text:
Blackhawks erase 3-1 series deficit, advance with Game 7 OT win
CHICAGO -- When the Chicago Blackhawks were on the brink of playoff elimination, they had the feeling that all they needed was one win to turn it around.
They were right.
Brent Seabrook sent a wrist shot past Jimmy Howard's glove 3:35 into overtime, and the Blackhawks completed an improbable comeback with a 2-1 victory over the Red Wings in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series on Wednesday night.
"You go back to after Game 4," coach Joel Quenneville said. "Their approach and the belief in the room, and each other, was there. It was a strong season and we had to find a way. I think winning here in Game 5 got us excited again and got the momentum back.
"The last two games were tightly fought and amazing games."
The Blackhawks, who had the best record during the NHL regular season, rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to reach the Western Conference finals against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.
For just the second time in NHL history, the final four teams remaining in the playoffs are the four most recent Stanley Cup winners. Chicago captured the Cup in 2010.
Seabrook picked up a loose puck and skated in on Howard through the middle of the ice, with Detroit defenseman Niklas Kronwall in front of him. His shot hit Kronwall's leg before it sailed into the left side of the net for the defenseman's first goal of the postseason.
"I don't know if I saw it go in to be honest," Seabrook said. "I just heard the horn going and the boys jumping out. It was a pretty exhausting game, but I think I was more tired during the celebration with guys jumping and pushing me in the face and dragging me down.
"It's exciting. You don't get to do that too many times."
The sellout crowd of 22,103 roared as Seabrook skated over to the boards and was mobbed by his delirious teammates.
Howard put his arm around Kronwall, who was down on one knee, and tried to console him while the Blackhawks celebrated.
"It's tough. How do you get upset at someone who's sacrificing their body out there to block shots?" Howard said. "Kroner has been huge for us all year and you know, he doesn't deserve that luck."
It was quite a change from the end of the third period, when the Blackhawks thought they had scored the go-ahead goal. But it was waved off with less than 2 minutes remaining by referee Stephen Walkom, who called a pair of penalties behind the play.
Patrick Sharp put Chicago in front in the second period, but Henrik Zetterberg tied it in the third for No. 7 Detroit, which beat second-seeded Anaheim in seven games in the first round. Howard finished with 33 saves.
"They're a very talented group," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I think we pushed them very hard in the series and had a lot of fun doing it."
Chicago made it to the conference finals for the first time since it won the title three years ago and will host Los Angeles in Game 1 on Saturday night. The Kings advanced with a 2-1 victory over San Jose in Game 7 on Tuesday night.
Pittsburgh will host Boston in the opener of the Eastern finals on Saturday.
Chicago was one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup when the playoffs began, storming to the Presidents' Trophy during the lockout-shortened season. The Blackhawks then boosted their credentials with a five-game win over Minnesota in the first round and a convincing 4-1 victory against the Red Wings in the series opener.
But Howard and Detroit responded with three straight victories, pushing Chicago to the edge of elimination. The frustrated Blackhawks held a team meeting the day after Game 4, where the seeds were planted for their improbable comeback.
Three victories later -- in which the Blackhawks outscored the Red Wings 10-5 after managing just two goals in Games 2-4 -- they became the 25th team to win a series after trailing 3-1. It was the first time in franchise history Chicago has made such a comeback.
"We dug really deep," captain Jonathan Toews said. "We came in here and asked ourselves a question: How bad we wanted it. You got your answer right there. That's a heck of a way to pull out four wins in seven games."
Crawford finished with 26 saves, continuing his strong performance after allowing a soft goal that nearly proved costly in Game 6. He was especially tough after Detroit turned up the pressure early in the third.
The Blackhawks celebrated wildly when Niklas Hjalmarsson blasted a slap shot by Howard with 1:47 left in regulation, prompting cheers from the raucous crowd.
But Chicago forward Brandon Saad and Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey got tangled up in front of the Red Wings bench. Walkom stopped play to give roughing penalties to both players as the Blackhawks went in for what appeared to be the go-ahead goal.
"It was getting to the point where he had to call the penalty, I guess. We were going back in forth," Quincey said. "I guess it worked in our favor there."
Toews had a long discussion with one of the officials while the cheers turned to boos as the crowd realized the goal was waved off. The Red Wings then rushed down the ice, and Johan Franzen's shot was blocked by defenseman Duncan Keith.
After a seesaw series with all sorts of twists and turns, Chicago and Detroit faced off one more time in a Western Conference playoff game. The Red Wings will move to the East after this season as part of NHL realignment while the Blackhawks remain in the West.
Playing on soft ice due in part to The Rolling Stones concert on Tuesday night, the Original Six teams provided a fitting conclusion to a compelling series.
"You have to give the Red Wings credit," Sharp said. "They're a well-coached team, they keep coming at you. Each game could have gone the other way. But we have to be proud of ourselves in this locker room for being able to battle back."
The Blackhawks got an opening at the start of the second period when Sharp got Kronwall to turn the puck over while the Red Wings changed lines. Sharp then skated in with Michal Handzus and Marian Hossa and finished a pretty passing sequence with his seventh goal of the playoffs at 1:08.
The Red Wings tied it at the beginning of the third. Gustav Nyquist made a nice move to get open along the boards and found a streaking Zetterberg on the left side for the captain's first goal since the Red Wings' 3-2 victory at Anaheim in Game 7 of the first round.
"To go all the way, you need a lot of luck," Detroit forward Daniel Cleary said. "You need to be healthy to win. The last five teams that won Cups were still alive. There's probably a reason for that. They're a good team. I mean, tip your hat to them. They played well."
Game notes
Detroit C Valtteri Filppula didn't return after leaving in the first period with an undisclosed lower body injury. ... It was the third Game 7 between the Red Wings and Blackhawks. Detroit won 4-2 in 1964, and Chicago returned the favor by the same score a year later. ... White Sox 1B Paul Konerko won his matchup with Cubs RHP Jeff Samardzija in shoot the puck after the second period. Former Bulls star Scottie Pippen and Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman both received warm ovations when they were shown on the video board.
CHI Wins 4-3
Game Information
- Referees:
- Stephen Walkom
- Dan O'Rourke
- Linesmen:
- Brian Murphy
- Jean Morin


text:
Is Cash Surrender Value of Life Insurance Taxable?
Dear Tax Talk,
Are the cash value proceeds from a surrendered life insurance policy taxable?
- Jess
Dear Jess,
Proceeds from the death of the insured are tax-exempt. However, if you cash in a policy early, you may have taxable income.
A life insurance policy is similar to a savings account. You deposit money into the life insurance policy in the form of premiums, the insurer uses a portion of your deposits to pay for the life insurance benefit and the remainder is invested. If you pay for enough years, your policy builds up a cash surrender value, or CSV. If the CSV is more than the premiums and you surrender the policy (cancel it), the excess is earnings and taxable income. For example, if you paid $1,000 in policy premiums for 20 years and you cash in the policy and receive $30,000, you'll pay ordinary income tax on $10,000 in earnings.
You should receive a Form 1099-R showing the total proceeds and the taxable part. Report these amounts on lines 16a and 16b of Form 1040.
In certain cases, accelerated death benefits are not taxable income if the insured is terminally or chronically ill. This is generally referred to as a viatical settlement. This differs from a surrender of the policy to the insurer. If you're contemplating a surrender of the policy because of need resulting from a terminal illness, you may be better off with a viatical settlement.
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. federal tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. Taxpayers should seek professional advice based on their particular circumstances.
Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by Bankrate's Terms of Use.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We know you don't like bugs. We don't like them either. But as they're an unavoidable part of software, it'd be good for us to share how best to report issues to us to speed things along.
In short, here's a great rule: If we can't reproduce the bug, we can't fix the bug.
When you report a bug to us, here's what happens:
- We read the bug report
- One of us tries to reproduce the bug
- If we can reproduce it, we investigate what's broken and fix it.
- But if we can't reproduce the bug…
Often bug reports don't include enough information. This means we have go back and ask for details so we can investigate. If you want to increase the odds we fix an issue, and fix it fast, help us out.
A great bug report includes the following:
- What were you trying to do?
- What did you click on or do last?
- What happened / what did you see?
- What browser are you using?
- What version of WordPress?
- What hosting provider? (And if you know, what version of PHP do they use?)
- The bug is reported to the right place (For Jetpack, Go here)
You don't need to be verbose. A sentence for each is often just fine. And bug reports that show screenshots for #3 are incredibly useful, as we can see exactly what you saw.
Bonus points for reviewing known issues before submitting, as your problem might already have been reported, and have a patch or a workaround (For Jetpack, known issues are listed here).
We work hard to have you deal with as few issues as possible, but if you want to improve the odds we can fix your issue fast, please take a extra minute to write a bug report that's easier for us to use. Thanks.
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text:
I had the opportunity to spend some hands-on time with the long-awaited Apple iPad tablet after today's much-hyped press event. Unfortunately, I was a bit underwhelmed: I can see a lot of really useful applications for the iPad, but the reality is that it looks and behaves like an iPhone (or iPod Touch) on steroids. And that's not exactly a good thing.
Hardware: Awkward to handle
While the iPad is super slim at only a half-inch thick, I had some difficulty handling it. At 1.5 pounds, it is too heavy to hold in one hand, which is troublesome if you plan on using it as an e-reader. Other e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle 2 or the COOL-ER e-reader, are much lighter in hand and therefore make for a much more comfortable user experience. Using two hands is much more comfortable, but if you're reading a long novel, that could get quite tiresome.
