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Living the Abundant Marriage
- Dave Burchett Crosswalk.com Contributor
- 2010 8 Jul
I celebrated our 30th anniversary like so many other events in our lives by traveling to a gig in another state. We did celebrate a night early and she has learned to flow with my bizarre schedule. It hasn't always been that way. The change has happened not so much with her but with me. I have gotten better at affirming my wife and learned how to make it a little less about me.
I did the American guy thing for many years. I worked too much. I took my young bride for granted. I craved success and praise for my accomplishments. And too often I left her chasing rambunctious boys and wondering if her husband valued her. I failed to lead her well spiritually for too many years. Yet today I am happier in my marriage than I have even been. And I believe she would say the same thing.
We have endured some really hard things. The death of a daughter. An armed invasion robbery in our home. Cancer. Yet we are happier than we have ever been. How can that be possible?
We have learned one important lesson that is communicated so well by my friends at Leadership Catalyst.
"The abundant life is comparing God's character, faithfulness and ability with my particular circumstances and believing that God's character trumps my circumstance."
And that statement is absolutely true. I have heard so much stinkin' bad teaching that the abundant life means financial blessing, perfect health and relational bliss. My experience has been financial ups and downs, health problems and seasons of marital joy and despair. For many years I thought I was doing something wrong. Where is this abundant life? And I finally figured it out. The abundant life is all around me. A wife who stayed with me until God could begin to get my attention. Three honest, bright and Godly sons (more good work by Joni). Great friends who have my back and love me even though they actually know me. More stuff than I will ever need and enough left over to give to others. And trusting a God who is trustworthy.
Joni's breast cancer journey has also changed me. I know intellectually that there are never any guarantees that we see the next birthday or anniversary. Her cancer made that sink in. Now I pray to have the wisdom to live in the moment and enjoy each day.
My friend Mike lost his dear wife a couple of years ago. Recently over coffee he shared with three married guys how much he still misses her. He said these words that both convicted and inspired me.
"Guys, let me tell you something. Don't take your wife for granted. You are probably thinking that you don't. But you do and you are. Do not take her for granted because you never know if you have tomorrow."
Mike speaks from the pain of experience. I know I still take my bride for granted. I know I still do not love her well all of the time. But I also know I am improving. And she sees it and she feels it and most importantly, she believes it. I know that not every marriage can work. I once wondered if my marriage would work. Thank God we didn't give up.
Through all of the tough times and bad moments God proved faithful and trustworthy. He redeemed every heartache and every trial. God refined me through the storms and His love did trump my circumstances. There are the TV commercials about living the "high life". I am not living the high life but I am living the abundant life with a woman that I love with all of my heart. I've gotta be honest with you. I'm good with that.
This article originally posted on Dave Burchett's featured blog.
Dave Burchett is an Emmy Award winning television sports director, author, and Christian speaker. He is the author of When Bad Christians Happen to Good People and Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church. You can reply by linking through daveburchett.com.


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Bay Equity's Community Care program strengthens the community by supporting those who are dedicated to making a positive impact. The program provides charitable donations to participating 501 (c)(3) organizations and rewards their donors and volunteers with significantly reduced costs when buying or refinancing a home. Bay Equity Home Loans is a local mortgage lender regularly recognized for growth and service in the Industry and several other publications. This dedicated and experienced team is looking forward to serving your refinance and purchase needs. You already qualify for the following discounts:
Bay Equity is family operated and committed to providing borrowers with exceptional customer service throughout the mortgage process.
Bay Equity employees take great pride in helping borrowers achieve their home ownership dreams.
Bay Equity was founded in San Francisco in 2007 and is now headquartered in nearby Corte Madera. Bay Equity has operations centers in Concord, Calif., Everett, Wash., Portland, Ore., Plano, Texas, Grand Junction, Colo., San Diego, Minneapolis and Denver.
As lending professionals at Bay Equity, we are dedicated to helping you with all of your home mortgage needs.
The housing and mortgage markets are constantly changing. We can help you navigate the many options to find the right loan for you and your family.

subset: commoncrawl


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2014 photographic safari
In 2014 our African wildlife photographic safari began at the end of August & ended in the middle of December. We first visited the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park together with good friends. We then went our own ways. We went onto Etosha for 5 weeks, then returned to the Kgalagadi for one more week before heading to Johannesburg & home to the Netherlands. It was once again a wonderful trip, with one major mishap. Marianne fell into a ground squirrel hole while hanging up the washing to dry in Mata Mata. We thought it was a bad sprain but on returning to The Netherlands found out she had fractured bones in her foot. She is now doing well. We are now editing the photos & will serially add them to this 2014 photographic safari portfolio over the next weeksRead More
Etosha National Park
Piet van Eson March 26, 2015
Beautifull Cheetah serial, verry special to see this happen and have the possibility to photograph. Other photos are great to see. Grtz. Piet


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Ace here again. This discusses remote administration. Simple, right? Maybe not!
Remote Server Administration for Windows 2012 R2
Server Manager in Windows Server® 2012 R2 can be used to perform various management tasks on remote servers. By default, remote management is enabled on Windows Server 2012 R2.You can add remote servers to the Server Manager Server pool in Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Manager.
Discuss the following remote admin methods
- What is Remote Management?
- How to Enable and Disable Remote Management
- Remote Management and Tools Commands
- Server Manager
- WinRM
- PowerShell Remoting
- Remote Desktop
- Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)
What is Remote Management?
Windows Server 2012 R2 provides the ability to remotely manage multiple servers with a number of methods. One of the newest features in Windows Server 2012 is the ability to use Server Manager for this task.
In addition to Windows Remote Management, you can also use Remote Shell and Remote Windows PowerShell to manage remote computers. This provides you the ability to locally load Windows PowerShell modules, such as Server Manager, and execute PowerShell cmdlets available in the loaded module on remote servers. This allows you the ability to run PowerShell commands and scripts. This works including when the script is only on the local server
Windows Remote Management (WinRM) is the Windows implementation of WS-Management, which is an industry standard, Web-based services based protocol. Windows runs the WinRM as a service under the same name, WinRM. WinRM provides secure local and remote communications for management applications and scripts.
In addition, Windows Remote Management is one of the components of the Windows Hardware Management features to allow secure local and remote Windows Server management across a firewall using standard Web service-based protocols.
If the server hardware has an optional, built-in Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) provided by the hardware vendor, you can also remotely manage a system even if the Windows operating system has not yet booted or has failed. This also allows access to the server's BIOS.
A BMC is an option m provided by hardware vendors, that consists of a microcontroller and an independent network connection that you can communicate to if the server ever becomes offline.
When a server is not connected to a BMC, WinRM can still be used to connect to WMI remotely in situations where firewalls may block DCOM communications, because WinRM uses the secure web-based port, TCP 443.
Additional Reading on WinRM:
About Windows Remote Management
Hardware Management Introduction (includes BMC information)
How to Enable and Disable Remote Management
There are a number of methods to administer WinRM.
· Winrm.cmd – Command line tool that allows administrators to configure WinRM, get data, or manage resources. For syntax, you can run winrm /? for online help.
· Win-RM Scripting API – Allows you to create remote administration scripts that expose the WS-Management APIs and protocols.
· Winrs.exe –A command line tool to execute CMD commands on remote servers using WS-Management APIs. For example, to remotely get an ipconfig /all from a remote machine, you can run:
winrs –r:DC12.trimagna.com "ipconfig /all";tasklist
You can also use the help command to see all possible options and syntax:
winrs –?
· IPMI and WMI Providers – The IPMI provider and drivers allow remote hardware management using BMC. These can be used programmatically.
· WMI Service – Using the WMI plug-in, WMI runs together with WinRM to provide data or control functions for remote management.
· WS-Management protocol – SOAP based protocol using XML messages. It is a web-based, firewall friendly protocol running across secure TCP 443 providing industry-standard interoperability to transfer and exchange management information.
Remote Management Tools and Commands
There are a number of ways to enable, disable and configure Remote Management.
Server Manager
To enable or disable Remote Management, in Server Manager Local Server node, click the text next to Remote Management icon.
WinRM Command
You can use the WinRM command to enable, disable, and configure Remote Management.
The syntax is:
WinRM OPERATION RESOURCE_URI [-SWITCH:VALUR [-SWITCH:VAKLUE] …] [@{KEY=VALUR [;KEP=VALUE]…}]
You can use the following to check the current Remote Management configuration and status:
winrm get winrm/config
Or you can run it remotely on another server using the WinRS command:
winrs –r:DC12-1.trimagna.com "winrm /config";tasklist
To enable or disable Remote Management:
WinMR qc
When the WinRM qc command is run, it performs a number of steps to enable and configure the Remote Management service:
- Configures and changes the WinRM service from Manual to Automatic startup.
- Starts the WinRM service.
- Creates and configures a listener that will accept WinRM requests on any IP address.
- Creates a Windows Firewall exception for WS-Management traffic for the HTTP protocol.
If the Windows Firewall is disabled, you will see one of the following error messages:
- WSManFault
- Message
- ProviderFault
- WSManFault
- Message = Unable to check the status of the firewall.
- Error number: -2147023143 0x800706D9
- There are no more endpoints available from the endpoint mapper.
To view the command syntax and options, you can run winrm -?
WinRM supports the following commands:
WinRM Examples:
Start a service on a remote machine:
winrm invoke startservice wmicimv2/Win32_Service?name=w32time -r:DC12
Reboot a remote machine:
winrm invoke reboot wmicimv2/Win32_OperatingSystem -r:FS1
Additional Reading on the WinRM commands:
An Introduction to WinRM Basics – From the EPS Windows Server Performance Team
PowerShell Remoting
There a number of cmdlets that use WMI for remote administration. The cmdlets invoke a temporary connection the remote computer using WMI, runs the command, then closes the session.
These cmdlets do not use WS-Management based remoting, therefore the computer does not require to be configured for WS-Management nor does it have to meet the system requirement for WS-Management. Because they are not WS-Management service related, you can use the ComputerName parameter in any of these cmdlets
You can run the Invoke-Command cmdlets to run commands on other computers.
For example, to get a list of all services on a remote computer that are either running or stopped, you can run the following command
Invoke-Command –computername DC12 –scriptblock {get-service)
Or to see the status of a single service:
Invoke-Command –computername DC12 –scriptblock {get-service WinRm)
Additional Reading on Remote PowerShell:
Windows PowerShell Remoting – Complete list of commands
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows
Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows® includes Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, consoles, Windows PowerShell® cmdlets and providers, and some command-line tools for managing roles and features that run on Windows Server 2012 R2.
For Server Core, you can use the SCONFIG command and choosing Option #4, then choosing Option #1 to Enable Remote Management, or Option #2 to Disable Remote Management.
Additional Reading on WinRM tools
About Windows Remote Management
Remote Desktop
Remote Desktop has been used for a number of years, and it is the most common method to remotely administer a remote machine. To use Remote Desktop, it must be enabled first on the remote computer. To enable Remote Desktop on the full version of Windows Server 2012, perform the following steps"
- Open Server Manager
- Click the Local Server Node
- Click the "Disabled" status next to Remote Desktop.
- The System Properties page appears and is focused on the Remote tab.
- Under the Remote tab, select one of the following:
- Don't allow connections to this computer – Default disabled.
- Allow connections only from Computers running:
- Checkbox: Allow Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication – If you check this box, this setting enables and only allows secure connections from Remote Desktop clients that support network-level authentication.
You can also enable Remote Desktop on Sever Core using the SCONFIG command.
Ace Fekay
MVP, MCT, MCSE 2012, MCITP EA & MCTS Windows 2008/R2, Exchange 2013, 2010 EA & 2007, MCSE & MCSA 2003/2000, MCSA Messaging 2003
Microsoft Certified Trainer
Microsoft MVP – Directory Services
Complete List of Technical Blogs: http://www.delawarecountycomputerconsulting.com/technicalblogs.php
This posting is provided AS-IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.


