the point of resistance. A good example of this would be a chest press, where you push up a pair of dumb-bells up while lying on a bench. The weights are not fixed to an immovable object (like a wall, machine or the earth) but are free to move around as you push them up. The staple of the home personal trainer, these free weights have the advantage of being proprioceptively enriched. This just means that they require a lot more co-ordination and control not just from the main muscles pushing the weight but also from the stabilisers and helpers (fixators and synergists as they are known in the trade). In this way free-weights not only challenge the muscles but also the brain and the way it communicates with the muscles, providing balanced training . This type of exercise is more functional (we do these movements in every day life) and therefore more effective for most people. The only disadvantage of free weights is that the learning curve can be quite steep, so beginners need to be monitored to ensure correct technique and form; this is why they are really good for personal training at home.
A new study today shows that starting exercise in middle age can give you the health benefits and prolonged life of someone who has been exercising from a younger age, and these benefits were as big or bigger than those gained by stopping smoking-so a lot!
Swedish researchers from Uppsala University monitored more than 2,200 men from the age of 50. They found those who increased activity levels from 50 to 60 ended up living as long as those who were already exercising regularly by middle age. Public health experts said the findings showed it was never too late to start exercising. The team asked the men about their activity levels at the start of the study in the early 1970s, when they were aged 50. The men were put into three groups – high levels of activity, moderate levels and sedentary. High levels was classed as those who did at least three hours of sports or heavy gardening each week. Moderate was said to be the equivalent of several hours of walking or cycling, while people who were classed as sedentary spent most of their free time watching TV. Their exercise habits were then reassessed at the age of 60. The team found that those who were doing high levels of activity at the age of 50 lived 2.3 years longer than sedentary men and 1.1 years longer than those who reported medium levels of activity – once a range of factors such as weight, alcohol intake and smoking was taken into account. But interestingly the researchers found that those who increased their activity level to high – whether they were in the moderate or low group – from the age of 50 to 60 also lived the longest.It was not clear what effect reducing activity levels during this period had, the British Medical Journal report said.
So yet again a new study has shown what we at Diets Don't Work have secretly known for ages. Many (the majority in fact) of our personal training clients in London, Windsor and Ascot only start exercise when they get a personal trainer, and many of them are in their 40's and 50's. In fact we have many PT clients who are actually older than this, all the way up to 84! One of my own clients, GM, is 64 and can do 2 sets of push-ups, tons of squats, and has recently done a fashion photo shoot for Bruce Oldfield! and a fine plank for 2 minutes. Not only is it too late to start exercise, but the older you are the greater and more visible the gains and progress will be. For a younger person getting fit might mean losing a bit of weight, getting less breathless going up the stairs or being able to run for 20 minutes. For an older client it can be the difference between needing a helper to do the weekly shop to being fit and able to carry 6 bags up the hill and back home. It also prevents the onset of osteoporosis, prevents falls and injuries at work and at play, improves sex life (a lot) and gives mental stability and well being. In other words it can make a huge difference in quality of life. So if you lack motivation then you might just benefit from some one on one personal training, we have lots of experience with the more mature client. If you don't believe me have a look at our success stories page; hardly any of these clients are under 40.
If you are exercising to lose weight then be aware that some sports are more suitable than others, although all exercise will help if you are eating well. New research shows that certain forms of exercise cause participants to feel more hungry than others, with the result that calories burned off are more likely to be replaced. Swimming in cold water for instance, tends to make people crave high fat foods like biscuits, while mid to low intensity exercise like walking has little or no impact on appetite. On the other side of the coin running on a hot day actually suppresses hunger. The findings, said Dr David Stensel of Loughborough University (who led the research) are related to the production of the appetite hormone ghrelin, which is suppressed by certain types of exercise at certain temperatures and stimulated by others.
"The body tends to respond to exercise so it can do it more efficiently in future" said Dr Stensel, and this helps to explain why running encourages your body to lose fat, as they will do it better next time if you have a lower body weight. Swimmers though, especially those who swim in colder water, encourage their body to keep a layer of fat as an insulator, just like a seal.
Note if you are a swimmer and swimming is the exercise that you like don't give up, as if you eat well and swim it's still likely that you will begin to change shape and tone up, but just try to keep it varied and include some other sports in your routine, especially resistance training, and also some outdoors jogging if you can.
This new research also validates the great success that we have at Diets Don't Work with home personal training. As often as possible we train clients outdoors, and in winter this burns lots more calories as your body has to work harder to maintain it's core temperature. As the weather gets warmer the outdoors personal training makes clients hot and sweaty, and so encourages their body to lose fat.