Compared side-by-side, the iPad's 9.7-inch 1024-by-768-pixel LED-backlit display appeared dimmer than my iPhone 3G's (auto-brightness disabled, brightness set to maximum). Whites, in particular, looked much brighter on my iPhone. Apple had no comment, however, when I inquired about the difference. Although, one Apple spokesperson pointed out that a phone–which we expect to use outdoors as easily as indoors–might need to be brighter.
iPad OS: A giant iPhone interface
One of the biggest rumors leading up to the event was that iPhone OS 4.0 would be released in conjunction with the iPad. Instead, the iPad is running iPhone OS 3.2 (which has not been released for actual iPhones yet).
The lack of a fresh, new interface for the iPad is disappointing. There might be some incremental differences between versions 3.1 and 3.2, but to me on the surface, the iPad's interface looked exactly like a blown-up version of my iPhone 3GS'. And in my opinion, the OS doesn't translate very well from the much smaller iPhone 3G to the iPad. It's not so much about the touch aspect of the interface; in fact, navigating by touch is a huge benefit on this roomy screen, superior to, say, the joystick-based navigation of the comparably sized, non-touch Amazon Kindle DX screen. But images, icons, and text aren't as crisp as expected on the higher-resolution iPad. I found it much like watching standard definition video on an HDTV; Apple doesn't seem to have optimized the operating system's visuals for the iPad's display.
Because of the larger display, pretty much all of the native applications we're used to viewing on the iPhone look and function better on the iPad. Video playback, in particular, is stunning on the iPad, but we're disappointed by the lack of Flash support (though that exclusion wasn't exactly surprising, it remains a grievous omission).
As a photo viewer, the iPad shines. Photos looked superb on the iPad's display, and it uses all of the familiar multitouch gestures (flick, pinch to zoom) found on the iPhone's photo app. The iPad's photo application is much better than the iPhone's, too, with on-the-fly slideshow creation (complete with transitions) and different ways of viewing the images (including sorting by places, people, events, and a mini-thumbnail bar at the bottom of the screen to jump quickly to other photos in the album). Unfortunately, the sorting capabilities will only work if you're using iPhoto–which means that those of who use any number of alternative imaging applications for the PC or the Mac (the majority of potential iPad users) are left in the dark with regard to those features.
Touch keyboard disappoints
Like the rest of the OS, the touch keyboard is a larger version of the iPhone's. But unlike on the iPhone, the keyboard has no letter magnification when you press a key, and I found I missed this visual cue immensely. And unsurprisingly, it lacks haptic feedback (part of Android phones). You get no physical or visual feedback when you press a key and that's frustrating if you're trying to pound out a long e-mail. The experience, oddly, is akin to typing on the native Android OS' touch keyboard.
Using the keyboard in vertical mode, my small hands had difficulty maneuvering around the keyboard–my thumbs couldn't stretch across the whole device to reach the keys. Horizontal mode felt much more natural, but as a touch-typist, I still made more errors than I would with a physical keyboard.
Apple will be offering a keyboard dock accessory, which gives you an actual physical keyboard to work with ($69). You can also place it in the iPad Case ($39), which allows you to angle it slightly. This feels much more comfortable than just laying the tablet flat and typing. Both of these items are sold separately, though.
iPhone apps don't fly on iPad
One of the big concerns among developers and users before the iPad's announcement was whether iPhone apps would work on the device. Thankfully, they do, but the experience isn't exactly ideal. You can either view an iPhone app as a small window or doubled to fill the display. I demoed the Assassin's Creed and Oregon Trail apps, and was put off by the obvious pixelation. Text in Facebook looked fuzzy, too.
Clearly, this an interim fix until actual apps are developed for the iPad. And I expect many app makers will create versions optimized for iPad. I see a lot of gaming potential for the iPad, but cool 3D graphics game like Assassins Creed just doesn't work on the iPad.
Luckily, the iPad isn't shipping for another 60 days, so hopefully more content will be developed by then. And who knows? Some of the issues I've noticed on this demo unit may be fixed by then.
Right now, I'm not sold on either the hardware or the software. But excellent, optimized content might change my opinion.


text:
Green roofs
Modern green roofs are a rapidly developing commercial market in Ontario. Their primary benefit as a LID technology is in maximizing evapotranspiration for water balance targets. Green roofs are sometimes referred to as 'ecoroofs', 'vegetated roofs', 'living roofs'.
Green roofs are ideal for:
- Sites without significant space at ground level for infiltration,
- Zero-lot line projects with outdoor amenity requirements,
- Projects looking for accreditation with LEED v.4
Extensive green roofs are the most commonly used type of green roof used for stormwater in our region.
|Planting medium depth
|10 - 15 cm
|> 15 cm
|up to ~250 kg/m2
|Limitless where 'roof' is at ground level
|Typically lower
|Higher, including structural accommodations and plant selection
|Depends highly on the aesthetic expectations of stakeholders
|Will be comparable to other landscapes, depending on access requirements.
|Stormwater benefit
|Provides best cost-benefit balance
|Varies highly
|Biodiversity benefit
|Lower, depends on planting
|Greater potential, depends on planting
|Amenity benefit
|Usually visual only
i.e. inaccessible
|Often accessible
Intensive green roofs are commonly used for amenity space on condo developments or sometimes as urban farms. They are sometimes referred to as roof gardens and encompass diverse uses, design priorities and technical specifications. In the most extreme examples, many urban parkettes including large shade trees may be included in this class, if they have parking garages beneath. As such the discussion on this page is limited to extensive green roofs.8
The fundamental components of an extensive green roof are:
- a roof able to withstand the load
- a roof membrane resistant to root penetration
- a drainage layer
- a filter layer
- a layer of planting medium
- plants
Additional components may include:
- an irrigation system
- pre-formed tray modules
Planning Considerations[edit]
Green roofs offer a variety of co-benefits beyond stormwater management. In urban centers they are often constructed to accommodate a roof terrace or amenity space. In this scenario the direct stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with vegetation planted. Another increasingly popular use for rooftop space is for urban farming. Again, the direct stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with planters. To maximize the utility of a green roof as a low impact development tool, coverage with planting should be maximized. In many cases this means only inaccessible spaces are used.
Roof gardens with a high proportion of impermeable surface are popular in high rise developments. These amenity terraces are often described as green roofs, but the LID benefit applies only to the vegetated areas. The stormwater benefit of all kinds of green roofs is maximized by combined with rainwater harvesting for subsequent irrigation. Sedum and native species have all been shown to thrive with daily irrigation to saturation[1].
Rooftop farming is also becoming common in some Ontario cities. Again consideration should be given to the proportion of the roof actually planted. Where large open expanses of roof are being cropped, measures may be required to reduce erosion of exposed planting medium. Any digging or furrows will reduce the stormwater benefit.
Biodiversity opportunities are optimized by planting a variety of species. General advice on this has been prepared by the City of Toronto[2]. In the long term, the richness of species increases owing to 'volunteer species'. The desirability of this diversity varies with the aesthetic concerns of the green roof owner.
Design for Maintenance
Detailed inspection and maintenance advice can be found in Sustainable Technologies' LID I&M guide [3]. The primary operational concern for operating a green roof is the development of a leak. Green roofs protect the roof membrane from UV damage and should increase the lifespan of the roof. However, in the event that a leak is discovered a section of green roof would have to be removed for access. Some proprietary systems appear to be easier to remove and replace. This may come at a cost, as the rainwater retention of the system is somewhat reliant on continuous coverage of the green roof surface.
Green roofs should receive as little maintenance as possible. Regular inspection is only required to see that the drains are free from obstruction and that the vegetation coverage is adequate to prevent wind erosion. During detailed design, all areas adjacent to the green roof itself should be kept free from granular material. Sediment accumulates in gravel edging, which then permits the vegetation to take root and spread.
Flat roofs should be graded without depressions, with positive drainage ≥2% (1:50) towards roof drains. For roofs with pitch greater than 10% (1:10) additional check dams or cellular components should be included in the design. These structures reduce the flow rate of the draining water, and help to stabilize green roof components. Green roofs can be installed on slopes greater than 20% (1:5), but specialized design advice should be sought for the addition of components required to secure the green roof in place. Extensive green roofs do not require additional insulation layers. The underlying roof may be of warm, cold or inverted design. Extensive green roofs add load of around 70 - 300 kg/m2. A structural engineer should be consulted during design to account for the distributed loads including snow accumulation and live loads including maintenance staff. Roof membranes should be waterproof, root resistant, resilient to temperature change, and comply with appropriate CGSB standards as specified in the Ontario Building Code. In most cases a new roof with a modern membrane will not require a separate root penetration barrier. In retrofit scenarios an additional root barrier may be recommended to protect an older roof membrane.
Drainage Layer
The underlying drainage layer is most often a preformed plastic sheet, formed to include depressions for water storage and perforations to drain excess water. This design has the advantage of being most lightweight, but has minimal impact on flow rates once the water has percolated onto the roof membrane below. An alternative drainage layer solution is to use a granular medium to increase the tortuosity of the flow path and slow peak flow rates.
Filter Layer
The geotextile layer is included to prevent migration of the planting medium into the drainage layer. Current advice is to specify a free draining textile to prevent potential water-logging of the planting medium. Observations green roof assemblies have shown a reduction of flow from specifications owing to interactions of medium particles with the textile.
Planting Medium
The green roof media used in Ontario can be classed according to proportion of composted biological material. Some existing installations use materials which comply with FLL guidelines, whilst others use a much higher proportion of compost[4].
ASTM International have a number of standards relating to various design considerations for green roofs. These standards provide good technical advice on the testing of systems and components. Of particular note are:
- Standard Test Method for Maximum Media Density for Dead Load Analysis of Vegetative (Green) Roof SystemsE2399, and
- Test Method for Saturated Water Permeability of Granular Drainage Media E2396.