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VANL offers support, advice, training and guidance to its membership to help increase the take-up of external funding by third sector organisations in North Lanarkshire.
The aim is to provide comprehensive support to VANL members, identifying funding sources and developing business cases to acquire funding for projects.
VANL's development officer also works closely with funding providers to maximise the effective take-up of external funds, monitoring outputs and providing support to groups to assist with monitoring processes. The dissemination of any changes to current funders' guidelines and information about new funders is distributed to our membership as soon as possible.
The service has developed different levels of funding support, based on small grants funding, trusts and foundations as well as service level agreements. Bespoke training is also offered to organisations as and when required.
Grant McLean
Organisational Development Advisor (Funding & Sustainability)


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Skied out?
Who'd have thought it possible, but I skied the season into submission a full month before the last chair stopped at Deer Valley.
The first sign was when my binding broke on my much-loved Atomic racing skis. Fortunately, it happened on the day I was playing around on Wide West with Little Guy and Florida Keys Girl—who was using Wide West as the ersatz waiting room for her knee surgery scheduled for the following month. I showed her how to use the terrain features to create skill drills for herself, and Little Guy entertained us both by imploring us to take "one more run on Devils Backbone!"
It was one of those magical mornings. Mel, Ski Dad, Big Guy and Florida Keys Guy took laps on Solid Muldoon, and Jamie, my new favorite lift attendant, kept telling Little Guy to have fun skiing with his "big sister." I maintain an overinflated sense of my own youth, and Jamie was definitely aiding and abetting.
Anyway, we played around on the magic carpet, in Candy Land, in the Race Course, and yes, Devil's Backbone, until Ski Dad and Big Guy appeared at the bottom of the run, hoping to join us. Granted, there was clearly a bit of kerfuffle going on regarding neck gaiters and fogging goggles, but it seemed on its way to resolution. I skied down to them, noting that my left knee was feeling pretty sore, and that the mellow day had been a smart move all the way around. Little did I know, it was probably my saving grace.
At this point, father and son had clicked out of their skis for a moment—and Little Guy, not wanting to feel the odd-man-out ,followed suit. This precipitated me having to click out of mine in order to kneel down and refit Little Guy into his bindings. And I won't lie, I definitely got exasperated out loud at the unnecessary hang-up. (Little Guy, of course, takes a lot of pride in his mastery of the mechanics of the equipment, but I was in no mood to appreciate it.) As it turns out, I would be digging into some humble pie that afternoon—Little Guy did me a favor. For as I went to click back into my skis, I noticed the heel cup of one binding was twisted at an alarming angle. Ski Dad picked it up to inspect, making some taps and bumps against it with the heel of his gloved hand, only to dislodge (to all of our horror) some pieces of the binding.
I'll never know what would have happened if I'd been cruising Solid Muldoon at speed—but I can't imagine anything good.
Dutifully, I trekked into Jans, where the bindings were pronounced dead—and irreplaceable. A bummer—but I'd been ready to demo new skis anyway, so no harm, no foul.
And I would have begun the demo process the following weekend, except that I made the sorry mistake of mentioning the wonky knee to my doctor at a routine checkup. And she benched me.
So, I'm rehabbing the knee—trying to avoid surgery—and daydreaming about the adventures to come next season. In no particular order, here are the things I'd been saving up for the end of the season, which, for one reason or another, will have to wait until next winter.
1. More St. Germain Cocktails
2. A visit to Fireside Dining at Empire Lodge
3. Enrolling in a Mahre Ski Camp
4. Demos of new skis to get myself out of racing skis and into all-mountain models that will float on powder, carve in the groomers, and handle everything in-between.
5. Attending Ski Schule at Sunset Cabin, the Friday afternoon service led by Rabbi Josh Aaronson of Temple Har Shalom.
Still, I am excited for summer—concerts at the Snow Park Amphitheater figure prominently in my plans, as do hiking, and perhaps even becoming an emboldened Mountain Biker on the lush green slopes of Deer Valley. And, yes, long, sun-soaked lunches on the deck at Royal Street Café. The wait for another St. Germain Cocktail may not be that long, after all.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Wikipedia's Gibraltar 'moratorium' - how's it going?
World's most interesting territory just gets more interesting
Last October Wikipedia's supreme leader Jimmy Wales called for a "strong moratorium" on the online project's strange obsession with promoting Gibraltar - even suggesting a five-year ban on Gibraltar-loving Did You Know... posts on Wikipedia's front page.
"I think it is clear that there should be a strong moratorium on any Gibraltar-related DYKs on the front page of Wikipedia. I would recommend a total ban on them for five years, but that might be too extreme. I support that we get wider community attention on the issue," he wrote in October last year.
The moratorium was opposed by Wiki editors but they did agree on certain guidelines. Every Gibraltar DYK has to be reviewed by two reviewers to check for conflict-of-interest issues or promotionalism, and no more than one Gibraltarpedia hook is allowed in one a day. Also, Bamkin (user name Victuallers) is not allowed to create or nominate Gibraltar-related articles to DYK.
There is a summary of the restrictions here.
So how's that going? Let's have a look.
Here are some plugs that appeared in Wikipedia's "Did You Know?" box in December:
December 1
Did you know... ... that the Levant Battery on Windmill Hill was named after the Levanter cloud, below which it is situated?
December 2
Did you know… that the Gibraltar Ranges predate the Great Escarpment?
December 9
Did you know... ... that the site chosen for Operation Tracer during World War II was in close proximity to Lord Airey's Battery?
December 11
Did you know… that Upper Rock Nature Reserve (pictured) in Gibraltar is famous for its population of Barbary Macaques, the only wild monkeys in Europe?
December 17
Did you know...that the 9.2-inch gun at Gibraltar's Spur Battery was transferred to the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Project Vitello?
December 23
Did you know... that by the end of the Third Siege of Gibraltar in 1333, the city's inhabitants were reduced to eating their shoes because the town's governor had stolen the money meant to pay for food?
December 28
Did you know... that Gibraltar's North Bastion and South Bastion were built by Spain to protect the city against attacks from either direction?
December 29
Did you know... that the Gibraltar Heritage Trust is a non-profit charity responsible for preserving and promoting Gibraltar's manmade and natural heritage?
December 31
Did you know ... that in 1906, ties between England and Spain were sufficiently strong that King Edward VII and King Alfonso XIII became joint patrons of the Royal Calpe Hunt?
While in January, Wikipedians combed the millions of pages of the encyclopedia for and decided to highlight these:
January 1
Did you know... that the Spanish nobleman and soldier Luis Bravo de Acuña played a key role in improving the defences of Gibraltar in the 17th century?
January 4
Did you know... that William Green, who served as chief engineer throughout the Great Siege of Gibraltar, was later depicted in two paintings of the siege by John Singleton Copley and George Carter?
January 6
Did you know... that the top secret, World War II dual observation post of Operation Tracer was constructed in the tunnel system of Lord Airey's Shelter?
January 8
Did you know… that O'Hara's Tower was built in the mistaken belief that it would enable the garrison at Gibraltar to spy on ships massing at Cadiz?
January 18
Did you know... that the 9.2-inch gun of Spur Battery, one of fourteen once mounted on Gibraltar, was moved to Imperial War Museum Duxford after its role was taken over by Exocet missiles?
January 19
Did you know... that Abd al-Malik Abd al-Wahid, the one-eyed son of Moroccan sultan Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Othman, captured Gibraltar in 1333 but fell victim to a Castilian ambush six years later?
January 20
Did you know... that during the eighteenth century, guards posted at Middle Hill Battery on Middle Hill, Gibraltar, to prevent desertion sometimes deserted themselves?
January 23
Did you know... that the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party proposed that a main road in Gibraltar should be Devlin's instead of the Devil's?
January 24
Did you know... that the Soldier Artificer Company (members pictured in working dress) was the British Army's first unit of military artificers and labourers?
January 27
Did you know... that the keys of Grand Casemates Gates are a symbol of office of the Governor of Gibraltar?
January 28
Did you know ... that Green's Lodge Battery was so successful during the Great Siege of Gibraltar that the British decided to construct what became Rock Gun Battery above it?
January 29
Did you know... that the Fifth Siege of Gibraltar came to a sudden end in March 1350 when King Alfonso XI of Castile (pictured) became the only monarch to die in the Black Death?
February boasts six Gibraltar-related DYK entries so far. So we can safely conclude that any "moratorium" is holding fast.
Spotting the obsessive entries is becoming something of a sport with Reg readers, but please don't send any more in. ®