Losing your temper can be fatal says the Daily Mail. Doctors in the US have discovered that feelings of rage can triger potentially lethal irregular heart rhythms. This also ties in with other scientific findings that stress caused by major events, from the loss of a world cup to war, can also cause a rise in rates of heart attack. "when you put a whole nation under sudden stress, sudden death will increase said the research from Yale University. In the study 62 adults were fitted with defibrillators to monitor irregularities in heart rates. They were then subjected to high levels of mental stress. The tests showed a clear link between the stress and irregular heart beats. Furthermore those who got the most angry were 10 times more likely to sufer cardiac arrest in the 3 years after the test.
Again the study comes as no news to the personal trainers at Diets Don't Work. We see the indirect and direct results of stress very day in our clients. More often than not the more successful they are the more they tend to have problems with sleep, body image, stress and eating. The good news is that the structured exercise provided by personal training coupled with healthy eating tips and all round encouragement really helped battle these stresses.
A Scottish GP has called for chocolate to be taxed in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes to tackle increasing levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Dr David Walker, a GP in Lanarkshire, said many people eat their entire daily calorie requirement in chocolate, on top of their normal meals. The doctor said chocolate used to be seen as a "treat" but had now become an harmful addiction for some. He will put his proposals to colleagues at a BMA conference in Clydebank. Dr Walker said that a 225g bag of chocolate sweets contained almost 1,200 calories – almost half the recommended daily calorie intake for a man – and could be eaten incredibly quickly. He warned that many people were consuming this amount of chocolate on a daily basis, as well as their normal meals, and were unaware of the harm it was doing.
This new proposal is unlikely to work in our humble opinion here at Diets Don't Work. Historically making something more expensive that is perceived to be an addictive substance as stated in the article just makes it more expensive, not any less desirable. It's a typically one sided approach; government should instead take a more balanced look at why everyone is getting more fat. Perhaps looking at the large number of schools who have no compulsory sports or PE lessons, have sold off playing fields and have an under staffing problem in the sports department are larger issues. Being fat is not just because of chocolate, but is a much more complex issue, involving lots of factors. The key is to have a balanced lifestyle with enough good nutrition and exercise to allow you to have the odd treat here and there.As personal trainers we advise clients to try and follow the 80/20 rule, so that for 80% of the time you are really good, which alows you to be less good for the other 20% of the time. We specialise in weight loss through personal training and good nutrition and it works very very well!
The second type or resistance training we will look at this week is fixed path resistance machines.Weight machines can be a good choice, especially if you're just getting started with strength training. In fact, many beginners start out using machines because:
On the other hand, machines do have disadvantages such as:
Of course, not all weight machines are created equally and many gyms now offer a variety of machines including plate-loaded, free motion and cable machines which can offer more variety and more functional training. These types of machines often have a higher learning curve and require more skill and coordination than the average machine. Sometimes with personal training at homea combination of the two methods can be really effective, so the client would do 2 sessions at home with their personal trainer and then go to the gym or leasure centre for a session on more stable machines on their own; this allows them to do more resistance while not under expert supervision.
When it comes to strength training, most of us stick to the usual free weights and machines or, if we're feeling adventurous, we may try the cable or free motion machines at the gym. What you don't see a lot of is work with resistance bands or tubing. We're often confused about what resistance bands do and how to use them, but they're a great way to workout while you travel or add variety to your usual routine.
Some of the perceived downsides of resistance bands include:
Some of the pluses:
Many of these benefits mean that for the sort of home personal training that we do at Diets Don't Work resistance bands are perfect. With one on one training the trainer can also manually adjust the tension during each phase of the exercise to ensure an even resistance through the full range of the movement.They are also open chain (see the free weights blog) and so challenge lots of different muscle groups
The life expectancy gap is closing according to new research in America, and husbands can expect to live as long as their wives in as little as 2 generations.Traditionally men have had a shorter life expectancy than women due to to stresses imposed by jobs in industry, soldiering and other masculine pressures; men also tended to be more resistant to health advice. But with the West broadly at peace, jobs in heavy industry in decline and more men taking better care of themselves, male life expectancy is starting to increase at a faster rate. In 1981 British men lived to an average age of 70.8 and women to 76.8, a difference of 6 years.
Now the difference is just over 4 years, with women expected to live to 81.5 and men to 77.2. Scientists in Atlanta predict that if the trend continues then the gender gap will have vanished for all people born after 2035.
Of course you can also hugely increase your chances of living longer by stopping smoking,having a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly. One of our success stories (Nick) has seen his calculated biological age fall by 15 years over the course of 2 years of personal training with us at Diets Don't Work. This is worked out by his yearly health check and ECG for his health insurance, it's not just a figure that we made up!!