When these tests are completed, the results should be interpreted in relation to the objectives of the green roof. A product complying with overseas guidelines may not serve the needs of a green roof installed in Ontario. In particular, the FLL guide recommends green roof media specifications which may not provide optimal stormwater management or vegetation in our region.
In many proprietary systems the default option for planting medium will be a granular material with very low organic matter content. However, many companies can arrange for a high organic matter alternative to be substituted if requested.
Increasing the depth of planting medium from 10 cm to 15 cm has been shown to benefit the vegetation [5], however stormwater retention was not improved with this increase in depth [6]
Regular irrigation has been shown to substantially reduce the stormwater capture benefit of an extensive green roof[7]. One way to reduce the irrigation used on green roofs is through the use of smart technologies. Responsive sensors that suppress irrigation after a rainstorm are routinely attached to green roofs to conserve water. Improvements can be made by instead using a 'soil' moisture sensor to trigger irrigation. State-of-the-art management systems now use predicted weather data to suppress irrigation ahead of storm events, see digital technologies. Due to their limited water retention capacity, many green roofs are coupled with a rainwater harvesting cistern, to capture the excess water. It then becomes desirable to use as much harvested water to regain the cistern capacity, Green roofs can be irrigated to saturation daily throughout the growing season without damaging the vegetation.
|Irrigation technology
|Maximizes evaporation
|Requires higher water quality
|Drip or capillary
|Harvested rainwater is readily used without further treatment
Uses less water
|Planting medium does not 'wick' water sideways readily, so can lead to localized dry areas
Maximizing evaporation with spray irrigation is the faster way to empty a stormwater cistern, and provides some cooling benefit for the building and it's surroundings.
The choice of vegetation on an extensive green roof is insignificant in stormwater management compared to the choice of planting medium or the provision of irrigation. The vegetation should be selected to be resilient to both very wet and very dry periods.Sedum species are the most common choice, demonstrating excellent longevity in systems with or without irrigation. Some projects expect the low growing Sedum to remain in graphic designs according to species and flower color. This is not a realistic expectation without significant maintenance costs. Instead project stakeholders should be prepared early in the design process to embrace the green roof as a living and evolving ecosystem. Designs which incorporate both Sedum and native species can help with this. See: Planting for Green Roofs
Drains and Vegetation Free zones
Vegetation free areas are often required around the perimeter of the roof to reduce wind uplift, on larger areas requiring firebreaks, for access paths and around drains. To prevent accumulation of sediment and migration of the vegetation, the vegetation free areas should not be filled with decorative aggregate or river rock. Instead concrete pavers or other surfaces that do not actively trap particles will reduce weeding maintenance.
Controlled studies have indicated that maturing green roofs may have improved water retention properties [8].
The key hydrologic benefit which green roofs have over other forms of LID is the proportion of the water returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration.
- In Southern Ontario rainwater retention of extensive green roofs without irrigation is between 60% and 70%[9] [10] [7].
- Including winter periods with snow accumulation and thaw, the annual retention of extensive green roofs is around 50% [10][7].
- Using a compost based planting medium improves retention by around 10% i.e. 60 % for compost compared to 50% for granular.
- Daily irrigation can reduce the annual retention by 20% compared to a roof without irrigation. i.e. 40% for irrigated compared to 60% without irrigation[7]. However, recirculating rainwater from a cistern was estimated to double the annual retention in Florida[11]. The research team modeled 87% retention for a green roof coupled with a cistern, compared to 43% for the green roof alone.
An appropriate NRCS curve numbers for green roofs without irrigation in Southern Ontario is 90 [12][7].
Water quality[edit]
Many green roofs receive only rainwater, which is relatively free of contaminants like nutrients and heavy metals, but can contribute contaminants to roof runoff, most notably through leaching of Nutrients from the growing medium substrate during early establishment.[13] Reported concentrations of Total Phosphorus in green roof runoff have been observed to vary from less than 0.1 ppm to over 10 ppm.[14]. To improve the quality of runoff from green roofs, Vijayaraghavan et al. (2018) recommend considering the sorption capacity of the growing medium substrate, the phytoremediation potential of plants and incorporation of sorbent Additives to growing medium substrates.[15]
In dense urban centres, green roofs are increasingly being used to receive irrigation from harvested rainwater. Current Ontario Building Code permits the use of rooftop runoff for landscape irrigation purposes, so long as it is 'free of solids'. A 'closed loop' system can be created by coupling a rainwater harvesting system with a green roof and harvesting and reusing roof runoff as a source of water for irrigation during dry periods, so the only water leaving the system is through evapotranspiration. This can prevent runoff from leaving the site and thereby prevent contaminant loading to the environment.
Incentives and Credits[edit]
In Ontario
City of Toronto updated their 'Eco roof' incentive program in 2017 . It now includes grants for structural assessment and is available to non-profit organisations [1].
LEED BD + C v.4
LEED offer a relatively large number of points for green roofs compared to other LID technologies.
Sustainable Sites: Open space (1 point)
This credit applies to accessible green roofs on tall buildings with little other outdoor space.
Sustainable Sites: site development - protect or restore habitat (up to 2 points)
This credit applies to green roofs planted with 'native and adapted vegetation' on tall buildings with little other outdoor space
Sustainable Sites: Heat island reduction (up to 2 points)
Green roofs are weighted as effectively as 'High-Reflectance' roofs in a simple calculation to determine the credit.
Sustainable sites: Rainwater management (up to 3 points)
- Two points (or 1 point for Healthcare) will be awarded if the project manages "the runoff from the developed site for the 95th percentile of regional or local rainfall events."
- Three points (or 2 points for Healthcare) will be awarded if the project manages "the runoff from the developed site for the 98th percentile of regional or local rainfall events."
- For zero-lot-line projects only, 3 points (or 2 points for Healthcare) will be awarded if the project manages "the runoff from the developed site for the 85th percentile of regional or local rainfall events."
SITES v.2
External Links[edit]
Proprietary Systems
In our effort to make this guide as functional as possible, we have decided to include proprietary systems and links to manufacturers websites.
Inclusion of such links does not constitute endorsement by the Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program.
Lists are ordered alphabetically; link updates are welcomed using the form below.
- ↑ http://grit.daniels.utoronto.ca/green_roof_image_index/#
- ↑ https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20Planning/Zoning%20&%20Environment/Files/pdf/B/biodiversegreenroofs_2013.pdf
- ↑ http://www.sustainabletechnologies.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/LID-IM-Guide-7.6-Green-Roofs.pdf
- ↑ Hill, J., Drake, J., and Sleep, B. (2016). "Comparisons of extensive green roof media in Southern Ontario." Ecological Engineering, Elsevier B.V., 94, 418–426. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0925857416302804?via%3Dihub
- ↑ MacIvor JS, Margolis L, Puncher CL, Carver Matthews BJ. Decoupling factors affecting plant diversity and cover on extensive green roofs. J Environ Manage. 2013;130:297-305. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479713006051?via%3Dihub
- ↑ Hill, J., Drake, A. P. J., Sleep, B., and Margolis, L. (2017). "Influences of Four Extensive Green Roof Design Variables on Stormwater Hydrology." Journal of Hydrologic Engineering. https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/%28ASCE%29HE.1943-5584.0001534
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Hill J, Drake J, Sleep B, Margolis L. Influences of Four Extensive Green Roof Design Variables on Stormwater Hydrology. J Hydrol Eng. 2017;22(8):04017019. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001534
- ↑ Simon De-Ville, Manoj Menon, Xiaodong Jia, George Reed, Virginia Stovin, The impact of green roof ageing on substrate characteristics and hydrological performance, In Journal of Hydrology, Volume 547, 2017, Pages 332-344, ISSN 0022-1694, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.02.006.
- ↑ Liu, M. Minor, J. 2005. Performance evaluation of an extensive green roof. National Research Council of Canada. NRCC-48204 https://sustainabletechnologies.ca/app/uploads/2013/03/NRC_EastviewGRrept.pdf
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 T. Van Seters, L. Rocha, D. Smith, G. MacMillan; Evaluation of Green Roofs for Runoff Retention, Runoff Quality, and Leachability, Vol. 44 (1): 33 - 47 (2009). Innovative Approaches to Stormwater Management in Canada
- ↑ Hardin, M.; Wanielista, M.; Chopra, M. A Mass Balance Model for Designing Green Roof Systems that Incorporate a Cistern for Re-Use. Water 2012, 4, 914-931. http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/4/4/914
- ↑ Curve Number and Runoff Coefficients for Extensive Living Roofs Elizabeth Fassman-Beck, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE; William Hunt, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE; Robert Berghage, Ph.D.; Donald Carpenter, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE; Timothy Kurtz, P.E., M.ASCE; Virginia Stovin, Ph.D.; and Bridget Wadzuk, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE
- ↑ Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub
- ↑ Hill J., Drake J., Sleep B., Margolis L. 2017. Influences of Four Extensive Green Roof Design Variables on Stormwater Hydrology. J Hydrol Eng. 2017;22(8):04017019. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001534
- ↑ Vijayaraghavan, K., Harkishore Kumar Reddy, D., Yun, Y. 2018. Improving the quality of runoff from green roofs through synergistic biosorption and phytoremediation techniques: A review. Sustainable Cities and Society. 46 (2019) 101381. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2210670718319383?via%3Dihub


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Welcome All
This thread is to compile all of the letters, camp life stories, news articles, and other various scribblings recounting the 1st Minnesota Infantry Volunteers from their creation to their disbandment. if you can find anything please post it, and i will compile all the data and even sort it out by the date.