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when and where
September 20, 2023 | 8:00 pm - 8:30 pm
event information
A rotating group of clergy and lay leaders will host compline (night prayer) from the Book of Common Prayer, via Zoom.
Book of Common Prayer and other Resources
If you would like to pick up a Book of Common Prayer or Hymnal, you may pick one up from the church office. A box will be left outside the front door. The BCP is also available online: https://www.bcponline.org/


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While TV and movie rentals and purchases have been available to Windows users for about a decade now--I last checked out this scene two years ago, if you're curious--two recent developments in this market have made it suddenly much more attractive to users. First, Amazon announced its Unbox service, providing movie purchases and rentals, and TV show purchases, via a truly usable Web-based interface that is decidedly Windows friendly. Much more recently, Apple dramatically expanded its iTunes Store to support movie rentals for the first time--it had previously offered both movie and TV show purchases only--while offering crucial new living room support via an improved Apple TV set-top box. Suddenly, finding commercial video content is much easier. The question is, which one is right for you?
There are various ways to evaluate today's TV show and movie services. But I think the market is neatly and logically bifurcated between Apple's offerings and the others, which all tend to use Microsoft's digital rights management (DRM) scheme. If you're looking at this from a high level, then, the decision about which service to use might be dictated by whether you're in the iTunes/iPod/iPhone camp. If you are, Apple's service is the overwhelmingly obvious choice. If you're not--that is, you use a mix of Windows PCs, non-iPod portable device, and perhaps a Microsoft-friendly living room solution like an Xbox 360, a Media Center Extender, or a Windows-oriented digital media receiver--you should consider the other options.
The nice thing is, all of these solutions work fine on Windows. There's no reason you can't mix and match as your needs require. If your preferred service doesn't have a TV show or movie you're looking for, just move down the list.
Amazon Unbox
I've really grown to like Amazon Unbox, despite my less-than-stellar experiences in years past with other Web-based solutions like CinemaNow and MovieLink. Yes, you have to download a small application to your PC in order to download movies, but it's a simple process, and Amazon offers a unique feature that lets you trigger a download from the Web and choose to have it delivered to another PC. So you could be at work, rent a movie for that evening, and have it download to your home PC so it's ready to go when you arrive there in the evening. Brilliant.
Amazon's Web interface is surprisingly nice, as well, and it works equally well in both IE and Firefox. The selection is vast and includes both movies (to rent or purchase). You can view movies on the PC, a Windows Media-compatible portable device, via an Xbox 360 or other digital media receiver, or even on a TiVo, thanks to the "Amazon Unbox on TiVo" service.
Amazon offers another amazing feature that's unique among these services: Any digital content you purchase from the company (MP3 songs, Kindle books, software, movies, whatever) is stored on Amazon's servers and can be downloaded again and again. So if you rent a movie but forget to download it to your laptop, you can do so later while out on the road. This is a big deal and something that really differentiates Amazon from the other services.
If Unbox has a problem, it's that you cannot browse the service from your living room, unless you have a TiVo: The service is currently available on the Web, and not via Media Center/Extender, so you will need to sit down in front of your PC in order to browse, rent, or purchase content. Once you do that, however, it's a simple matter to view that content from the living room if you have an Xbox 360 or compatible Media Center Extender or other digital media receiver.
Apple iTunes
Apple's service has offered TV show and movie sales for a while now, but the company added movie rentals about a week ago and will add support for these rentals to its Apple TV device sometime in the coming days. As you might expect from a company like Apple, the design is elegant, logical, and about as friendly as they come. Everything occurs through Apple's excellent iTunes software, still my preferred choice for managing music and video content.
One oddity of iTunes movie rentals is that you can basically only have one copy of a rented movie floating around: If you transfer the movie to an iPod or iPhone, for example, you're actually moving the file to the device, not making a copy. Likewise, if you want to then play it back on the PC later, you will have to move it back. I assume it will work the same way with the Apple TV, but Apple has yet to update the device to support rentals, so we'll need to wait and see how that works exactly. On the PC, Apple does a great job of keeping you aware of the limitations of any rental, and when the viewing time will expire.
In my testing (see below), iTunes delivered the best picture quality of these services. Frankly, I'm not surprised, given Apple's use of H.264. I'm looking forward to testing HD video from iTunes too, but that too will require the awaited Apple TV update.
Problems with iTunes are few, but you should be aware of one potentially serious issue: In a bid to drive sales of its latest iPods, Apple has artificially limited support for iTunes movie rentals to the 2007-era iPod nano, classic, and touch, and to the iPhone: Users of earlier iPods need not apply. Also, despite heavily advertising the availability of HD quality rentals, there are no such rentals available on iTunes, at least when accessed via your PC: Apparently, HD rentals will only be made available via the Apple TV, once the version 2.0 software update ships. If I had to guess why this is the case, it would be because Apple's QuickTime software is notoriously performance challenged, and most PC users would have horrible experiences trying to play back HD content.
Founded way back in 1999, CinemaNow is a pioneer in PC-based movie services. One unique feature: Some of the service's purchased movies can be legally burned to DVD movie discs, a feature that's unavailable on Apple and Amazon. CinemaNow also offers a subscription service: For $29.95 a month or $99.95 a year, you gain access to 1500 "member-only" movies. This includes unlimited access to an adult Web site, which I assume is the real reason for this offering.
What makes CinemaNow somewhat undesirable is the selection: CinemaNow is like the Skinemax of online movie services, though it obviously offers plenty of "legit" movie and TV content as well. There's even a decent selection of "HD" content that's encoded at 8000 Kbps but doesn't appear to actually hit the 1280 x 720 minimum required to warrant that tag.
Also note that you really need to be using IE 6 or higher to access CinemaNow from the Web. A terrible Media Center version of the service is also available.
Recently purchased by Blockbuster, MovieLink remains the traditional digital movie rental and purchase service it's been since its inception. (That may change for some, with Blockbuster expected to open up MovieLink to its Blockbuster Total Access DVD rental service in the future.) As with CinemaNow, I first used MovieLink about a decade ago, and while the service has absolutely improved over the years, it remains kind of an old-school relic in desperate need of a makeover. It's sort of like CinemaNow, just not quite as slimy.
Like CinemaNow, MovieLink requires IE, though you can also access the service through Windows Media Player and Media Center, which is pretty convenient. MovieLink's Media Center interface is marginally better than CinemaNow's, but it's still lackluster. At least it exists, and it works fine from the Xbox 360's Media Center Extender interface.
A note about the testing
Over the years, I've purchased and rented a number of movies and TV shows from all of these services, so I'm pretty familiar with the process. For this review, specifically, however, I thought it made sense to rent the exact same movie from each service so I could make a true apples-to-apples comparison. A word of warning, however: One movie download does not a service make. I know from experience that each service offers a variety of content and that that content can vary wildly, from a quality perspective.
Choosing the movie was, in many ways, the biggest obstacle. I wanted a film I was familiar with and, after discarding "The Simpsons Movie" and "300" as potential choices because of their animated nature, I settled on "Ocean's 13," the latest Brad Pitt/George Clooney casino caper. It's not a great movie per se, but it's perfect for this test because it features indoor and outdoor scenes, close-ups, a bit of action, and, best of all, it's available at all four services.
I was surprised by the head-to-head comparison in some ways. With the exception of the Apple software, which uses iTunes for movie playback, I'm not a big fan of the custom applications the services created for downloading and viewing movies. (Fortunately, movies from Amazon, CinemaNow, and MovieLink play fine in Windows Media Player and Media Center as well.) The quality was pretty consistent, but Apple's version of this particular movie was clearly the best of the bunch. It came in the highest resolution (853 x 356) and had the crispest and sharpest picture, with the best contrast.
(My experience with iTunes movies purchases, by the way, is that they typically arrive in some 640 x [whatever] resolution, so it's unclear whether Apple is bumping up the resolution on rentals. If they are, great, but I'd like to see purchases look this good too.)
The CinemaNow and MovieLink versions of the film appeared to be identical: Both were 720 x 306 and were identical in size on disk. The quality was excellent, but a bit below that of the iTunes version, with slightly less detail. The Amazon version was the lowest resolution--640 x 272--but didn't suffer as a result: The picture looked fine, even blown up full screen on my PC. Also, Amazon's player doesn't actually let you shrink it enough to play back at 100 percent, so it appeared artificially larger than the other movies when played normally. The player also has easily accessible brightness and color sliders which let you readily enhance the picture quality during playback.
Other options
Renting TV shows and movies on a PC is a nice option, but the reality is that most people already have an On Demand service from their cable, satellite, or fiber optic TV supplier. (We use Verizon FIOS for this purpose, and the quality, at least, is excellent.) I think of PC-based TV show and movie services as being supplemental to whatever TV service you're currently using, and even to the local video rental chain. For example, while you may record your favorite TV shows via Media Center, TiVo, or your cable company's built-in DVR, sometimes a glitch happens. It's nice to be able to turn to a service like Amazon Unbox or Apple iTunes in such a case: Purchasing a TV episode for $1.99 is a lot better than missing it all together. I wouldn't subscribe to a season this way, however, as the cost is ludicrous.
PC-based rentals and purchases are more convenient than driving out to Best Buy or Blockbuster, as well, though not as convenient as On Demand. If you can perform these tasks through an Xbox 360, Apple TV, or other living room-based device, all the better: But they're still not as seamless and convenient as your cable box. And of course you have to actually purchase and set up these additional devices too. The complexity of doing so makes them a non-starter for many people.
Also, various companies, including Netflix and Blockbuster, offer DVD rental services. These work well in my experience, though we happen to prefer Blockbuster because you get a free rental every time you return a shipped DVD to the local store instead of mailing it back. Also, Blockbuster emails an astonishing number of coupons out each month; it's a great service. Netflix has a PC-based service that could be of interest, however, especially for frequent travelers who have broadband connections at their destinations: This service lets you view streaming movies while online. (Blockbuster's purchase of MovieLink should even that score soon.)
While people seem to love buying DVD movies, this is an expensive option for all but the most diehard movie lovers. I mean, with a few exceptions, how many times do you really watch most movies? (Once, I'm guessing.) There are exceptions, of course (my kids have watched most Pixar movies hundreds of times), but most movies require only a single viewing, so renting makes the most sense. This reality will likely doom the high definition Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats as well. Sure, they look great. (They really, really do look great.) But these HD formats make DVD look inexpensive by comparison. The economics just don't make sense yet. They may not ever.
Personally, I've been selling off most of my purchased DVDs and turning as much as possible to digital movie viewing, either on the PC or iPod touch (while traveling) or via On Demand, iTunes/Apple TV, or Amazon Unbox/Xbox 360 on the HDTV in my living room. We also rent movies via Blockbuster. But I just don't watch individual movies enough times to justify buying them going forward. I doubt that will change, especially as more and more HD content goes digital. Your needs, of course, will vary.
Final thoughts
I regularly use both Amazon Unbox and Apple iTunes to rent movies and purchase TV shows, and both are of high quality. We watch Amazon-acquired content via the Xbox 360 in our living room, while Apple-acquired content is accessed there via an Apple TV. On the PC, either solution works well and I find both viable options when traveling with a laptop. Apple's is the only choice for the iPod touch and iPhone, and iTunes content looks great on those devices. I'm not a fan of purchasing movies with any service per se, but Apple's H.264-based movies look better than the Windows Media Video-encoded movies offered on other services for the most part. As we move towards more pervasive HD content, I'd expect Apple's choice of codec to provide further advantages, though again, the iTunes service is best suited to those who have bought into the Apple ecosystem in a big way. I do happen to use iTunes on the PC, the iPod touch and iPhone while traveling, and an Apple TV in my living room, so Apple's system is quite compatible with the gear I've chosen. If you're more firmly in the Microsoft world, Amazon is the best of the Windows-oriented services: It has the best selection, the best Web site, and the nicest PC software.