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Happy Holidays from JLL San Diego!
Click here for holiday joy!
Here's to another year of good memories with great friends!
Seasons greetings from the JLL San Diego family.
Seasons greetings from the JLL San Diego family.
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Fox News on December 26, 2012, published comments by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida on the recent report of the Accountability Review Board investigating the terrorist attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi. It concisely lays out much that we already knew: this was the premeditated work of terrorists, not a protest about a YouTube video that spun out of control; the attackers employed military tactics and used rocket-propelled grenades and other heavy weapons; they also used simple weapons of opportunity, such as gasoline used to set the fire that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and Sean Smith. Excerpts below:
The report also confirmed that the Libyan government was totally incapable of providing security for U.S. facilities in Benghazi and was barely even in control of much of that city and its environs. The State Department's naïve reliance on local militias of questionable capacity and uncertain loyalty was, in retrospect, a grave mistake.
That we operated with a skeleton staff in such a precarious environment is clear evidence that we failed to connect the dots. That is a mistake we simply can't afford to make again – in Libya or anywhere else with an American diplomatic presence. The State Department must adjust the security posture of diplomatic facilities in high-risk regions based on responsible, timely analysis of the best information available. We can no longer expect to rely primarily on host nations to protect American diplomats in all parts of the world.
Conducting U.S. diplomacy abroad is not without risks, and I strongly believe we must continue to represent the interests of the United States in difficult regions. In strategically important but volatile countries like Pakistan – or potentially a post-Assad Syria – it is crucial that the U.S. have an active diplomatic presence. We must be clear-eyed, however, about the dangers our people face in these places and, as the Accountability Review Board notes, we must be able to protect our own people. We can do this by reforming the Bureau of Diplomatic Security to ensure that it is agile, responsive and accountable.
Last month, while on a trip to Peru, Secretary Clinton said she that she took full responsibility for the events in Benghazi. I take her at her word. As the nation's top diplomat, she should therefore appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in both open and classified hearings to discuss the Accountability Review Board's findings. She should explain why her department failed to adequately secure the U.S. Special Mission Compound in Benghazi …
The lessons of this tragedy can be applied far beyond Libya, with the ultimate goal of protecting our diplomats in challenging environments.
Someday soon, I hope President Bashir al-Assad will no longer rule Syria and that the Syrian people will have a chance to rebuild their country.
Unfortunately, in the same way that America's delayed engagement in Libya ultimately allowed a security vacuum to be filled and exploited by extremists and militias, the consequences of the Obama administration's failures in Syria could be even more pronounced and our interests even more threatened.
The current administration unfortunately now has a record of frequently "leading from behind" and standing on the sidelines as America's enemies exploit our inaction. Hopefully one lesson of Benghazi will be that we need to fundamentally rethink this mistaken approach to foreign policy.
When the 113th Congress convenes in January, it will be crucial that we have a sustained conversation about the policies that led to Benghazi…
Republican Marco Rubio represents Florida in the U.S. Senate. He is a member of the Senate's Foreign Relations and Intelligence Committees.


text: the original space force the original space force Edit NASA's mission to 'touch the sun' starts tomorrow August 10, 2018 Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images Saturday marks the day we finally send a spacecraft to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe, named for the scientist who first theorized about the existence of solar winds, is expected to get as close as we've ever been to our local star. The goal is to collect data and images on the sun's atmosphere, called the "corona," Engadget reports. Though the mission has affectionately been dubbed as one to "touch the sun," the probe won't quite go that far, Fox News explained. In reality, it will aim to eventually reach about 3.8 million miles away, well within the sun's atmosphere. While we don't have technology that would survive the sun's surface heat of 2 to 3 million degrees Fahrenheit, the Parker probe has heat shields that will protect it from the temperatures it will face, about 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. (Icarus, take note.) NASA will use the data collected by the Parker probe in order to better prepare us for solar winds, which present problems for satellites and even our power grids here on Earth, Engadget explained. But these findings are going to take a long time — first, the Parker probe will have to orbit around the sun, getting closer and closer, for as many as seven years. By that time, it will be traveling at around 430,000 miles per hour, making it the fastest human-made object ever. The Parker Solar Probe is expected to launch early Saturday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch window opens at 3:33 a.m. ET. You can watch it live on NASA TV, or read more about this historic launch at Engadget. Shivani Ishwar


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Located in Bear Cove Resort Pigeon Forge, "Sundaze," a fabulous 3-bedroom cabin rental in Pigeon Forge, gives up to 8 guests outdoor swimming pool access and the convenience of being less than a mile off the action packed Pigeon Forge Parkway where family and friends can enjoy dozens of the Smoky Mountain/Pigeon Forge area's most popular attractions.