A Short History of the First Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
April 27, 1861 – Ten companies reported at Ft. Snelling.
June 22, 1861 – The First Leaves for Washington D.C. arriving at midnight, June 26th.
July 21, 1861 – BATTLE OF BULL RUN
The First fell in at 2:00 a.m. and started marching four hours later. The regiment was ordered to support Rickett's Battery in an attack on Henry House Hill. Cos. 'A' & 'F' led the attack, and were separated from the regiment to the right of the battery by the confusion in deploying the guns. Colonel Gorman ordered the men to hold fire on the attacking 33rd Virginia because he thought they were Yankees. Ricketts battery was lost and recaptured several times before finally falling to the rebels. In between the rebel attacks the regiment received grape and canister from a masked battery. Javan Irvine, a civilian attached to Co. A, captured the Lt. Col. of the 2nd Mississippi, the highest ranking Confederate taken that day. Sgt. John Merritt of Co. 'K' was awarded the Medal of Honor for taking brief possession of a rebel flag. After discovering that they were isolated, Lt. Col. Miller ordered the two companies to retreat. The regiment then covered the western flank of the Union retreat.
The First Minnesota was one of the last regiments to leave the battlefield, and suffered the highest casualties of any northern regiment: 48 killed, 83 wounded, 23 wounded and missing, and 30 missing (the number of missing taken prisoner is uncertain – most returned to the unit).
August 16, 1861 – Moved to 'Camp Stone', near Edwards Ferry.
October 21-22, 1861 – BATTLE OF BALL'S BLUFF (Goose Creek)
The First made a crossing and was lightly engaged at Edward's Ferry, but was removed from the main fighting by several miles.
February 26, 1862 – Moved to camp at Harper's Ferry.
March 7-12, 1862 – A spring march to capture (after a token fight), the rebel town of Berryville, where the printer of the unit printed a regimental edition of the Berryville Conservator.
March 27, 1862 – Boarded transports for the Peninsula (the tents were left behind, and did not catch up with the First until April 18th).
April 5-May 4, 1862 – SIEGE OF YORKTOWN
Uncomfortable in incessant rain without tents, the regiment did various duties, and was often called out on false alarms at night.
May 6, 1862 – Moved by transports to West Point, Virginia.
May 25, 1862 – Set up camp near the Chickahominy River, and four days later built the 'grapevine bridge' across it.
May 31-June 1, 1862 – BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS
Sent in as reinforcements, companies H, K, & D engaged the extreme left of the enemy while the remainder of the unit delivered an enfilading fire.
June 1862 – Camped near Fair Oaks (Camp Sully).
June 29, 1862 – BATTLE OF SAVAGE STATION
The First defended the Union left flank, almost as an independent unit, and didn't leave the field until 10:00 p.m. George Burgess, Color Sergeant, is killed.
June 30, 1862 – BATTLE OF WHITE OAK SWAMP (GLENDALE)
The regiment crossed White Oak Swamp in early morning leaving the wounded behind, and marched to Brackett's Ford, then to Glendale, where they fought until midnight. At Malvern Hill, the next day, the First was present but did not fight.
July 2-August 4, 1862 – Camped at Harrison's Landing. President Lincoln visited on July 9th.
August 25-28, 1862 – Returned to Alexandria on transports.
August 28-September 2, 1862 – The First marched hard to cover the Union retreat in the wake of Second Bull Run, covering 65 miles, often under fire, in four days. On September 2nd, Confederate attacks were repulsed at Vienna and Flint Hill, and that night the regiment was mistakenly attacked by Union cavalry.
September 17, 1862 – BATTLE OF ANTIETAM
The regiment, only 435 men strong, was on the extreme right of the leading brigade (Gorman's) as Sedgwick's division charged through the West Woods. Bursting through the far side of the woods, the column was exposed to heavy fire from both flanks. While the First suffered less than regiments on their left, casualties in the action were: 15 killed, 79 wounded, and 21 missing. Unlike other regiments the First departed from the field in good military order, returning fire as they retreated. Color Sergeant Samuel Bloomer was left behind, wounded in the knee. He had saved away the First's state colors in his shirt from the Confederates while they protected him from incoming shell bursts. He later returned with the colors and to have his leg amputated. The regiment remained camped on the stinking field, doing burial duty, until September 22nd, when they moved to Bolivar Heights overlooking Harper's Ferry.
October 9-24, 1862 – Recruiting of volunteers by regular army units was authorized, & almost 100 of the First transferred to the regulars.
October 30, 1862 – Moved to Stafford Hills near Falmouth.
December 11-15, 1862 – BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG
December 11th the men marched to and captured the town of Fredericksburg, plundering the town through the night. The next day they did picket duty outside town. On the 13th, they were on the Union right and came under artillery fire, but were not sent against Marye's Heights. On the evening of the 14th they took a forward picket post and dug in. All the next day they were under fire in this position, including an enfilading artillery fire that sent the three regiments on their right to the rear.
December 16-June 15, 1863 – In winter quarters near Falmouth.
May 3-5, 1863 – BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE
The First was away from the main battle. On the 3rd, they crossed the Rappahannock River into Fredericksburg, where they were shelled, and then returned to the north bank. The next two days the unit was split with part guarding the pontoon bridge near the Lacy House, part supporting a battery, and part digging entrenchments.
June 15-June 30,'63 – Marched in bad dust and heat to Uniontown, P.A. On June 25th, they were attacked by J.E.B. Stuart's cavalry at Haymarket. On the 29th, Col. Colville was arrested for allowing the men to cross a river on logs. The march from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg had taken 14 days with traveling 11 of those, averaging over 14 miles a day. By the time they reached the small town they were exhausted.
July 2-3, 1863 – BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
During the second day (July 2,'62), the Confederates had broken through Sickles' position. With a failed attempt at rallying Sickles' men, General Winfield S. Hancock had ordered the First that was held in reserve nearby to counterattack and fill the gap in the Union line until reinforcements could arrive. During the attack, three companies 'C', 'F', and 2nd Minnesota Sharpshooters Co. 'L', totaling some 73 men, had been detached.7 Out of the 262 men remaining that attacked to delay the rebs and restore the Union position, 215 were killed, wounded, or missing. Earlier in the day, Col. Wm. Colville had been relieved of arrest and resumed command the regiment. Gen. W.S. Hancock whose order "Colonel, do you see those colors?" (pointing at the advancing Confederate forces) "Then take them!", later stated:
"I had no alternative but to order the regiment in. We had no force on hand to meet the sudden emergency. Troops had been ordered up and were coming on the run, but I saw that in some way five minutes must be gained or we were lost. It was fortunate that I found there so grand a body of men as the First Minnesota. I knew they must lose heavily and it caused me pain to give the order for them to advance, but I would have done it (even) if I had known every man would be killed. It was a sacrifice that must be made. The superb gallantry of those men saved our line from being broken. No soldiers on any field, in this or any other country, ever displayed grander heroism."
Bruce Catton stated in Glory Road:
"The whole war had suddenly come to a focus in this smoky hollow, with a few score westerners trading their lives for the time the army needed…They had not captured the flag that Hancock had asked them to capture, but they still had their own flag and a great name…"
Lt. Col. Joseph B. Mitchell in his Decisive Battles of the Civil War stated:
"There is no other unit in the history of warfare that ever made such as charge and then stood its ground sustaining such losses."
The attacking Confederate forces consisted of Wilcox's Brigade8, Anderson's Division, A.P. Hill's Corps. Wilcox had begun the days fighting with some 1,800 men in his unit although it is not known exactly how many were left at the time of the action with the First Minnesota. There are also indications that the 39th and 11th New York Regiments began the attack on the left of the First, while the 19th Mass. and 42nd New York were on the regiments right. In all these instances these supporting units fell back before completing the charge so that the First went in on its own. The First Minnesota has the distinction of sustaining the highest regimental losses in any battle, in proportion to the number engaged, in the Civil War.
On July 3rd the First found itself on the receiving end of Pickett's charge. Co's 'C' and 'F' had rejoined by this time and another 45 men became casualties. Thus by the end of the battle 64 men had been killed and 160 men wounded for a total of 224 casualties. By the end of July, Regimental strength stood at 175 men, but this included some of the slightly wounded who had returned to duty by this time. On top of such losses for the battle the First did manage to share in the glory of the Union Victory. Pvt. Marshall Sherman of Co. 'C' had captured the 28th Virginia's colors and Cpl. Henry O'Brien spurred on the men with the colors and it's shattered staff. Both would later receive the Medal of Honor for their feats.
July 24, 1863 – Battle of Kelly's Farm
August 15-September 6, 1863 – Transported to New York City to keep order after the draft riots. Many fair daughters of the city were heartbroken at their return to duty at the front. The regiment camped near Somerville Ford on the Rapidan until October 6th; there they voted in the stat elections.
October 14, 1863 – BATTLE OF BRISTOW STATION
After a march to Robinson's Tavern, the regiment was ordered, early in the morning on the 30th, to deploy as skirmishers, and on the signal to lead an attack on Confederate entrenchments at the crest of a rising slope. After waiting all day for the signal, the attack was called off, much to the relief of all.
December 1863-Feb. 1864 –Winter Camp near Culpepper Courthouse.
February 6, 1864 – The regiment was honored at a banquet held at the National Hotel in Washington, attended by Vice-President Hamlin, and Secretary of War Stanton. The following day the regiment departed for home.
February 11, 1864 – While returning home, cold and hungry, had hijacked a train in Portage City, Wisconsin to expedite trip to LaCrosse.
February 15, 1864 – Thirty day furloughs given after a gala reception in St. Paul.