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Traditional Medicinals Organic Lemon Balm Tea (16 Tea Bags)
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Your backyard sweetheart, pleasant and friendly.
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Gentle and mildly relaxing, relieves tension and relieves occasional indigestion.*
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Lemon balm is just one of those amiable, easy-to-love plants. A member of the mint family, with broad leaves and a pleasing lemony scent, lemon balm has a genial nature that can best be described as kind. It's no wonder that people throughout Europe have been cultivating and using it for thousands of years both to support digestion and to calm a jangled nervous system.
Pleasantly mild herbal taste, with subtle citrus notes.
Ingredients: Lemonbalm leaf.


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May 18, 2013
Economic Prospects for the Long Run
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
At Bard College at Simon's Rock, Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Let me start by congratulating the graduates and their parents. The word "graduate" comes from the Latin word for "step." Graduation from college is only one step on a journey, but it is an important one and well worth celebrating.
I think everyone here appreciates what a special privilege each of you has enjoyed in attending a unique institution like Simon's Rock. It is, to my knowledge, the only "early college" in the United States; many of you came here after the 10th or 11th grade in search of a different educational experience. And with only about 400 students on campus, I am sure each of you has felt yourself to be part of a close-knit community. Most important, though, you have completed a curriculum that emphasizes creativity and independent critical thinking, habits of mind that I am sure will stay with you.
What's so important about creativity and critical thinking? There are many answers. I am an economist, so I will answer by talking first about our economic future--or your economic future, I should say, because each of you will have many years, I hope, to contribute to and benefit from an increasingly sophisticated, complex, and globalized economy. My emphasis today will be on prospects for the long run. In particular, I will be looking beyond the very real challenges of economic recovery that we face today--challenges that I have every confidence we will overcome--to speak, for a change, about economic growth as measured in decades, not months or quarters.
Many factors affect the development of the economy, notably among them a nation's economic and political institutions, but over long periods probably the most important factor is the pace of scientific and technological progress. Between the days of the Roman Empire and when the Industrial Revolution took hold in Europe, the standard of living of the average person throughout most of the world changed little from generation to generation. For centuries, many, if not most, people produced much of what they and their families consumed and never traveled far from where they were born. By the mid-1700s, however, growing scientific and technical knowledge was beginning to find commercial uses. Since then, according to standard accounts, the world has experienced at least three major waves of technological innovation and its application. The first wave drove the growth of the early industrial era, which lasted from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s. This period saw the invention of steam engines, cotton-spinning machines, and railroads. These innovations, by introducing mechanization, specialization, and mass production, fundamentally changed how and where goods were produced and, in the process, greatly increased the productivity of workers and reduced the cost of basic consumer goods. The second extended wave of invention coincided with the modern industrial era, which lasted from the mid-1800s well into the years after World War II. This era featured multiple innovations that radically changed everyday life, such as indoor plumbing, the harnessing of electricity for use in homes and factories, the internal combustion engine, antibiotics, powered flight, telephones, radio, television, and many more. The third era, whose roots go back at least to the 1940s but which began to enter the popular consciousness in the 1970s and 1980s, is defined by the information technology (IT) revolution, as well as fields like biotechnology that improvements in computing helped make possible. Of course, the IT revolution is still going on and shaping our world today.
Now here's a question--in fact, a key question, I imagine, from your perspective. What does the future hold for the working lives of today's graduates? The economic implications of the first two waves of innovation, from the steam engine to the Boeing 747, were enormous. These waves vastly expanded the range of available products and the efficiency with which they could be produced. Indeed, according to the best available data, output per person in the United States increased by approximately 30 times between 1700 and 1970 or so, growth that has resulted in multiple transformations of our economy and society.1 History suggests that economic prospects during the coming decades depend on whether the most recent revolution, the IT revolution, has economic effects of similar scale and scope as the previous two. But will it?
I must report that not everyone thinks so. Indeed, some knowledgeable observers have recently made the case that the IT revolution, as important as it surely is, likely will not generate the transformative economic effects that flowed from the earlier technological revolutions.2 As a result, these observers argue, economic growth and change in coming decades likely will be noticeably slower than the pace to which Americans have become accustomed. Such an outcome would have important social and political--as well as economic--consequences for our country and the world.
This provocative assessment of our economic future has attracted plenty of attention among economists and others as well. Does it make sense? Here's one way to think more concretely about the argument that the pessimists are making: Fifty years ago, in 1963, I was a nine-year-old growing up in a middle-class home in a small town in South Carolina. As a way of getting a handle on the recent pace of economic change, it's interesting to ask how my family's everyday life back then differed from that of a typical family today. Well, if I think about it, I could quickly come up with the Internet, cellphones, and microwave ovens as important conveniences that most of your families have today that my family lacked 50 years ago. Health care has improved some since I was young; indeed, life expectancy at birth in the United States has risen from 70 years in 1963 to 78 years today, although some of this improvement is probably due to better nutrition and generally higher levels of income rather than advances in medicine alone. Nevertheless, though my memory may be selective, it doesn't seem to me that the differences in daily life between then and now are all that large. Heating, air conditioning, cooking, and sanitation in my childhood were not all that different from today. We had a dishwasher, a washing machine, and a dryer. My family owned a comfortable car with air conditioning and a radio, and the experience of commercial flight was much like today but without the long security lines. For entertainment, we did not have the Internet or video games, as I mentioned, but we had plenty of books, radio, musical recordings, and a color TV (although, I must acknowledge, the colors were garish and there were many fewer channels to choose from).
The comparison of the world of 1963 with that of today suggests quite substantial but perhaps not transformative economic change since then. But now let's run this thought experiment back another 50 years, to 1913 (the year the Federal Reserve was created by the Congress, by the way), and compare how my grandparents and your great-grandparents lived with how my family lived in 1963. Life in 1913 was simply much harder for most Americans than it would be later in the century. Many people worked long hours at dangerous, dirty, and exhausting jobs--up to 60 hours per week in manufacturing, for example, and even more in agriculture. Housework involved a great deal of drudgery; refrigerators, freezers, vacuum cleaners, electric stoves, and washing machines were not in general use, which should not be terribly surprising since most urban households, and virtually all rural households, were not yet wired for electricity. In the entertainment sphere, Americans did not yet have access to commercial radio broadcasts and movies would be silent for another decade and a half. Some people had telephones, but no long-distance service was available. In transportation, in 1913 Henry Ford was just beginning the mass production of the Model T automobile, railroads were powered by steam, and regular commercial air travel was quite a few years away. Importantly, life expectancy at birth in 1913 was only 53 years, reflecting not only the state of medical science at the time--infection-fighting antibiotics and vaccines for many deadly diseases would not be developed for several more decades‑-but also deficiencies in sanitation and nutrition. This was quite a different world than the one in which I grew up in 1963 or in which we live today.
The purpose of these comparisons is to make concrete the argument made by some economists, that the economic and technological transformation of the past 50 years, while significant, does not match the changes of the 50 years--or, for that matter, the 100 years--before that. Extrapolating to the future, the conclusion some have drawn is that the sustainable pace of economic growth and change and the associated improvement in living standards will likely slow further, as our most recent technological revolution, in computers and IT, will not transform our lives as dramatically as previous revolutions have.
Well, that's sort of depressing. Is it true, then, as baseball player Yogi Berra said, that the future ain't what it used to be? Nobody really knows; as Berra also astutely observed, it's tough to make predictions, especially about the future. But there are some good arguments on the other side of this debate.
First, innovation, almost by definition, involves ideas that no one has yet had, which means that forecasts of future technological change can be, and often are, wildly wrong. A safe prediction, I think, is that human innovation and creativity will continue; it is part of our very nature. Another prediction, just as safe, is that people will nevertheless continue to forecast the end of innovation. The famous British economist John Maynard Keynes observed as much in the midst of the Great Depression more than 80 years ago. He wrote then, "We are suffering just now from a bad attack of economic pessimism. It is common to hear people say that the epoch of enormous economic progress which characterised the 19th century is over; that the rapid improvement in the standard of life is now going to slow down."3 Sound familiar? By the way, Keynes argued at that time that such a view was shortsighted and, in characterizing what he called "the economic possibilities for our grandchildren," he predicted that income per person, adjusted for inflation, could rise as much as four to eight times by 2030. His guess looks pretty good; income per person in the United States today is roughly six times what it was in 1930.
Second, not only are scientific and technical innovation themselves inherently hard to predict, so are the long-run practical consequences of innovation for our economy and our daily lives. Indeed, some would say that we are still in the early days of the IT revolution; after all, computing speeds and memory have increased many times over in the 30-plus years since the first personal computers came on the market, and fields like biotechnology are also advancing rapidly. Moreover, even as the basic technologies improve, the commercial applications of these technologies have arguably thus far only scratched the surface. Consider, for example, the potential for IT and biotechnology to improve health care, one of the largest and most important sectors of our economy. A strong case can be made that the modernization of health-care IT systems would lead to better-coordinated, more effective, and less costly patient care than we have today, including greater responsiveness of medical practice to the latest research findings.4 Robots, lasers, and other advanced technologies are improving surgical outcomes, and artificial intelligence systems are being used to improve diagnoses and chart courses of treatment. Perhaps even more revolutionary is the trend toward so-called personalized medicine, which would tailor medical treatments for each patient based on information drawn from that individual's genetic code. Taken together, such advances could lead to another jump in life expectancy and improved health at older ages.
Other promising areas for the application of new technologies include the development of cleaner energy--for example, the harnessing of wind, wave, and solar power and the development of electric and hybrid vehicles--as well as potential further advances in communications and robotics. I'm sure that I can't imagine all of the possibilities, but historians of science have commented on our collective tendency to overestimate the short-term effects of new technologies while underestimating their longer-term potential.5
Finally, pessimists may be paying too little attention to the strength of the underlying economic and social forces that generate innovation in the modern world. Invention was once the province of the isolated scientist or tinkerer. The transmission of new ideas and the adaptation of the best new insights to commercial uses were slow and erratic. But all of that is changing radically. We live on a planet that is becoming richer and more populous, and in which not only the most advanced economies but also large emerging market nations like China and India increasingly see their economic futures as tied to technological innovation. In that context, the number of trained scientists and engineers is increasing rapidly, as are the resources for research being provided by universities, governments, and the private sector. Moreover, because of the Internet and other advances in communications, collaboration and the exchange of ideas take place at high speed and with little regard for geographic distance. For example, research papers are now disseminated and critiqued almost instantaneously rather than after publication in a journal several years after they are written. And, importantly, as trade and globalization increase the size of the potential market for new products, the possible economic rewards for being first with an innovative product or process are growing rapidly.6 In short, both humanity's capacity to innovate and the incentives to innovate are greater today than at any other time in history.
Well, what does all this have to do with creativity and critical thinking, which is where I started? The history of technological innovation and economic development teaches us that change is the only constant. During your working lives, you will have to reinvent yourselves many times. Success and satisfaction will not come from mastering a fixed body of knowledge but from constant adaptation and creativity in a rapidly changing world. Engaging with and applying new technologies will be a crucial part of that adaptation. Your work here at Simon's Rock, and the intellectual skills, creativity, and imagination that that work has fostered, are the best possible preparation for these challenges. And while I have emphasized technological and scientific advances today, it is important to remember that the arts and humanities facilitate new and creative thinking as well, while helping us to draw meaning that goes beyond the purely material aspects of our lives. I wish you the best in facing the difficult but exciting challenges that lie ahead. Congratulations.
1. See Angus Maddison (2007), Contours of the World Economy, 1-2030 AD: Essays in Macro-Economic History (New York: Oxford University Press), table A.7, p. 382. Return to text
2. Two important examples are Tyler Cowen (2011) and Robert J. Gordon (2010, 2012); the latter reference, in particular, also contains a discussion of headwinds to growth beyond the prospects for innovation. See Tyler Cowen (2011), The Great Stagnation: How America Ate All the Low-Hanging Fruit of Modern History, Got Sick, and Will (Eventually) Feel Better (New York: Dutton); Robert J. Gordon (2010), "Revisiting U.S. Productivity Growth over the Past Century with a View of the Future," NBER Working Paper Series 15834 (Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research, March); and Robert J. Gordon (2012), "Is U.S. Economic Growth Over? Faltering Innovation Confronts the Six Headwinds," NBER Working Paper Series 18315 (Cambridge, Mass.: National Bureau of Economic Research, August). Return to text
3. John M. Keynes (1931), "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren (1930)," in Essays in Persuasion (London: Macmillan), p. 358. Return to text
4. See Martin Neil Baily, James M. Manyika, and Shalabh Gupta (2013), "U.S. Productivity Growth: An Optimistic Perspective," International Productivity Monitor, Spring, pp. 3-12. Return to text
5. This tendency has been referred to as the first law of technology. On the potential impact of genome sequencing, see Francis Collins (2010), "Has the Revolution Arrived?" Nature, vol. 464 (April), pp.674-75. For an accessible discussion of the possibilities for life expectancy, see Stephen S. Hall (2013), "On beyond 100," National Geographic, May, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/05/longevity/hall-text. Return to text
6. For a discussion of the economic models of growth that build in cumulative forces of knowledge generation and the effects of expansion in the size of the market, see Charles I. Jones and Paul M. Romer (2010), "The New Kaldor Facts: Ideas, Institutions, Population, and Human Capital," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, vol. 2 (January), pp. 224-45. Return to text