This cabin rental in Pigeon Forge allows the entire family to have a great vacation together in the Smokies. "Sundaze" offers affordable luxury and elegance with every creature comfort you could imagine. Step into the main floor's cozy living area with warm inviting furniture and décor in the living room and dine-in kitchen. There is plenty of room for everyone to catch some z's after a long day of exploring the Smokies. Since this cabin offers 3 king-sized bed and 2 twin sleeper sofas, everyone will have a comfy place to sleep at night. Additional cabin amenities include free WiFi Internet, a year round hot tub, an outdoor barbecue grill.
For outdoor fun, enjoy a trip down to Bear Cove Resort Pigeon Forge's outdoor swimming pool to catch a break from the summer heat. At night, gather everyone around the community fire-pit to tell stories and roast marshmallows.
A stay at Bear Cove Resort Pigeon allows you to enjoy the things that truly matter on vacation: family, friends, and fun times. Book your cabin rental in Pigeon Forge online with Cabins USA and receive an immediate Online Cabin Rental Discount!


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This cake was made for a Monster theme birthday party for a cute little guy named Hudson :) The mother supplied me with a picture of the shirt he would be wearing the day of his party and asked if I could just base the cake off of that. :) Cake was Vanilla Sponge with rainbow sprinkles filled with fresh vanilla custard. All the little monsters were completely edible, made of fondant/sugar paste mix and the cakes were covered with Satin Ice fondant :) TFL!
Tags: birthday 1st monster eyeballs
Baker from The Epicurean Delight - Falls, PA
1 Comment
so cute :)


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Aerodactyl, The Fossil Pokťmon. A Pokťmon from the age of the dinosaurs. It used its sawlike fangs to shred its prey before eating them. In ancient times, it ruled the skies. A widely accepted theory is that it went extinct due to a large meteor impact.
Aerodactyl was a kind of hidden reward for doubling back to Pewter City after getting Cut. However, Aerodactyl has had a wild ride in the competitive scene, being too soft in Red and Blue to abuse its high speed stat, and suffer similarly in Gold and Silver, lacking access to Earthquake at this point in time. However, Aerodactyl really shined in Ruby and Sapphire, gaining access to both Rock Slide and Earthquake, neutral coverage on all Pokťmon as well as having Fire Blast to pressure out Skarmory and Forretress whole Hidden Power Flying gave it a nice Flying stab, as physical/special moves were type based till gen 4. Lastly the Choice Band was introduced, allowing Aerodactyl to pressure everything with massive damage and its insane speed [Choice Scarf hadn't been put in yet so revenge killing was based on base speed]. Gen 4 brought Stealth Rocks, allowing Aerodactyl to be one of the best leads due to, again, its high base speed. This allowed it to Taunt other Stealth Rock users out of their hazards and KO them. While Gen 5 hurt Aerodactyl with Team Preview, Gen 6 gave it a mega form, and while not a top Overused threat, it dominated Underused and remains a strong threat.
Rock Head - Prevents recoil - This used to be the best offensive ability but Mega Aerodactyl outclasses all offensive sets making Pressure better
Ancient Support
-Stealth Rock
Sadly, Mega Aerodactyl outclasses all offensive Aerodactyl Movesets. As such, Aerodactyl shines as a hyper offensive lead. With high base speed, Aerodactyl can always get rocks out or Taunt other users out of them to aid the team. Stone Edge is the main move after setting up hazards and a solid stab move while Fire Blast allows Aerodactyl to KO steel threats that will attempt to wall it. A Focus Sash is needed to stay around a little longer and guaranteed hazards
Other Options
Hone Claws - Hone Claws is Aerodactyl's only boosting move for Attack, making it worth noting. This should also be run with Roost as Aerodactyl is soft
Cobalion - With its good mixed stats Cobalion can break through walls that can trouble Mega Aerodactyl and give it a free switch in with Volt Switch, allowing Aerodactyl to get in without damage.
VGC, Double, & Triple Battle Options
Aerodactyl is one of the best support Pokemon in doubles because of the offensive presence it possesses. With a fantastic speed stat that matches Tapu Koko, Aerodactyl can reliably set up Tailwind. Even without Tailwind, Aerodactyl's great speed is perfect for spamming arguably the best attack in doubles: Rock Slide. By attacking first and getting a bit of luck, Rock Slide flinches can turn close battles into blowouts. With a variety of useful support moves, Aerodactyl deserves a chance on any team in need of speed control.