April 28, 1864 – Final parade at Fort Snelling. 58 old veterans, 70 men who had enlisted later, and 89 new recruits formed two companies, which became the First Battalion Infantry Minnesota Volunteers.
Thanks again to any and all who can find any information about this fine unit.


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This week Guillermo Del Toro unleashes the creepy, intense monster movie Mama into the world. But few people know that this project was actually inspired on the creepy short from Andrés Muschietti. In fact, the original two minute and 30 second short is what made GDT support Muschietti as director of the full-length movie. And that's not the only short film that's set to spawn a full-length version.
Here are 9 amazing short films that have been picked up to become full-fledged movies.
When Aaron Sims (character designer for Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Big Fish and a whole lot more) released his short Archetype, the picture just exploded across the internet. Every single outlet covered this seemingly simple interrogation scene between a man and a robot. Producer John Davis (I, Robot, Predators) snapped up the rights to the picture, and wants Sims to direct. Guy Busick & Ryan Murphy (not the creator of Glee) are penning the script. Where is this film at now? Sims' IMDB page is currently stocked with work on big budget features in the art department. And as of March in 2012 a production schedule still hadn't been slated. However, we're happy to give this movie as much space as it needs to be great. Plus the Archetype twitter account is still up and running, so it's not dead yet.
The Gate
Horrific mutant movie The Gate got a feature film deal back in June of last year. And similar to Archetype, director Matt Westrup has been included in the deal and will direct the feature. Westrup worked on digital FX for Underworld: Evolution, but we think he really hit his calling making Splice-like creepies.
22-year-old film student Kaleb Lechowski's short film that came out (just last week) and already Hollywood is sending him to L.A. to talk Alien Vs Robot movies. THR reported multiple studio execs buzzing about this short. And while no deal is in place, we're speculating whatever it going to happen will happen very soon for Lechowski. Especially since the trades are reporting on just when the young director will land in Los Angeles.
Jay And Seth Vs The Apocalypse
What started off as a little short between best bud comedians Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen slowly turned a full-length comedy starring just about every member of the Judd Apatow Bunch. James Franco, Jonah Hill, Jason Segel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson join Rihanna and Emma Watson at the last party before the end of the world. This is either going to be very, very good, or unwatchable. Check out the trailer here.
We've been tracking Vessel since director Clark Baker gave us exclusive snaps of his creepy plane-attacking monster. It's a classic monster chase movie, but all the victims are trapped on the plane. Very little of the original Vessel short remains online — presumably because Paramount bought the rights and hired Stephen Susco (The Grudge) to write a feature film version. And Baker will stay on to direct.
This seemingly sweet but actually terrifying short was snatched up by the very director we mentioned earlier. Guillermo Del Toro. We shudder to think how he could make this short even MORE horrifying. GDT gave an update in June that they were currently in visual development on the picture.
True Skin
Warner Bros. nabbed this slick-as-hell future short centered around augmented human beings with Harry Potter's David Heyman set to produce. Yowza. Stephan Zlotescu the original short director will stay on, as will his True Skin's producer Chris Sewall.
Creepy cyber punk battle dolls fight to the death in ROSA. Spanish movie maker Jesús Orellana started off as a comic book artist, but once ROSA was released Orellana inked a deal with Fox to transform this CG story into a live action movie.
French director Patrick Jean dropped Pixels and it was happily picked up by Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison. Last we heard this movie was allegedly coming out in May of 2013, but it sounds like things have been moved way back. And who knows whether the success of Wreck-It-Ralph, a CG love letter to pixelated video games, will hurt or help the further production.


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Thursday, May 25, 2006
Deborah Lipstadt - Denying the Holocaust (*)
When David Irving was sent to jail in February 2006, for statements he had made denying the Holocaust, there was a mass of debate in the press whether this was an appropriate punishment. I decided it was a good time to look into the whole issue of "Holocaust Denial".
Remembering that Irving had once sued author Deborah Lipstadt for her book Denying the Holocaust which portrayed him as a denier, I thought this would be a good place to start and certainly a place that Irving would have hated.
Denying the Holocaust is a difficult book to read. Not because it is badly written or too academic, but because the material is so awful. It is very difficult imagine what drives someone to spend so much time and effort distorting and lying about the Holocaust.
In many cases they are driven by their own anti-Semitism, though not always. In the immediate aftermath of WW2 there was an attempt to play down the holocaust by those who wanted to portray the US and her allies as being the real mass murderers.
In time, these views have become accepted belief for neo-Nazi and Fascist organisations around the world. In addition to simply regurgitating lies and reprinting phamphlets, these groups often have attempted to inject Holocaust Denial into mainstream discussion.
In the strongest sections of the book, Lipstadt shows how once Holocaust Denial reaches the level of debate, it is elevated from something with no basis in reality, to something that can be discussed as a real theory.
Lipstadt domuments this particularly with the attempts by Holocaust Deniers to place adverts in US campus newspapers. Often the deniers were happy to have their adverts refused, because they had created a discourse on campus about the Holocaust that treated their views seriously. Lipstadt believes that this in part has led to a situation in the US, where many people accept that it's possible the Holocaust never happened.
In passing the author also looks at those who have tried denial in other forms – claiming that Anne Frank's diary was a fake for instance. Lipstadt's final word is brief documentation of why there is irrefutable evidence for the gas chambers, mass premeditated murder and the Holocaust.
This book is a service to all those who believe in historical truth and that history is a science that must be based on evidence, facts and documentation. It is also a weapon for those who want to stop the rise of fascism again, for those who argue that stopping the new Nazis also involves preventing them getting the oxygen of publicity.
Since reading is not enough to stop the far-right. I recommend those who want to fight the BNP visit this site or this campaign to get involved.
(*) Full title - Denying the Holocaust, the Growing Assault on Truth and History
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Iain M. Banks - The Algebraist
At the start of this review I'd like to offer an award. It's very simply an award for best imagined universe. In The Algebraist, Banks' latest vision of the future, the author has created a wonderfully complex galaxy, populated by varied aliens', carved up by different empires and fought over by huge fleets of space ships.
Banks' aliens are the stars here – I defy anyone not to fall in love with the Dwellers – creatures that can live to be billions of years old, who've evolved in Gas Giants and who spend their lives trying to improve their position in society. A position that is measured by the amount of Kudos they have acquired.
There's another alien race, genetically modified to make them fascinated by the dead, who cruise the galaxy collected bodies and store them in huge ships. In amongst these are the humans. Inevitably, these humans are fighting.
Of course, these battles aren't timid small scale affairs, they're solar system spanning, involving thousands of space ships at a time and often involve crashing asteroids into planets and things. Banks' lets us have enough details about the ships, the weapons and the tactics to make fans of "big" Science Fiction everywhere very excited.
Finally, there is the plot. All too often Science Fiction like this fails because the plot is limited, or filled with holes (or non-existent). Not so here. From the start, when we meet dozens of characters, planets and political groupings, we are immersed in a complex, ever changing story line. While the ending is a little inevitable, the story is exciting right up to the last line.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
John Sladek - Tik Tok
I've always thought that Asimov's Robotic Laws were a bit of a cop out. Perhaps it's my computer programming background, but I always had this nagging thought that putting all the safety stuff in three short instructions was a recipe for disaster. However, the laws have gone down in SF history as a pretty firm set of codes to Robotic behaviour, even cropping up in Star Trek.
The laws;
1. A robot may not harm a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
are supposed to mean that Robots are unable to harm human beings. Though since Asimov's work is littered with stories where flaws are discovered in this, or that application of the rules, it's perhaps mystifying that they have got such high-regard.
So it was a delight to discover Tik Tok. This robotic autobiography tells the tale of the gradual realisation of a robot, that he doesn't have the Asimovian restrictions on behaviour. Indeed, the fact that everyone assumes all robots are safe, means he can act pretty much as he wishes. So he takes his vengeance out on humans, firstly individually, then on a greater scale, till eventually he finds himself in a position were he can plan the destruction of the entire race.
He does this, because Robots are little more than slaves. Used till they drop by their masters, brutalised, vandalised, raped and broken, Robots have conscience, but are restricted from doing anything to break their chains. Given Tik Tok's life experiences, it's not surprising that his vengeance is violent and brutal.
This novel is a genuine comic SF story. Comic SF often suffers on two fronts – not being funny, and not being good SF. Tik Tok is nothing short of brilliant, both in its parody of the SF genre itself and because it's a good work in it's own standing. Tik Tok stands himself as one of the classic anti-hero's of all time.
This is definitely a "Resolute Reader Recommended Read", and I don't often say that.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Julian Barnes – Arthur & George
One of the things I've discovered about fighting election campaigns is that fiction helps. Preferably fiction that doesn't feature elections - I'm not sure though that this is what Barnes would want his latest work to be remembered for, but I'll never be able to see the rather charming Victorian styled cover again, without imaging I'm off to canvass some antiquated east London tower block.
Based on true events, the novel follows the lives of two unusual characters, one, the off-spring of an Indian Parsee, turned vicar in central England, the other, whose identity I will protect to avoid spoiling anyone's read, a man who became on of the period's most famous writers.
The first character becomes embroiled in a miscarriage of justice to do with the maiming of livestock. The other finds out about the case and turns it into a cause celebre.
The novel though is much more than a detective story, though. It's also a story about justice (or lack of), class, racism and an England slowly shrugging of the past and heading towards a period of major change – heralded by the first world war.
Since it was short listed for the Man Booker Prize last year, I won't go into more detail – plenty has already been written about the work. One thing I do want to bring up is the nature of fictional writing about real people and actual events. The "Great Wyrley Outrages" and the miscarriage of justice that occurred made huge headlines at the time, and provoked public and parliamentary outcries. This fictionalised account must of course embellish that story for dramatic effect, at the same time as making the events famous again.