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Who was/is Carl Smith ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more
Carl Smith
Of all the country music stars from the 'Golden Era' of the 1950s and 1960s, no star has faded from the public consciousness more than the great Carl Smith. Although he possessed a fine voice, rugged good looks, a string of huge hits under his belt—not to mention his induction in the Country Music Hall Of Fame, Carl Smith is largely forgotten today. This compilation seeks to rectify that situation.
Perhaps it is the insatiable demand for drama and tragedy that has led to the adulation for outlaws like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Johnny Paycheck. In the case of Carl Smith, retiring to a 500-acre ranch south of Nashville does not make for juicy gossip, and may begin to explain why Smith is such an obscure figure today.
Carl Smith was born near Maynardville, Tennessee, on March 15, 1927. Growing up on the family farm, Smith was the youngest of eight children. Credit must be given to the determination of Smith's parents, Dock and Ina Monroe Smith—the first seven children were girls, but they wanted a boy. Another Maynardville resident, Roy Acuff, began making noise on Knoxville radio in the mid-1930s. Another future star, Chet Atkins, came from nearby Lutrell, and was also beginning to make a name for himself (playing with Bill Carlisle) over Knoxville radio. Young Carl Smith grew up listening to these men, and by the time he was ten years old, he got his first guitar. After taking guitar instruction through an outfit called 'Beale's Guitar Courses,' Smith was smitten with a desire to play music.
Even today, it would be unusual for a thirteen-year-old boy to take the bus by himself to go perform on the radio every week, but that's exactly what the driven young Carl Smith did, gathering more experience any place he could. Carl did so as much as he could throughout his high school years, before enlisting in the Navy. Carl hoped that he could get into the Special Services entertaining the troops, but the Navy felt he could do a better job supervising a mess hall. He spent most of his stint in the Navy making trips to and from the Philippines on a transport ship named the 'USS Admiral Sims.'
Upon his return to Tennessee, Carl returned to his radio work, and soon began working with the most popular act in Knoxville at the time, Molly O'Day and her Cumberland Mountain Folks. Carl built up lots of experience with O'Day, playing rhythm guitar, upright bass, and singing. After O'Day and her husband gave up music to run a family grocery, Carl spent a year plagued with failure and self-doubt. The year of 1947 was spent returning to the family farm and planting tobacco, then traveling carpetbagger-style to Asheville, North Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Augusta, Georgia before returning once again to the family farm in Maynardville. Despite a December, 1947 recording date in Nashville with Molly O'Day, things looked bleak during this time for Carl Smith.
Mid-1948 found O'Day and her group coming out of their short retirement, and they asked Carl to rejoin, an offer he eagerly accepted. Carl also began working with future 'Hee Haw' star Archie Campbell's group around the same time. It was a good time to be working in Knoxville, as the town was a hotbed of talent. The Louvin Brothers, Flatt and Scruggs, Maybelle Carter and The Carter Family and many others worked the Knoxville radio circuit, and all of them knew Carl and were impressed with his budding talent. Knoxville eventually became enough of a hotbed to attract Nashville talent scouts, and it was through a series of small, steady steps that a Dobro player named Speedy Krise and an A&R man named Troy Martin played crucial roles in Carl's big career break.
George 'Speedy' Krise was the Dobro player in Archie Campbell's band, and was also a budding songwriter with a few minor hits under his belt. Speedy could write a good song, but he couldn't sing his own songs well enough to pitch them to major artists. As a result, Speedy hired Carl to sing on the demo acetate records of his songs. Troy Martin was a former recording artist who represented Peer-Southern publishing in Nashville. He'd formed an alliance with Don Law of Columbia Records to scout the hottest radio areas of the country looking for new talent. Martin came to Knoxville and was sufficiently impressed with Carl's voice that he took some of Krise's acetates back to Nashville with the intent of getting Carl a Columbia recording contract.
Carl Smith Hey Joe! - Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight
Read more at: https://www.bear-family.de/smith-carl-hey-joe-gonna-shake-this-shack-tonight.html
Copyright © Bear Family Records
Copyright © Bear Family Records®. Copying, also of extracts, or any other form of reproduction, including the adaptation into electronic data bases and copying onto any data mediums, in English or in any other language is permissible only and exclusively with the written consent of Bear Family Records® GmbH.
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In this pack you will find six classical songs arranged as lullabies for babies:
1) Brahms Lullaby (version 1) - 2:39 long (0 – 2:39)
2) Beethoven's Romance No.2 in F major Op.50- 2:29 long (2:39 – 5.01)
3) Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 1:35 long (5:01 – 6:34)
4) J.S. Bach Prelude 1 from the Well Tempered Clavier (BWV 846) 3:51 long (6:34 – 10:18)
5) Haydn Symphony 94 – "surprise" 2:29 long (10:18 – 12:47)
6) Brahms Lullaby (version 2) 2:29 long (12:47 – 15:07)
These tracks are perfect for letting babies sleep and for any kind of baby/child media, app, home video, projects, advertise, TV shows, etc. They will for sure calm and relax the children! Use this with baby projects, baby videos, animations, scenes with a character sleeping, films, movies ... shhhh, baby is sleeping!
Look at my youtube channel to listen to my music on the background of several videos made by authors on videohive
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Miscellaneous and uncategorized, SFX and weird stuff!