Air Jurassic
-Rock Slide
Maximum speed with a Jolly lets Aerodactyl attack first to set up Tailwind or hit with Rock Slide, and it will also speed tie any max speed Tapu Koko. 252 EVs in attack provides some offensive power to hit as hard as possible with its STAB Rock Slides. Focus Sash guarantees that Aerodactyl can live any one hit, which comes in handy against surprise Choice Scarf Pokemon your opponent may have. Pressure's only real use is to determine if the opponent has any Choice Scarf Pokemon. For example, if their Tapu Lele's terrain activates before Pressure, you will know the Lele is faster and must have a Choice Scarf. While Unnerve cannot help determine speed tiers, it is much more useful. With the "pinch" berries getting a huge buff and being so common on Pokemon like Snorlax and Alolan Muk, being able to stop their recovery while Aerodactyl is on the field can be vital.
Rock Slide is just evil at times, as every VGC player knows how ridiculous getting multiple flinches in a row is. Tailwind is Aerodactyl's most important move as a support Pokemon. With its great speed and a Focus Sash, Aerodactyl can reliably set it up. Sky Drop is an awesome move for a pseudo-Fake Out that can be used repeatedly to set up a teammate or take out a threat. For example, Aerodactyl can pick up a Tapu Fini while you switch its teammate into Kartana to try for the KO the next turn. The last slot is typically another support move. Taunt can look to shut down Trick Room or other strategies, while Wide Guard can keep the team safe from Dazzling Gleam, Muddy Water, Discharge, and other spread moves from the opponent. Protect is not as necessary on Aerodactyl if it carries a Focus Sash, but it can be useful to dodge a double target from an opponent's Fake Out and another attack.
Other Options and Team Ideas
-Stone Edge is stronger than Rock Slide, though really only sees use on a set as the rock z move.
Countering Aerodactyl
Bulky Waters - Aerodactyl only has Thunder Fang to attempt to handle bulky waters, which really isn't that good for it. Slowbro for example just laughs about it and Swampert is not affected. Lastly all carry Scald and can easily cripple Aerodactyl for the rest of the match
Mega Aerodactyl was a dominating mega in XY and is still a strong force. With its high base speed, Mega Aerodactyl can outpace most threats and, with boosted attack and its new ability Tough Claws, rips through most threats with ease, though it struggles with some physical walls.
Tough Claws - Increases damage of moves that make direct contact by 33% - This is just an awesome ability for any offensive Pokťmon and Mega Aerodactyl has a wide move pool to use it efficiently
-Stone Edge
WitMega Aerodactyl is an offensive powerhouse, boosting neutral coverage with stab Stone Edge and Earthquake, allowing nothing to come in safe firstly. Next, Aerodactyl has a large physical move pool that benefits from Tough Claws. As such, Aqua Tail is a solid option as it helps muscle through bulky grounds that are a pain for Mega Aerodactyl, while Fire Fang is a solid way around steels like Forretress. Other options however are Wing Attack for grass and fighting, Thunder Fang for waters, or Ice Fang for grounds, namely Gliscor.
VGC & Double Battle Options
Like its non-mega form, Mega Aerodactyl is a great support Pokemon, and a severely underrated mega in doubles formats. The stat boosts it receives give it a very nice boost to its bulk and attack, and the speed increase makes it one of the fastest Pokemon around, able to outspeed some opponents even if they have Tailwind up or hold a Choice Scarf. The change in mega evolution mechanics is also very nice, as Mega Aerodactyl can now outspeed Pokemon like Adamant Choice Scarf Landorus-T immediately upon mega-evolving. Though it loses the ability to carry a Focus Sash, Mega Aerodactyl's ridiculous speed can let it set up Tailwind or go for Rock Slide flinches before the opponent attacks.
-Rock Slide
Just like its base form, Mega Aerodactyl wants to be as fast as possible while still hitting hard. Max speed with a Jolly nature ensures it attacks before Pokemon like Modest Choice Scarf Tapu Lele and the previously mentioned Adamant Scarf Landorus-T. Maximum attack investment alongside its base 135 attack makes its STAB Rock Slides hurt, and of course it needs to hold its mega stone. The pre-mega ability does not matter quite as much since you will typically want to get the mega's stat boosts as soon as possible, but Pressure can again help you determine speed tiers when the Pokemon are first sent out. Unnerve will require Aerodactyl not to mega to be useful, but it may come in handy in certain situations to not allow a Snorlax's berry to activate.