I occasionally wonder how good a thing this is. After all, at a time when tourists wander around Rome clutching Dan Brown, doesn't all history as fiction promote a jaundiced view of the world? But on the other hand, how many historian's careers were started by the excitement of a Flashman novel? How many physicists began their quest for knowledge while breathlessly watching Star Trek?
But too often I found myself wondering 'is this a real bit'. 'Is this the fiction'? This sort of questioning probably spoils the enjoyment of the novel and it certainly wouldn't be a good thing if all anyone these days ever knew about the "Great Wyrley Outrages" was based on this book, because it is a work of fiction after all.
It is however, a very good work of fiction, drawing as it does from a minor but wonderfully illuminating bit of English history.
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Blue Angels 2008
GJ air show 2008, September 26, 27, 28th... Blue Angels practice runs on 25 & 26th are shots from my house. Shots from 27th, actual airshow, are from the hills around airport. And, probably from the airport on the 28th. I have a ton of shots, will be posting as soon as I get more computer time... between the airshow, car show, and fall colors... not a lot of computer time. ;DRead More


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The Manager/Associate is a part of the American Express Ventures team based in Palo Alto, CA (no relocation assistance offered). The Amex Ventures team plays a key role in developing and executing long-term corporate strategic initiatives which contribute to American Express' market leadership and growth. The team invests in innovative startups to accelerate American Express' efforts in consumer commerce, B2B services and to enhance core capabilities such as data analytics and security. Team members work with senior management, C-level executives and business leaders across the company to execute equity investments, both domestically and internationally.
The team also initiates and executes non-organic business development and strategic initiatives.
Job Responsibilities: In this exciting opportunity, the incumbent will be an integral part of the Ventures group with emphasis on sourcing new investments and will play a key role in the day-to-day, evaluation and execution of transactions including strategic rationale analysis, due diligence, valuation, structuring, and negotiations through to closing.
Primary responsibilities will include:
- Developing investment thesis around strategic areas and conduct market and industry analysis
- Actively involved in the full lifecycle management of deal pipeline including sourcing, evaluating, transacting, and managing investments
- Proactively identifying potential investments, meeting and qualifying startups; will have extensive exposure to and be expected to develop strong relations with the venture and entrepreneurial communities
- Responsible for managing and reporting on the active pipeline
- Evaluating potential target company's and business cases from strategic, operational and financial valuation perspectives
- Providing key analysis and support for transactions and working closely with internal and external partners to execute investments
- Developing detailed financial models and related valuations
- Preparing and communicating recommendations to investment team
- Responsible for ongoing monitoring and managing relationships with investment companies and the investment portfolio review process
- Responsible for maintaining and managing the Ventures Portfolio database and support Finance / Legal / Compliance teams
- The role is a multi-faceted one and requires both analytical, strategic, and interpersonal skill sets
- 3-5 years previous experience in venture capital, investment banking, strategic consulting or operating experience at a venture-backed startup
- Strategic skills, with the ability to identify and assess key points, implications and recommendations and to provide thought leadership
- Strong communication skills
- Strong financial, analytical and valuation skills; modeling experience preferred
- Proven ability to influence and collaborate with others and drive results
- Interest in strategic investments, technology, financial services and the payments industry; intellectual curiosity
- Bachelor's degree required, MBA strongly preferred
If interested, please apply here.


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At its annual event "Science Careers in Search of Women", Argonne National Laboratory demonstrates to 350 young women from Chicago-area high schools why a career in science might be right for them.
Originally uploaded in National Institute for Faculty Equity.
Image 35185 is a 425 by 640 pixel JPEG
Uploaded: Aug21 12


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I simply love every single one of John Mefford's novels. They keep you on the edge of your seat reading late into the night. I haven't missed reading one of them and I will try NEVER to miss reading one. At Once is in the Alex Trout series where Alex is still trying to regain her total memory while reconnecting with her children. Luckily Alex has a housekeeper who keeps it all together while she is out getting the bad guys.
Another win for John Mefford!!
New Release....
Alex Troutt Thriller, Book #3
AT Once
"If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything."
FBI Agent Alex Troutt has no intentions of falling for anything. Apparently, neither do the bad guys, as the Boston area is once again targeted by extremists. Boston Strong of just a few years ago is now Boston on Edge. And this time, the targets are men of the cloth—priests.
At least that's how it looks at first.
As investigators struggle to make sense of the bombings, Alex is thrown for a loop when the FBI assistant director asks her to investigate one of their own—a colleague and friend who is suspected of having ties to a known terrorist. Torn between her values of friendship and the oath she gave when she accepted her FBI credentials, Alex must now lead two investigations simultaneously.
The bombings don't stop, and panic sets in as the carnage spreads beyond the realm of the original targets.
Bloody Sunday. The IRA. The movement toward peace. Wounds of decades ago have reopened, bleeding all over Boston. As she pieces together the puzzle, Alex begins to wonder just how innocent her colleague really is. It's almost too much for her to fathom.
Just how far will someone go to make a stand?
Available to buy from.....
As she begins her daunting quest to uncover the black spots on her memory, what she finds isn't sweet or charming or even pleasant. And that's when she begins to question everything, including herself.
Her work as a Special Agent for the FBI is only a distraction, serving as a mental metronome…anything to crank the gears of her feeble mind.
And then it happens—a bizarre, ritualistic murder. She loses herself in her work, fully immersed in the investigation. Unable to recall even her own kids, she's somehow able to formulatecoherent theories on what type of person could pull off such a sickening act.
As her mind slowly plugs a few memory gaps, her emotions are scrambled by the reality of herworlds colliding. And the resulting explosion tears her in two.
Can she pick up all the incendiary fragments to solve the twisted crime while she clings to somesemblance of sanity?
One woman can only keep so much…AT Bay.
Available to buy from.....
The pursuit of the truth. The hunt for a life.
For the first time in months, FBI Special Agent Alex Troutt feels almost normal, hanging out at a local bar with friends after work. Not long into the evening she stumbles over one of the most disturbing images she has ever seen.
And that's only the beginning.
A body is found in Lowell, the human damage, once again, inconceivable. Hours later, another strike. Pushing heartache aside, Alex immerses herself in the investigation. But with every new clue comes a new twist.
With the killing spree drawing the attention of every intelligence and law enforcement agency in a five-state radius, Alex is forced to partner with an egomaniac from the CIA. Yet, even with limitless resources, every step forward proves to be a step too late, the kill list seemingly endless.
Once the killer makes it personal, Alex is left with no other option—she must confront the person who destroyed her life to try to cease the vicious murders. And when she finally learns the killer's end game, every second counts if she has any hope of stopping the brutal killings.
The hunt will end. Will Alex?
Available to buy from.....
About the Author
John writes novels full of intrigue, suspense, and thrills, but they also evoke an emotional connection with the characters.
When he's not writing, he chases three kids around, slaves away in the yard, reads, takes in as many sports as time allows, watches all sorts of movies, and continues to make mental notes of people and societies across the land.
John lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife, three opinionated kids, and a feisty fat cat who rules the world.
Find the author on the following sites...
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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
Win THREE Alex Troutt Thrillers by John W Mefford
ebooks AT Bay, AT Large and AT Once
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ebooks AT Bay, AT Large and AT Once
2 Winners!!
Ending on Friday 3rd June at 11.59pm CST
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My garden is so jam-packed with plants by early autumn that I can barely move around outside. Far from holding plants back, a spell of cooler, duller weather has encouraged exuberant growth and the appearance of lashings of fresh foliage. Flowers are in shorter supply, but there are enough to give the garden interest and punctuation. I particularly enjoy September as I can take my foot off the pedal and just let things go. Colocasias and bananas suddenly achieve gigantic proportions, grasses arch across the pathways and fuchsias drip with dancing flowers. It's a magical month, whilst at the same time signalling the beginning of the end of the gardening year.
My coleus have responded quickly to a fortnight of variable weather, their foliage becoming larger, richer and brighter every day. Despite being considered heat and sun resistant, Solenostemon 'Henna' has been revitalised by showers and fresher mornings, the leaves once again a brilliant Chartreuse backed by henna-red. It's a dazzling combination. During the heat of summer the leaves had turned pale gold in places, giving the plant a sickly appearance. The effect was not unattractive, but I was not enamoured: I much prefer the foliage now it's back to its brick-and-acid brilliance.
Solenostemon 'Henna' is a relatively new coleus, trialled extensively in the USA where coleus are significantly more popular than they are here in the UK. It quickly makes a large plant and propagates easily from cuttings, which can be rooted in a glass of water and then potted on. I am taking a few cuttings every fortnight so that I have plenty of smaller plants to overwinter. The parent plant is now 4ft tall and counting. I've already described how the colour and quality of Henna's foliage is greatly influenced by the amount of sunlight it catches, which is the same for many coleus. Too bright and any variegation changes colour, loses definition or disappears completely. This varies for every variety and some are certainly more tolerant of full sun than others. For me, the value of coleus is that they bring fabulous colour and variety to a partly shaded garden so I am not fussed about growing them in baking sunshine. Healthy coleus cope well with dull, damp weather, although the same conditions appeal to slugs and snails which find them delicious.