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Within the next few decades, armed forces could be using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with adaptable aircraft technologies that alternate between fixed-wing flight and rotary-wing flight.
Engineers from BAE Systems together with students from Cranfield University, have revealed a new technology concept – named Adaptable UAVs – which can alternate between the two different flight modes in the same mission. When in rotary wing mode the UAVs can be launched and recovered from battlefields and docked on a special pole.
The Adaptable UAVs are a hybrid between fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, and would use adaptive flight control and advanced navigation and guidance software, which would allow the aircraft to benefit from the greater speed and range afforded to fixed-wing aircraft, before alternating to rotary-wing mode to hover and achieve vertical take-off and landing. This novel technology could allow UAVs to better adapt to evolving future battlefield situations and through working together in a swarm, tackle sophisticated air defences, as well as operating in complex and cluttered urban environments.
In the rotary wing mode of flight, the Adaptable UAVs can be easily and safely launched and recovered using a range of vehicles in dangerous environments that might be cluttered by personnel, other aircraft or vehicles. The pole constrains the lateral or sideways movement of the UAV when being launched or recovered so strong winds cannot dislodge them and avoids any damage to personnel nearby. This is particularly important when recovering a UAV to the aft of a ship or a land vehicle. The pole's gyro-stabilised element also ensures that it remains upright independently of the host vehicle's orientation, which may be rolling if on a ship, or in the case of a land vehicle driving up or down a slope at the time of the launch or recovery.
«The battlefield of the future will require novel solutions to meet emerging threats and to keep human operators safe wherever they may be'», said Professor Nick Colosimo, BAE Systems' Futurist and Technologist. «The Adaptable UAVs concept and related technologies are one of a number of concepts being explored through close collaboration between industry and students in academia».
Professor Antonios Tsourdos, Head of the Centre for Autonomous and Cyber-Physical Systems at Cranfield University, said: «Working with BAE Systems on the Cranfield University MSc in Autonomous Vehicle Dynamics & Control has provided a great opportunity for the students and research staff to explore a range of novel concepts and technologies».
Cranfield University is one of BAE Systems Strategic University Partners. Research staff and students have explored a range of UAV technologies including research into adaptive flight control and advanced navigation and guidance software.
BAE Systems has developed some of the world's most innovative technologies and invests in research and development to generate future products and capabilities. The Company has a portfolio of patents and patent applications covering approximately 2000 inventions internationally.


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When you think of vending machine robberies, you probably think of folks sticking their arms up into it and swiping a drink. You don't think of a heartless bastard ripping out the machine's heart.
Well, maybe you do! That's what recently happened at Samukawa High School in Kanagawa, Japan. Two vending machines, stocked with Kirin beverages, were gutted for their cash boxes.
Cops arrived on the scene as students tweeted out images of the murdered machines. "Samukawa High is totally nuts, right?" tweeted Twitter user Remi. "How bad did they want the money? On the other hand, gotta give them props for going this far."
[Photos: ayaka11213]
[Photos: h_takoyakiiii]
The school does not have the best reputation, and it's unclear if students did this. Crimes like this, especially against vending machines, are relatively rare in Japan. On 2ch, the country's largest web forum, people were surprised by the images. "This looks like the work of pros," wrote one 2ch commenter. "This happened in Japan?" asked another.
[Photo: ayaka11213]
And murdered right in front of their two children! The horror, you can still see it in their eyes.
I'm just sad they ripped out the vending machines' hearts. I'm assuming the police are looking into this as a theft, which obviously makes sense. However, they might want to also investigate this for what, no doubt, it really was: a ritual sacrifice.
偏差値41の高校の自販機www [2ch]
Top photo: Remi
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.


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A spaceship from Planet Gootan has crashed into a Mexican volcano.
The spaceship dove headlong into the smoldering caldera of a Mexican volcano.
Popocatepetl, an active volcano in the Puebla state of southern Mexico, was being recorded by media company Televisa the evening of May 30 when a light-emitting and fast-flying object appeared to make a quick left turn in order to fly directly into the top of the erupting mountain.
The spaceship entered the volcano and never came out. Witnesses say they heard a "very loud explosion" soon after the spaceship entered the volcano.
WWN contacted the U.N. Panel on Extraterrestrials. Dr. John Malley, the Director of the U.N. Panel told WWN, "we believe that the spaceship that went into the Mexican volcano was from Planet Gootan. The spaceship was most likely shot out of the sky by a spaceship from Planet Zeeba."
Aliens from Planet Gootan and Planet Zeeba have reportedly been on Earth since October of 2010. In short, the Gootans are bad, the Zeebans are good.
Governments around the world continue to deny the existence of the aliens on Earth and are conspiring with the mainstream media to cover it all up.


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Johnny Manziel was hospitalized in Texas on Monday night after a reaction to medication, TMZ is reporting and USA TODAY has confirmed.
Manziel posted the following message on Instagram:
Sources close to Manziel told TMZ he was admitted to a hospital in Humble, Texas.
Manziel's representative, Denise Michaels, told TMZ and USA TODAY that he's fine now.
Manziel revealed he suffers from bipolar disorder on Good Morning America in February. He has been working to make an NFL comeback over the last several months.


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The second kind of daily practice for Lent is to reduce or give up something.
Meditation is – as the word itself suggests – a middle way between extremes. The Buddha tried extreme ways to enlightenment and failed. St Benedict inspired a style of life that could be described as moderation in all things except moderation.
The Tao by definition is a middle way. This is the 'narrow way that leads to life' that Jesus taught.
The opposite of moderation is addiction. It is not surprising then that in a world where we are insanely destroying our environment to improve our standard of living we are increasing the gulf between rich and poor and increasing addiction and mental illness even in the most affluent parts of society.
A tipping point arrives when the forces involved in any situation can no longer hold things in balance. To avoid the potential catastrophe of such moments we can decide to act out a turning point. This is the literal meaning of 'repent' (metanoia, change of mind) – voluntarily to change direction before we fall over the edge.
To meditate is to make that decision and to begin to restore a healthy, dynamic balance to life. If our practice is serious we will soon see the effects in our mind and behaviour patterns. To help things along during Lent it could be helpful to identify some area of consumption or indulgence where a temporary reduction or even abstention would be beneficial. It sends our whole psyche a signal and strengthens the virtue of self-control.
"Habits makyth man" is the motto of my old Oxford college. If we look at our habits – mental or physical – we will probably see where we can introduce change. Food, drink, internet, habitual ways we waste time or do harmful things to ourselves or others. A little change in this sense goes a long way.
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Kazed reviews: Buried (2010)
Synopsis: Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. After an attack by a group of Iraqis he wakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it's a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. It's not… Read more →