The mega's set is very similar to its previous form's. Rock Slide is so good that it is considered broken by some players, and Tailwind can speed up teammates. Protect is good as it cannot hold a Focus Sash. The last slot has quite a few options. Sky Drop is again a great support attack to control the field, while Taunt and Wide Guard can shut down your opponent's moves. Ice Fang sees more usage on the mega than the regular form, as it gains a Tough Claws boost and has a chance to OHKO Landorus-T even after an Intimidate.
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Above: Chavín Valley: site and town, from East.
Photo: José Luis Cruzado Coronel
The Chavín de Huántar Archaeological Acoustics Project is part of the Chavín de Huántar Investigation and Conservation Project (Proyecto de Investigaciones y Conservación Chavín de Huántar), authorized by the Ministerio de Cultura, Perú. We are investigating the architectural and instrumental acoustics of Chavín de Huántar, a 3,000-year old ceremonial center in the north-central sierra of Perú that pre-dates Inca society by over 2,000 years. This research endeavors to measure and explore an ephemeral class of artifact: the acoustic and psychoacoustic dimensions of ancient architecture and instruments of this Formative Andean complex.
Our primary research goal is to provide new forms of sound-related evidence in order to characterize the possible and likely components and implications of the sound environments in ancient Chavin; our future objective is to develop powerful research tools that can also be used in other archaeological sites and cultural acoustic contexts.
Above, left: stone relief-carving of Chavín personage holding Strombus and Spondylus marine shells;
right: one of the Chavín pututus, Strombus galeatus (conch) shell trumpets.
Photos of artifacts from the collection of the Museo Nacional Chavín; left: Miriam Kolar; right: Jyri Huopaniemi.


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As 2014 fades slowly off into the distance and the credits begin to roll on another year we begin the third annual celebration of 80s inspired synth music on Synthetix.FM with the now traditional Synthstravaganza Top 10s of 2014 and Synthetix.FM Ultimix Mixtape!
This past year has been a hugely successful year for all the denominations of 80s inspired synth music covered on Synthetix.FM as every genre has witnessed development, refinement and even more importantly, much creativity. I look back at the Synthstravaganza posts from last year and the year before and it really brings a smile to my face to be see all the imagination and new inspirations being heard today. I'm not going to get into a lot of kerfuffle about how rockin this year was because I could go on and on and on. Instead, I'd much prefer to let the music speak for itself and that's exactly what the Synthstravaganza is all about!
I'd like to remind you that all these top 10's are entirely based on my own predilections and personal tastes, these don't reflect sales or listens or anything other than what I personally have enjoyed the most this year. The 8 80s denominations are Soundtrack Synth, OutRun Synth, Dark Synth, Electro Funk Synth, Pop Synth, Italo Disco Synth, Synth Romance and Synth Wave and also an Electronica top 10 that covers tunes not essentially 80s in creation and direction.
There's two new additions to this year's top 10's, something I tried to do last year but there really wasn't enough product to draw from. This year, there was ample to draw from! So much in fact that the labouring and deciding over these two new top 10's took the longest time for me to be happy with. These new inclusions are the Top 10 EPs and Top 10 Albums of the year.
The EP and album experience have finally blossomed in the scene with tonnes of spectacular releases in both formats throughout the year. Some very special EP's came out this year that really redefined what can be captured in the short form and the full length album format exploded with loads of concept albums, long awaited debuts, stunning sophomore releases and spectacular new albums from further established producers. That most of these great releases came out in a physical format also shows just how much the scene has progressed in the last twelve months.
New talent has arrived and flourished. New, bold projects have been embarked upon. And that's just on Synthetix.FM! This year saw the opening up of this site to contributors who write reviews, provide other content and generally make Synthetix.FM more accurately representative of the music coming out. Coming into the second quarter of 2014 I was getting burned out enough to be ready to put Synthetix.FM on indefinite hiatus until I found a way to keep on top of things more easily. I then had the idea of inviting contributors and staff to the site which I look back now at as a wonderful decision. Synthetix.FM is about the music and the people who love it, and those people are the ones that I invite to be a part of the site in whatever way they'd like to.
Moving into next year who knows what new and exciting things will come up, but I know for one that the future of Synthetix.FM is in safe hands due to the many members of the community that have helped out and continue to do so. I'd like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who has taken time out of their lives to help Synthetix.FM out this year. It means a lot to me and gives me a great deal of faith that what we do on here continues to be valuable and relevant.
On top of this, the fantastic job Marko Maric does on the Synthetix Sundays radio show on Radio Pure Gently is yet another part of the experience I'm honoured be a part of. The camaraderie and feeling of friendship the 80s inspired synth community affords is something I'm very grateful for and something I hope touches everyone in the scene.