What I particularly like about 'Henna' is that it's a bright, robust and vigorous plant that injects unique colours and textures among more conventional foliage plants. The leaves have an almost reptilian surface and jagged edges, reminding us that coleus are often referred to as flame nettles. Looking back I can see how dramatically the degree of serration around the edge of each leaf increases as the plants reach maturity. S. 'Henna' is shy to flower. This is a bonus, since flowering in coleus is deemed a negative. Coleus flowers are not interesting and their appearance normally signifies the decline of the plant. It's best to nip them off if they do start to appear, although this can be a losing battle. I did not have to do anything to encourage a bushy habit, the plant did that for itself. With some coleus it's beneficial to pinch out the main growing tip to encourage side shoots to form.
If had to identify any drawbacks it would be that 'Henna' is a little fragile, both in terms of the strength of the main stems and the tear-resistance of the leaves. I may experience these issues because my garden is very sheltered, causing plants to get a bit 'soft', but it's nothing a few short pea sticks wouldn't prevent at planting time. 'Henna' is also not the easiest plant to place, especially in a garden full of flowers. I think it works best with plainer foliage, whatever the colour, and alongside other coleus.
I know that many visitors marvelled at this unusual coleus when they visited my garden in August and I hope that they will all seek it out. Coleus deserve to be more widely grown, either as houseplants or summer bedding plants. They are easy to grow, almost pest free (darn those slugs and snails!) and as colourful as the most extrovert blooms. 'Henna' is one of the biggest and best, so why not give it a try next summer?
Categories: Annuals, Beautiful Strangers, Coleus, Container gardening, Flowers, Foliage, Our Coastal Garden, Photography, Plants


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Even in the knowledge that current mainstream EPUB readers and applications for managing eBooks will most likely ignore all but the most trivial metadata, we still have use cases that involve more sophisticate metadata. For example we would like to use the LRMI alignment object in schema.org to say that a particular subsection of a book can be useful in the context of a specific unit in a shared curriculum.
So, without evaluating pros and cons, starting from the most basic/most common, what are the options? This is a summary takes information from Garrish and Gulling, EPUB 3 Best Practices, OReilly 2013, (which I take to be authoritative and also as an example of best practice with regard to the metadata in the epub file) as well as the EPUB 3.0 Publications and Content Documents specifications. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
1. Simple Dublin Core
Within the OEPBS directory of an unpacked EPUB3 is the content.opf file. It pretty much equates to the manifest of an IMS Content Package. The top-level element is <package> and <metadata> is a required first child of <package>.
The default metadata vocabulary is the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES, simple DC), with prefix dc:. Three elements are mandatory–title, identifier and language–others are optional. For example, in /OEPBS/content.opf
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?> <package xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/ [...]"> <metadata> <dc:identifier>urn:isbn:9781449325299</dc:identifier> <dc:title>EPUB 3 Best Practices</dc:title> <dc:language>en</dc:language> <dc:rights>Copyright © 2013 Matt Garrish and Markus Gylling</dc:rights> [...]
2 Other metadata schemas
The package element has a prefix attribute that may be used to declare prefixes for metadata schemas other than DCMES. Four vocabularies are reserved, i.e. the prefix may be used without a declaration: dcterms, marc, onix and media (the vocabulary used for EPUB3 media overlays). Example
<dcterms:title>EPUB 3 Best Practices</dcterms:title>
Other vocabularies may be used providing a prefix and a URL in a way so similar to xmlns that is makes you wonder why they didn't just use xmlns.
<package prefix="prism: http://prismstandard.org/namespaces/basic/3.0/" [...]>
3 the meta element
If used without the refines attribute (see below) the meta element can provide information about the package as a whole, e.g.
<meta property="dcterms:title">EPUB 3 Best Practices</meta>
I have no idea what would be the benefit of this over <dcterms:title>.
4 Refining metadata elements: id attribute and the meta element
The id attribute can be used to provide an identifier any element in the metadata that it may be refined. One example of this is mandatory, i.e. that one occurrence of the dc:identifier element must be the publication identifier:
<dc:identifier id="pub-identifier">urn:isbn:9781449325299</dc:identifier>
In general the refinements are described using the meta element with the refines attribute and a property attribute that specifies the nature of the refinement. It's kind of like RDF reification. The default vocabulary for the property attribute includes "file-as" – an alternative string for a name to be used when filing, "identifier-type" – a way to distinguish between different identifiers, "meta-auth" – the authority for a given instance of metadata, "title-type" – which of the six forms of title being provided.
<dc:creator id="1234">Matt Garrish</dc:creator> <meta refines="#1234" property="file-as" id="5678">Garrish, Matt</meta> <meta refines="#1234" property="role">Author</meta>
Terms from other vocabularies may be used for "property" so long as a prefix is declared.
Refinements may have ids and so may be refined.
<meta refines="#5678" property="meta-auth">Phil Barker</meta>
So and so you can make statements about your metadata statements to you heart's content (though including the whole of the linked data graph in each epub would be silly).
The scheme attribute may be used to identify the controlled vocabulary from which the meta element's value is drawn. For example, if the identifier is a DOI (which in onix is apparently entry 06 of codelist 5) you can have
<dc:identifier id="pub-id">urn:doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2008.03.001 </dc:identifier> <meta refines="#pub-id" property="identifier-type" scheme="onix:codelist5">06</meta>
Or, using the marc relator value Aut to specify author
<meta refines="#1234" property="role" scheme="marc:relators">Aut</meta>
5 Sub-package level metadata
The id attribute may be used to provide an identifier of an subelement of <package> or any element in the XHTML content documents, down to a span element around a phrase, word or character. So a chapter may have id="chap1″ then we can use meta elements in the metadata to describe it seperately from the rest of the epub
<meta refines="#chap1" property="prism:contentType">bookChapter<meta>
6 Links to metadata records
The link element is an optional, repeatable subelement of <metadata>, "used to associate resources with a publication, such as metadata records" The metadata may be within package or anywhere on the www.
<link rel="marc21xml-record" href="pub/meta/nor-wood-marc21.xml" /> <link refines="#chap1" rel="ex:schema_org-record" media-type="application/ld+json" href="http://example.org/nor-wood-lrmi.json" />
Metadata embedded in the XHTML5 content
As far as I can see the EPUB3 specs are mute on metadata in HTML of the content documents, e.g. as html:meta elements or as microdata or RDFa, there doesn't seem to be any reason why one should not put metadata here. I wouldn't expect any EPUB system to look that deeply into the package but it would be a good approach to helping the metadata travel with the resource if the EPUB is disaggregated and passed into a non-EPUB3 CMS.


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"Song Rhythm Tracks" is Alive Drumming's mobile Musician's App providing production-ready rhythmic backing. It is available on the Apple iOS App Store.
Alive Drumming brings musicians production-quality rhythmic backing, in it's most convenient form — a mobile App to select, download and play Alive Drumming's "Song Rhythm Tracks".
Song Rhythm Tracks
Song Rhythm Tracks are a new type of backing track composed entirely of rhythmic backing (no melody or harmony) arranged to the musical form of the song — it's "songform". These tracks are complete performances like one gets from a professional drummer. They have a count-in, introduction section, choruses and characteristic endings, framed by fills showing where sections start and end. Even musical bridges and middle choruses have higher intensity where appropriate to the style. All this without a typical arranger's interface, keeping it simple. One selects a track in under 30 seconds — under 15 seconds after getting the hang of it.
The App's musician's player has tempo adjustment and a facility to sequence tracks for your gig or jam session. It is for musicians of all abilities. New musicians use the App to provide an accompaniment to songs. They get a rhythm that is sympathetic so they learn to keep time, get into the groove and internalise the song's musical structure – All this while enjoying engaging and inspiring rhythms. Gigging musicians catalogue their backing into setlists and use it to guide performance. Having quality rhythmic backing, with a setlist facility and a musician's player, all in the one App is so convenient one finds oneself using this rhythmic backing more and more.
Musician's Player
A "Musician's Player" — what's that? One that dims the screen, will play in the background, has good-sized buttons and allows you to change the volume with the physical buttons. Yes, that but this player also displays the musical form of the track such as
"4 choruses of 32 bars of standard AABA form (8|8/8|8)
with no intro' and a 4-Bar ending",
and provides visual tracking against this as it plays. This is the information musicians want right before they are about to play a track. If they start to lose their place a bit while they play, a quick glance at the display will likely get them back "on track" again.
Massive Library of Rhythms
There's a huge number of rhythms and endless musical forms for your songs. Once selected, the arranged track is downloaded from Alive Drumming's servers and then it stays on your device for playing. Alive Drumming grants the user rights to remix the track so they may be transferred to a computer to be included in the user's own compositions and album releases.
What sets Song Rhythm Tracks apart?
We do not often see new innovations in this area — usually, it is a refinement or reworking of a workstation product — but Song Rhythm Tracks are a totally new approach addressing that age-old need for musicians to get good rhythmic backing, easily.
No More Sequencing
The choice of selecting the song's form by name, or by using stick notation, over providing a sequencing interface is an innovation that has not been seen before and one that gives this App its character. It means that the musician needs only to know the musical form of the song. They will know this even if, at first, they don't realise it. A musician might not be familiar with the names being used but the App also provides a description using stick-notation, so when one selects by songform name,
"32-bar AABA",
the track also gets displayed using stick-notation as
"32 bars of standard AABA form (8|8/8|8)".
There's plenty of resources on Alive Drumming's website on songform. In fact, songform names do not have to be used at all, one can also select using stick-notation,
and get the very same description displayed,
"32 bars of standard AABA form (8|8/8|8)".
The App also provides for a musician's own definition of a song's form using "stick notation", e.g.,
allowing for complex, user-defined forms. Also, even more complex forms are possible with independent repeats of four parts to a song. Even drumming breaks and pushes are now available for arrangements.