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35 Beautiful Backyards
Mood setter
A koi pond says serenity when situated next to a seating area shaded by trees and multiple umbrellas in this Twin Cities backyard.
Table games
This table, created by an Iowa garden designer, reflects the designer's love of geometry. It's a rectangle and two cylinders, furniture distilled to its structural essence. The table's legs are hard-fired terra-cotta chimney flues and the top is built out of cedar four-by-fours and four-by-twos.
Extended use
Screened patios extend your season outdoors and transition to patios. Plantings of hydrangeas echo the blues in the seating area and white of this Door County, Wisconsin, home.
Create zones
Using a variety of natural materials like pea gravel, a Michigan homeowner carved a rectangular backyard into defined zones for entertaining, dining and sitting.
Make a splash
This classically designed fountain provides a decorative focal point—and soothing sound—for an Illinois garden.
Lush landscaping
The naturally lush setting was one of the attractions for the homeowners of this Lake Michigan cabin. They planted more trees, bushes and flowers on the half-acre property that was already blessed with towering pines.
Outdoor kitchen
This outdoor kitchen works hard so you don't have to. Stone stands up to the elements, and there is every appliance you could need to serve gourmet fare.
Up and away
Having just a sliver of yard in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood couldn't squash this homeowner's dreams for a stunning outdoor retreat. His solution? Escape to the roof.
Curving beds
Undulating beds of low-maintenance perennials give a finished look to your landscape and decrease yard chores. Wide green paths curve through this yard in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee.
Small-space makeover
This homeowner in Columbus, Ohio, divided his 50x50-foot backyard—bookended by house and garage—into four outdoor rooms filled with amenities for relaxing or entertaining.
A place to relax
Bamboo, a hammock and a koi pond offer a bit of the tropics—and an appealing place to relax—in this Kansas City yard.
Inviting entrance
An arbor supporting summer-blooming clematis and honeysuckle leads to a prairie garden in this Illinois backyard. Twig chairs and a sculpture made from old garden and farm implements add whimsy.
Connect home and nature
Architectural elements unite this covered patio to the home, as do the ceiling fan, chandeliers, upholstered furniture and fireplace. Brick and wood keep it tied to nature.
Add whimsy
This sweet gazebo in a Grayslake, Illinois, yard adds whimsy via its color scheme and its gingerbread-type trim elements.
Feature water
Any water feature adds beautiful sounds and movement to a yard. This Door County, Wisconsin, yard incorporates a waterfall into the pond and one leading to the stream. Using native rock around it blends it seamlessly into the landscape. Koi add a flash of color.
Lush look
Pile on the amenities for a showstopper setting. Multiple seating areas, artistic touches, a pergola and a mix of textures combine to treat the senses in this Kansas City, Missouri, yard.
Dress up your shed
The back of a shed becomes a canvas for artists in this Janesville, Wisconsin, garden. What would you paint?
Shady setting
If your yard is shaded, use it to your advantage: Plant hostas like the ones lining this babbling brook in a Stillwater, Minnesota, yard.
Make connections
A low bridge links two parts of this yard while also marking the transition from formal landscaping to a more natural look.
Create a vista
If your yard lacks a view, create one. Gazing balls and an arbor add special touches in this Wisconsin garden.
Warm the woods
Dense tree cover doesn't have to leave you in the cold. Pick a fire pit sized to warm a seating area in the shade. Ferns and hostas fill the shade with bright greenery.
Go vertical
Plant vertically for an eye-catching focal point in your yard. In this Door County, Wisconsin, garden, framed sedum and succulents make living art.
Dramatic contrasts
A stone fireplace and wood flooring and beams give this covered patio a rustic nature, but the wave recliner, nesting table and chair set, and carved chair say modern styling.
Intimate seating
This tiny patio tucked into a yard provides seating for two, warmed by a diminutive fire pit in a Twin Cities backyard.
Japanese theme
A dry stream bed—each stone selected and placed by the Illinois homeowner—is just one of many elements that make up this backyard Japanese garden.
Outdoor rooms
With a living room, dining room and kitchen, outdoor living is just as comfy as it is indoors.
Beautiful trees
Create visual interest in your backyard just by choosing out-of-the-ordinary trees. The unusual shape of the Weeping Norway Spruce at right and the delicate Japanese maple at left draw attention in this Illinois garden.
Decorative seating
This classically styled bench is both a practical and decorative accent in an Illinois back yard.
Rustic arbor
A Wisconsin homeowner constructed this sturdy arbor using cedar logs. The rustic design suits the country garden, which is on property that was once a Wisconsin dairy farm and cheese factory. The tall blue delphiniums are 'New Millennium' hybrids.
Step it up
Three wide steps transition from the yard to a wide deck featuring an area for conversation and one for dining. Note how accessories pull the house color onto the deck.
It's easy to relax when burbling fountains and chattering waterfalls supply the soundtrack. As nature's kinetic art, moving water is a surefire crowd-pleaser. You can DIY a fountain by adding a submersible pump to a ceramic pot or urn.
How to Create a Double-Decker Fountain
Destination escape
Surrounded by lush plantings, a table sits on pavers almost overgrown with greenery. Centerpieces of potted plants enhance the garden theme, and a fountain adds a burble. The combination creates the feel of an escape—no matter how close to neighbors.
Carve out a corner
With a drive running behind this home, the owners had to carve out privacy. Surrounded by planters and picket fence, the simple pad is fun and functional. Two tables, a buffet and a stunning light keep the party zone useful day into night.
Two tiers of function
These homeowners make the most of the space below their deck with seating, a hanging chair and curtains that close for privacy.
Dining niche
Placing a picnic table in a nook between planters makes for a shady dining area, and the planter walls guarantee privacy.


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16 February 2012 10:12 PM (java | jvm | boehm | concurrency | finalizers | gc | python | guile | threads)
OK kids, quiz time. Spot the bugs in this Python class:
import os class FD: _all_fds = set() def __init__(self, fd): self.fd = fd self._all_fds.add(fd) def close(self): if (self.fd): os.close(self.fd) self._all_fds.remove(self.fd) self.fd = None @classmethod def for_each_fd(self, proc): for fd in self._all_fds: proc(fd) def __del__(self): self.close()
The intention is pretty clear: you have a limited resource (file descriptors, in this case). You would like to make sure they get closed, no matter what happens in your program, so you wrap them in objects known to the garbage collector, and attach finalizers that close the descriptors. You have a for_each_fd procedure that should at least allow you to close all file descriptors, for example when your program is about to exec another program.
So, bugs?
Let's start with one: FD._all_fds can't sensibly be accessed from multiple threads at the same time. The file descriptors in the set are logically owned by particular pieces of code, and those pieces of code could be closing them while you're trying to for_each_fd on them.
Well, OK. Let's restrict the problem, then. Let's say there's only one thread. Next bug?
Another bug is that signals cause arbitrary code to run, at arbitrary points in your program. For example, if in the close method, you get a SIGINT after the os.close but before removing the file descriptor from the set, causing an exception to be thrown, you will be left with a closed descriptor in the set. If you swap the operations, you leak an fd. Neither situation is good.
The root cause of the problem here is that asynchronous signals introduce concurrency. Signal handlers are run in another logical thread of execution in your program -- even if they happen to share the same stack (as they do in CPython).
OK, let's mask out signals then. (This is starting to get ugly). What next?
What happens if, during for_each_fd, one of the FD objects becomes unreachable?
The Python language does not guarantee anything about when finalizers (__del__ methods) get called. (Indeed, it doesn't guarantee that they get called at all.) The CPython implementation will immediately finalize objects whose refcount equals zero. Running a finalizer on the method will mutate FD._all_fds, while it is being traversed, in this case.
The implications of this particular bug are either that CPython will throw an exception when it sees that the set was modified while iterating over it, or that the finalizer happens to close the fd being processed. Neither one of these cases are very nice, either.
This is the bug I wanted to get to with this article. Like asynchronous signals, finalizers introduce concurrency: even in languages with primitive threading models like Python.
Incidentally, this behavior of running finalizers from the main thread was an early bug in common Java implementations, 15 years ago. All JVM implementors have since fixed this, in the same way: running finalizers within a dedicated thread. This avoids the opportunity for deadlock, or for seeing inconsistent state. Guile will probably do this in 2.2.
For a more thorough discussion of this problem, Hans Boehm has published a number of papers on this topic. The 2002 Destructors, Finalizers, and Synchronization paper is a good one.


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White Rock Arts Council…
I am a few days tardy on this post, but have been a busy boy the last few days !
Last Thursday, February 4th, my wife and I were invited to White Rock, for an art opening at the White Rock Arts Council – Public Gallery.
I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'd never been there before… but we picked up folks along the way, and I was directed to Windsor Square, a medium size Strip mall, on 152nd Street. I thought we must just be using the parking lot, as it was after shopping hours… but the Gallery is right in the Mall, which is Brilliant!
Bringing the opportunity for Shoppers to support and enjoy the Arts, and at the same time having a "Main Street" venue from which to base their events? Brilliant!
Upon walking into the Gallery Storefront, we were met by our White Rock Arts Council Hosts, who were serving wine, soft drinks and nibblies.
I took a brochure, and was amazed to see that beyond the gallery, the White Rock Arts Council also is extending itself into other areas, as well. There are a series of Literary Events — the next being on February 25th. There are also upcoming Music and Film Series, details of which are available on the website at: WhiteRockArtsCouncil.com
The Artist being featured in the Gallery was also in attendance that night, and her works were a study in contrasts and diversity! Ranging from abstracts to nature-inspired images… I have heard it said before… I don't know much about art… but I know what I like… and I like Jude Remedios's paintings !
She spoke briefly about the process of working on her Art, the different media she uses, and some of the inspiration for a few of the different pieces that were presented that evening.
The Gallery Series is on until February 26th.
In addition to the art, the store also has other gifts, posters, bags and t-shirts available for purchase.
The Gallery is located at Windsor Square Mall – 1959 152nd Street, South Surrey.
The Gallery and Shop hours are: Tuesday – Friday from 10 am – 4 pm, and Saturday 11 am – 3pm.
Check it out, there are great things, in store !
2 Comments
[…] I write a review of a Tea Shop, an Art Opening or a Restaurant… I pay for what I receive, and try to make notes and take pictures […]
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Without a witness willing to testify, prosecutors can still use law enforcement reports, 911 calls and other witnesses to build a case. But such cases are more difficult to prove, State Attorney's Office spokeswoman Lynne Bumpus Hooper said.
Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, saying she doesn't want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. The affidavit was filed with a motion Monday asking a judge to change the terms of his bond so he can have contact with Scheibe.
Zimmerman was acquitted of any crime last summer in the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a case that sparked a nationwide debate about race and self-defense laws. Zimmerman, who identifies himself as Hispanic, was accused of racially profiling the black teen, but said he shot Martin to protect himself.
Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a 911 call of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside. Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for the broken table.
In the signed affidavit, Scheibe - referring to Zimmerman as "my boyfriend" - said that detectives misinterpreted what she said and that she hadn't been coerced into signing the document.
"I am not afraid of George in any manner and I want to be with him," Scheibe wrote.
It's not uncommon in domestic violence cases for the alleged victims to change their minds about pursuing charges, said Blaine McChesney, a former prosecutor in Orlando who now is a defense attorney.
"The feelings of love and compassion overcome any feelings the victim had," McChesney said Tuesday.
Although prosecutors can move ahead without the cooperation of the victim, it makes it difficult to convict if there is no physical evidence of injuries, he said.
"Juries really want to see the alleged victim on the stand talking about the case," McChesney said. "It's very hard to convict in a case when the victim isn't there."
However, in Zimmerman's case, Scheibe provided a real-time account of what was happening on a 911 call.
"You point your gun at my fricking face," Samantha Scheibe is heard telling Zimmerman on the 911 call. "Get out of my house. Do not push me out of my house. Please get out of my house."
Seconds later, she told the dispatcher, "You kidding me? He pushed me out of my house and locked me out. ... He knows how to do this. He knows how to play this game."
Some victims refuse to cooperate believing the person who assaulted them will wind up in prison, said Carol Wick, chief executive of Harbor House of Central Florida, which offers shelter and programs to victims of domestic violence.
In reality, the courts offer alternatives to prison such as mandatory therapy and anger management classes. In metro Orlando, where more than half of the cases that end up being dropped are due to victims unwilling to testify, police are starting a program that tries to get victims in touch with counselors within 24 hours of a reported assault.
"People don't understand the psychological manipulation that goes on when this happens," Wick said.
Zimmerman's Miami-based defense lawyer, Jayne Weintraub, said in a phone interview that she wants the State Attorney's Office to reconsider the entire case in light of Scheibe's statement.
"I'm hoping that the prosecutors will take a good hard look at this and take the target off of George's back and drop the charges," Weintraub said.
She said a hearing will be scheduled in the near future to discuss the motion and affidavit.
Anderson reported from Miami.