But, enough teary eyed testaments. It is time to celebrate and that is something everyone into any of the denominations of 80s inspired synth music should be doing. 2014 was the best year yet for rockin tunes and cool vibes, and I have every faith that 2015 will continue even more so.
Top 10 Soundtrack Synth1, Victory Theme - Myrone
2, Ninja Destiny - Cobra Copter
3, Mall - Proector 101
4, Don't Call Me Hero - OGRE
5, The World Is Gonna End Today - Tommy
6, China Sundown - LA Dreams
7, Frozen Soldiers - Python Blue & Jon Of The Shred
8, Manhattan Docks - Prof. Zonic Zynth
9, Rejects Of The Wasteland - Nightsatan
10, Leave With Us - 20SIX Hundred
Top 10 Electro Funk Synth1, Breakazoid - Mitch Murder
2, Hairspray - Cobra Copter
3, Walk Like A Boss - Robert Parker
4, Burning Desires - LA Dreams
5, Time Shock - STARFORCE & Action Jackson
6, DownTown - iamMANOLIS
7, Funk This Ship - Phaserland
8, Made In USSR - Pulse 80 & StereoSonic
9, Different Machine - Amazing Police
10, Break It Down - Phantom Ride
Top 10 OutRun Synth1, Escape Without Control - Dana's Vision
2, Run For Home - Beckett
3, Throttle Up - Dynatron
4, Breaking The Bonds - 20SIX Hundred
5, It's Supercharged! - Botnit
6, PoWer Prostitute - NightStop
7, Crime Wave - Danger Mode
8, Dark Pursuit - Street Cleaner
9, Chrome Beach - KFDDA
10, Running Wild - Tokyo Rider
Top 10 Dark Synth1, Cyberpolis - Noir Deco
2, Humans Are Such Easy Prey - Perturbator
3, Abandoned Streets (Pt II) - Jordan F
4, Giant Golden Naked Woman - Dan Terminus
5, L.A. Darkzone - Palm Highway Chase
6, Within - GosT
7, Dystopia - Nightcrawler (featuring Vincenzo Salvia)
8, Graveyard Shift - Dance With The Dead
9, The Centaurian Heist - Cluster Buster
10, Devil's Due - Street Cleaner
Top 10 Italo Disco Synth1, Domenica - Vincenzo Salvia (featuring Giusi Telesca)
2, Same Road, Different Ways - Plaisance & Claudia Ortolani
3, I Wanna Love You Once Again - Ryan Paris
4, IL Stallone - Muscle
5, Time To Run - Supervox
6, My Energy World - Project A
7, Galatine - Mild Peril
8, Train Of My Youth - Olegris
9, Femme Fatale - James Baker
10, Knight Of The Disco - Garth Knight
Top 10 Synth Romance1, Made A Wish - LA Dreams
2, (Could It Be I'm) Falling In Love? - Sunglasses Kid
3, Waves - Timecop1983
4, Traces To Nowhere - Mitch Murder
5, Sunset Stroll - Robert Parker
6, Fury Of The Flame - RF Extreme
7, Summer Drive - Killstarr
8, Inhalator II Love Theme - Nightsatan
9, Soft Scene - Phaserland
10, After These Messages - Bishop Of Battle
Top 10 Synthwave1, Fearless Generation - LA Dreams
2, Have You heard - Sebastian Gampl
3, High Performance - Mitch Murder
4, Let's Funk Tonight - Tommy
5, Datacorder - iamMANOLIS
6, Your Move - Phaserland
7, Dance All Night - Rain Sword
8, Los Canarreos - Digital Native Dance
9, Exclusive Coupe - Myrone
10, Excellent Day - Pumping Body
Top 10 Synth Pop1, Radio - Le Cassette
2, One On One - Sebastian Gampl (featuring Tommy Reeve)
3, The Deepest Blue - Kristine
4,Midnight Steps - Phaserland (featuring Heidi)
5, Darling Dreamer - Sunglasses Kid (featuring The Boy & Sister Alma)
6, Neon Summer - Diamond Field (featuring Nina Yasmineh)
7, Lost In Your Eyes - Timecop1983 (featuring Per Rinaldo)
8, In Your Love - Droid Bishop
9, Stay Sexy - The Wizard Lady Bros
10, Hot In The City - Muscle
Top 10 Electronica1, Dopamine (The Power Of Love - Robots With Rayguns
2, Dance Or Die - Starcadian
3, Smoke - Isaac Galvez
4, Stardust Orchestra - TZARR
5, S w e e t B e a c h - CVLTVRΣ
6, EXP003 - Emil Rottmayer
8, California Knight - Mr Vtage
9, I Am Dog - Fear Of Tigers
10, Cone Tuner - Klockhaus
Top 10 EPs of 20141, Atlantis - Vincenzo Salvia
2, Myrone - Myrone
3, The Pump - Muscle
4, Thunder In Paradise - Plaisance
5, Ninja Empire - Cobra Copter
6, Los Canarreos - Digital Native Dance
7, Matter - Mild Peril
8, Reverie - Dan Terminus
9, Full Throttle - Dynatron
10, Doom Fortress - Voyag3r
Top 10 Albums of 20141, Left To Our Own Devices - Le Cassette
2, Interceptor - Mitch Murder
3, Frequency Modulations - Tommy
4, Electric Atlantic - Phaserland
5, Dangerous Days - Perturbator
6, Insomnia - LA Dreams
7, Noir Deco - Noir Deco
9, City Hunter - Sebastian Gampl
10, Beyond The Blue - Droid Bishop
And finally the 2014 Synthetix.FM Ultimix. A two and a half hour mix of the top four tracks from each genre. A soundtrack that I hope rocks 2014 deep into your musical subconscious!
That does us for things on Synthetix.FM until towards the end of January 2015. I'm not exactly sure what date the site will be back with new content at this stage but make sure you check back towards the end of the month with all the rockin new year action and in the meantime Synthetix Sundays will continue throughout this period, and I'm sure I'll be appearing on that every now and then as well as the special year end/year begins show next week! Be sure to follow Synthetix Sundays on Facebook here in the meantime to keep up to date with Marko's show.


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NYCC 2013: WOMEN IN COMICS Panel
New York Comic Con 2013 started off with strong Thursday evening with the first of many female-cetric panels, "Women in Comics." It can be tricky to steer such a broad discussion away from the classic (and overwrought) topics the subject tends to gravitate towards, but the panelists did a good job of covering some new ground.
Moderated by Megan Kociolek, the panel featured creators Becky Cloonan (Demo, Batman), Amy Chu (Girl's Night Out), and Erica Schultz (M3) alongside librarians Emily Weisenstein, Claudia McGivney, and Laura Pope-Robbins.
One of the first things posited to the group was which creator they believe has had the most impact on women in the comics universe. Gail Simone was the immediate answer, to general assent and applause. Chu then mentioned that she thought Larry Hama has played a large role in the representation of women in comics.
"Real female characters from comics like G.I. Joe have made a huge difference, historically," she said, elaborating that his depiction of women really set a standard for the industry.
When the creators were asked to share their personal accounts of being women in the industry, the responses were short and positive.
"I've never felt any kind of exclusion or favoritism," said Cloonan. "I've always had a lot of male acquaintances and I think they're on their best behavior around me." Chu likened the ease of her movement into comics to her family. "It's not a big deal to be in comics for me, as a woman," she said. "I grew up with brothers, so I didn't think twice about it. It's adventurous. You've gotta have balls. You've gotta just do it."
The issue of marketing was discussed next, and how higher ups at publishers don't know how to market to certain brackets, like older women, so they don't bother and don't acknowledge that there is a missed opportunity.
"We need less of an attitude of collectibility and more of an attitude of casual readership," said Cloonan. "There's this idea that selling to older women is a gray area. I'm hoping that these girls growing up reading comics will be able to read a mature book later on and it will be marketable to them."
"The focus is really 'Let's move comics to guys!'" said Chu. "Screw that. There's an opportunity here for comics. Comic book stores do not gear towards women. So we need to address the questions about how to reach all readers."
"No one's thinking 'Let's do some cool things for women in graphic novels!'" noted Schultz. "They're thinking 'Look at Hunger Games and Twilight! Let's write stuff about sparkly vampires!'"
The last topic discussed was the panelists favorite female character. Storm, Rogue, and Buffy were mentioned, followed by a short discussion on Wonder Woman.
"Wonder Woman is almost a victim of her success as an icon," said Cloonan. "I think the trouble comes because she's so iconic. Her strength as an icon has almost undermined the ability to market her. We're myth-building and story-telling. Stories have to be retold for younger generations. Wonder Woman just needs her Killing Joke. That one iconic story that everyone will remember. The definitive Wonder Woman story."
Weisenstein added, "Another thing to think about with Wonder Woman is that her backstory has changed so much over the years they don't know what to do with her."
"Wonder Woman went from doing all these awesome things to being the secretary of the JSA," added Kociolek. "She was a reflection of the times."
The panel wound down with a brief Q&A from the audience.
"Wouldn't it be great if we didn't need to have a women in comics panel?" mused Schultz. "If you have talent, nothing else should matter."