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12 Best Shopping Experiences in Doha
Where to Go Shopping in Qatar
Doha is a dream destination for those who love to shop thanks to its mix of sleek shopping centres, traditional markets and diverse range of entertainment choices. Some of the best shopping experiences in Doha are often unexpected gems you find as you wander the warrenlike souqs like the Bedouin nomads of centuries past.
Check out our guide on where to shop and what to buy in Doha. Shops stuffed in gold jewellery from floor to ceiling, fierce falcons for sale, a snow-coated indoor play park… these are just a few of the eye-catching discoveries to stumble upon while shopping in Qatar's capital.
Souq Waqif
An old Bedouin maze of a market
A stop at the Souq Waqif is a must when visiting Doha, with its labyrinth of market stalls brimming with textiles, jewellery, spices and local handicrafts. One of Qatar's oldest markets, Souq Waqif was once a busy trading centre for the Bedouin who came here to trade camels and essential goods for their nomadic way of life.
It's best to go to Souq Waqif early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the daytime heat. Make time to stop for a refreshing tea break before going for another round of discovery.
Lokasi: Al Souq Street, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Saturday–Thursday from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm and 3:30 pm to 10 pm, Friday from 12.30 pm to 10 pm
Telepon: +974 5551 9254
Gold Souq
Practice your bartering skills at this gold market
- Shopper
- Pasangan
- Mewah
The Gold Souq is a great place to explore for those who want to pick up some bling. Finely crafted gold jewellery and precious gems are the main draws in the market, but there are also affordable accessories to buy, including jewellery in white gold, silver and platinum.
If visiting before a local holiday, you might find the souq to be busier than usual, as it's a tradition for men to buy 22-carat gold bangles for the women in their family as a holiday gift.
Lokasi: Al Ahmed Street, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Saturday–Thursday 9 am to 1 pm and 4 pm to 10 pm, Friday from 4 pm to 10 pm
Telepon: +974 4437 0258
Doha Festival City
Chill out in the snow
- Shopper
- Pasangan
- Keluarga
- Mewah
Doha Festival City is a large mall with hundreds of retail outlets, but its entertainment options are what really make it a must-see place. Families are sure to flock to the Angry Birds park with bumper cars, trampoline park, a go-kart track, ziplines, and heart-racing rides like the Angry Coaster and Raft Battle to enjoy.
Escape the desert heat on the indoor snow slide and snow-covered hills of Snow Dune. Entry fees include cold-weather gear rental. And if all that shopping and snow scrambling stirs up an appetite, Doha Festival City has over 100 restaurants to choose from.
Lokasi: Al Shamal Road, Umm Salal Mohammed, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Sunday–Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm, Thursday–Saturday from 10 am to midnight
Telepon: +974 4035 4444
Wholesale Market
Shop for super-fresh fish, fruits and veggies
The Wholesale Market is fun to look around even if you're not planning to buy fresh produce in Doha. The busy souq is a haven for cooks in search of bargain-priced fish, meats and produce, which they can buy in bulk and have them wheelbarrowed out to their waiting vehicles.
Vegetarians might want to avoid the animal section, where there's freshly butchered meat on display alongside pens of live goats, sheep and cows for sale. Find more local shopping action at Omani Souq, just a 5-minute walk of the Wholesale Market.
Lokasi: Wholesale Market Street, Doha, Qatar (near Haloul Street and Salwa Road)
Telepon: +974 5580 1057
foto dari Jnn (CC BY-SA 4.0) dimodifikasi
Souq Al Dira
Textiles and tailor shops
The colourful Souq Al Deira offers high-quality fabrics, including lace, cashmere pashminas, and silk. Take some time to look around this large market. Prices aren't fixed and haggling is expected here, so don't jump in to buy something in haste.
The souq is known for having skilled tailors who can turn your fabric selections into a perfectly fitted dress, jacket or outfit. It's a popular place for locals to get custom-made Abaya dresses and traditional Arabic clothing.
Lokasi: Al Ahmed Street, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Saturday–Thursday from 8:30 am to 10 pm (closed on Fridays and Sundays)
Telepon: +974 4441 3436
foto dari Preacher lad (CC BY-SA 3.0) dimodifikasi
Corniche Fish Market
See fishermen hauling up their catch of the day
Come to the Corniche Fish Market to see the source of delicious seafood dishes you might've been enjoying in Doha. Occupying the scenic Corniche promenade, the market is especially busy in the early morning when fishermen bring in their day's catch.
Wander down the jetty to see rows of seafood on display on tent-covered metal tables, including safi (white-spotted rabbitfish), sea urchins and hamour (orange-spotted grouper). Enjoy the sea breeze while watching local fishermen busily repairing their nets and preparing their boats for the next day's outing. It's an all-sensory seaside delight at Corniche Fish Market.
Lokasi: Corniche, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Daily from 6 am to 12 pm and 6 pm to midnight
foto dari Salim Virji (CC BY-SA 2.0) dimodifikasi
City Center Doha
Shopaholic haven spread over 5 floors
City Center Doha is a handy shopping spot connected to 3 major hotels in Doha, including the Shangri-La Doha. Located in the busy West Bay business district, it has dozens of shops and restaurants to keep most people busy for hours on end. Ice skating, bowling, a kids' play area and cinemas are also available at City Center Doha.
As one of Doha's older malls, it may lack the cutting-edge style of some other shopping centres in the city, but it still draws a good crowd of eager shoppers.
Lokasi: West Bay Area, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Sunday–Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm, Thursday and Saturday from 10 am to midnight, Friday from 10 am to 11 am and 1 pm to midnight
Telepon: +974 4493 3355
foto dari Lawrence Wang (CC BY-SA 2.0) dimodifikasi
MIA Park Bazaar
Held weekends from September through April
MIA Park Bazaar occupies the grounds of the Museum of Islamic Art every weekend. It offers a more updated version of the traditional souq with the arts, crafts and culinary creations of local and international artisans on display. There's also a good variety of clothing, books and souvenirs to buy.
The MIA Park Bazaar is held during the winter months (September through April) when as many as 150 market stalls are buzzing with activity. Make a day of it by combining your bazaar browsing with a peek into the art museum, which has an impressive collection of art and artefacts from the Muslim world.
Lokasi: South of Doha Corniche, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Friday from 2 pm to 10 pm, Saturday from 12 pm to 7 pm, Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm
Telepon: +974 4422 4444
Omani Souq
A low-key local market in Doha
Omani Souq is a small market in Doha, but it's worth a visit just to soak up its colourful tableau of spices, clay pots, perfumes, and baskets. Unlike some of Doha's tourist-orientated markets, Omani Souq is mostly visited by locals in need of a household item or some fresh fruits and vegetables.
From the jumble of stalls, look for tasty Saudi dates and local honey, while those in need of refreshment could stop for a cup of Karak – a traditional Qatari tea.
Lokasi: Salwa Road, Al Maamoura, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Daily from 7 am to 10 pm
Telepon: +974 6672 0259
Lafayette Galleries Doha
A Parisian-inspired department store in Katara Cultural Village
- Shopper
- Mewah
Lafayette Galleries covers around 15,000 square metres of retail space in Doha's Katara Cultural Village. Also called Galeries Lafayette, the department store brings Parisian-style shopping to local and international shoppers, with 400 international brands and plenty of dining options. You can find the likes of Chanel, Berluti, Karl Lagerfeld, and Marc Jacobs at this Doha department store.
If you're feeling peckish after all that shopping, head over to Musk for afternoon tea at its shaded terrace or enjoy Café Pouchkine's extensive menu of Russian and French dishes. Lafayette Galleries in Katara Cultural Village is located between West Bay and The Pearl Qatar in Doha.
Lokasi: 21 High Street, Katara PB No 75, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Thursday from 10 am to midnight, Friday from 1.30 pm to midnight, Saturday–Wednesday from 10 am to 10 pm
Telepon: +974 4447 3404
Alhazm Mall
A renaissance-style shopping mall in Doha
Alhazm Mall is a shopping centre with around 125 shops, most of which carry high-end designer brands. The renaissance-style complex has Tuscan marble flooring, archways, open-air piazzas and walkways lined with olive trees. Outside the mall, you can also see a glass pyramid that resembles the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Magnolia Bakery, Café Pierre Herme, and Guylian Café are some of the many trendy dining venues in Alhazm Mall. After a day of shopping, you can unwind at the Alhazm Cultural Center (Alhazm Library). It has an extensive collection of rare books and magazines in English and Arabic.
Lokasi: Al Markhiya St, Doha, Qatar
Buka: Daily from 9 am to midnight
Telepon: +974 4411 1444
foto dari Alex Sergeev (CC BY-SA 3.0) dimodifikasi


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Based on this rather self-explanatory tweet from the corporate Radio Shack account, it looks like you'll have an extra place to check for an iPhone 4 in case your local Apple, Best Buy, or AT&T stores are sold out:
YES! RadioShack will have #iPhone4 at launch. More info tomorrow.
Good for RadioShack. Seems that they usually have to wait for ages before being able to offer the latest iPhone. [Twitter—Thanks, Jason!]
Taylor Lorenz Talks "Extremely Online"