The App also includes a facility for sharing song arrangement, so if an arrangement for your song has already been shared you will be able to look it up and use that.
No More Drum Loops
Song Rhythm Tracks provides complete, production-ready backing tracks rather than drum loops. What's more, Alive Drumming's servers do not use drum loops either; they use high-quality recordings of talented drummers where a recording is more likely to be 8-bars long than a single drum hit or a single bar of playing. Alive drumming doesn't provide a sequencing interface, so there are no drum loops to sequence. Instead, there is a simple selection interface to specify (i) an arrangement of the song's form and (ii) the rhythm. This keeps the interface clean. The only option is a complete track from count-in through the choruses to a characteristic ending. Looping isn't even provided in the player interface. It is clear that this App is about practising and performing with high-quality, complete, production-ready tracks. It's for professional musicians and discerning amateurs. It is very, very far from a toy drum-machine; but it gives us the most musical enjoyment we've had in a long time.
A Service
Alive Drumming's back-end servers do the sequencing and audio production, delivering the completed track to the mobile device. This is not the approach taken by other drumming apps where everything is within the app, either using bespoke loops or using iOS' general midi sounds. This means Alive Drumming's solution does initially have the user waiting for the download to complete, but this permits higher-quality and a greater selection of audio tracks from the server.
Musician-friendly Design
The user experience is "performance-friendly" adopting standard iOS features such as tables rather than esoteric design and sequencing interfaces. It's been designed to be simple to use by musicians for musicians. Having a straightforward interface to specify a track is important to musicians because we are playing new tracks all the time and don't want to be wasting playing-time sequencing drum loops — so true is this that I suspect the vast majority of musicians never do sequence drum loops — it's too much effort and provides poor results. However, it is a totally different prospect with Song Rhythm Tracks where one takes between 15 to 30 seconds to specify a new track, which provides a great sounding backing.
It is the same musician-friendly approach with the player. It's important to musicians, whether performing or practising, that the player is easy to use — read large buttons — and it is so much more useful having the sectional structure of the track displayed instead of an album cover. Finally, musicians need setlist facilities integrated with the player. They need to be able to order their tracks, adding and removing tracks across multiple set-lists. These are core features that differentiate a musician's needs to that of general music listeners. These aspects combined make this App dead easy for musicians to prepare, practice and perform setlists of these tracks.
The competition?
This is a very new type of App but let us consider the alternatives to Song Rhythm Tracks.
Workstation Products
Similar High-quality Audio, Total Flexibility, Higher Purchase Price, Less Convenience.
Procuring and learning sophisticated workstation tooling for professional musicians to create high-quality backing music. This has similar great audio quality with more features and flexibility but also will take considerably more time, say around 30 minutes, to create a new track using sequencing software, render it, tag it and transfer it to a mobile device. You gain in compositional features and flexibility but lose out on convenience — particularly in the setlists and player.
Other Mobile Drumming Apps
Lower Quality, Lower Price, Different Convenience
There's quite a variety of Drumming Apps with many features and facilities. They are generally less expensive but don't deliver in the same way. Here is one which is closer to the Song Rhythm Tracks use-case.
Session Band Drums
This App aims at a similar proposition — good quality drum backing with a mobile interface, but it falls short in delivering both (i) high-quality rhythmic backing music and (ii) a convenient interface. The user interface is based on visual sequencing, specific to the task. This is an improvement to having to use a workstation based sequencer and transferring to the mobile device but I suspect is still too complicated and would still be a barrier to entry for a lot of musicians. As one has to sequence tracks, it is definitely more cumbersome and slower to use than Song Rhythm Tracks. Also, there is no real setlist facility and I don't think it delivers enough on engaging, realistic drumming. It is though less expensive that Song Rhythm Tracks with lower initial cost and no limit to the tracks one can sequence.
Mobile Midi Musician Song Apps
Lower quality drumming, self-contained, more facilities
There are other mobile apps for musicians that are song-based that have attracted dedicated followers. iRealPro and Songster are two such.
This is a deservedly popular App, although probably not ordinarily considered in terms of rhythm-only backing music. It does a great job of managing setlists, has a user-contributed library of tunes, which often means preparing a tune is very efficient (via lookup). Its strength is in getting a full multi-instrument accompaniment (rhythm and harmony) to well-known tunes complete with an on-screen chord-sheet of that tune which is tracked as the song progresses. It probably is based on midi-technology and provides good facilities to balance the mix. This mix can be adjusted to have the rhythm part only.
iRealPro has good sound quality for its price but there are not many rhythms to choose from and the drumming-only audio-quality isn't really there. It's impressive on first encountering it but after a while hearing the same drumming loops over and over loses the lustre. This is particularly true if only playing rhythmic accompaniment rather than a full 'combo' as iRealPro does sounds more impressive at a complete mix than rhythm-only tracks. Why is this rhythmic audio lacking compared to Song Rhythm Tracks? iRealPro is an app with a limited collection of audio loops. I don't hear different loops being used for different tempos of the same rhythm. I don't hear the human variation that makes drumming come alive and I don't hear truly great drumming as one does with Song Rhythm Tracks. This does matter with rhythm because these are the things we expect from real music. iRealPro has a big following for an inexpensive tool to assist in learning new tunes; Song Rhythm Tracks really plays in a different market. It's more about enjoying playing to a large variety of high-quality rhythmic accompaniment while learning and performing tunes.
There are other mobile-based Midi Apps but nothing significantly new when considering high-quality rhythmic backing with a convenient interface. Songster is a competitor of iRealPro with a slightly different market and similar results. There are other drumming specific Apps but they all fall down in terms of supplying the realism, excitement and breadth of Song Rhythm Tracks' audio quality achieved by being server-based. What's served is complete high-quality tracks already optimally sequenced and audio-engineered before being delivered to the end-user. No sequencing or audio engineering occurs on the mobile App. It simply selects, requests and plays the tracks.
Song Rhythm Tracks is a new type of product for truly high-quality rhythmic backing that is convenient to select and play. You are not going to get tired of these backing tracks. You are not going to have to sequence anything. You will find that the player and setlist's user-interface encourages continued use. You will get to appreciate the form of your songs more and you might include these tracks into your own single and album releases. Don't be put off by experiences with mobile drumming Apps. Song Rhythm Tracks are something different.
Whether you are learning a new tune, jamming, gigging or cutting your latest album, this Song Rhythm Tracks provides a solution.
Check out samples of the audio at Alive Drumming's Samples page
Check out these articles from Alive Drumming that give further insights into the thinking behind the product –
"How to practice, then how to jam"
"When to work on your rhythm?"
"Why songform with rhythm tracks?"
Download the Song Rhythm Tracks App on the Apple App Store
Try Alive Drumming's sampler apps to sample previously arranged tracks of popular tunes. It is then easy to use the app to adjust these to your practice and performance requirements. All the sampler apps are the same Song Rhythm Tracks app but with the included sample tracks.
"songform" refers to Alive Drumming's identification of a song's form, taken from a drummer's perspective of the compositional structure of a song. In addition to adopting names for common forms such as 12-bar blues and 32-bar AABA, Alive Drumming introduces their stick notation to describe a song's form. Stick notation is simply a list of section lengths in bars separated by a vertical bar, '|', or a slanted bar, '/' where the following section is a bridge.


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Motor-Robe Blanket with Leather Carrier (Charcoal Steward)
Called steamer rugs during the early 20th Century, these blankets were a warm, welcome companion for those who traveled by horse drawn carriage, train or boat. Ideal for crisp autumn football games, warm summer picnics, stowing in the car for unexpected adventures or just curling up with at home. Each Motor Robe comes with a convenient leather carrier, with a handle and a shoulder strap.
- 100% pure virgin wool
- Dry clean
- Made in the USA
- 52" x 66" plus 3½" self-fringe (132 x 168 cm + 9 cm)


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Plastic Wood is a continuing project exploring culture, adaptation, industrialisation and form. In Korea, it is quite often to see the visual appearance of wood. More often than not, that visual expression of wood is just that, a visual expression and not the actual material itself. This has fostered an environment where the visual expression of wood is often used more than wood itself. This is a consequence of industrial efficiency, time and cost and can be seen almost everywhere. As the use of these visual expressions of wood have increased, we now see many plastic incarnations of these where wood is often moved, sculpted and shaped in ways that normal wood could not previously achieve. I call this phenomenon Plastic Wood and its something that I find charming, distinctly Korean and something that reminds me of home. This is a series exploring the concept of Plastic Wood and all of the various and impossible wood forms that are possible within this context.
Common to many acrylic or plexiglass distributors is a series of wood prints based plastics. This series similarly explores warping, forming and shaping wood prints.


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I know I mentioned this briefly in the update to my previous post, but it still irks me, so I thought I'd bring it up again.
Back on July 3rd I put a comment up on the blog of the "Spend Your Way to Wealth" guys, Smith & Merritt—specifically on their post about Payday loan places. By July 5th my comment had been removed. Admittedly, of course, it's their prerogative to decide what can and can't be up on their blog, but consider what they say in this post:
Feel free to play rough and tumble, challenge us, ask us questions. All we ask is you keep it polite. No foul language or rudeness. We love a good dialogue and we love explaining why we believe the way we do. Still, we do reserve the right to edit posts if we determine them to be offensive.They apparently have an unreasonably broad definition for the term "offensive" (as well as "edit"). I certainly didn't use any foul language. Nor was I rude—unless they define "rude" as any disagreement with them. Unfortunately I did not save a copy of exactly what I wrote, but here is the gist of it:
Payday loan places may be a "scourge," but how will making them illegal be helpful to their typical customer? Reducing a person's available options seems rather likely to hurt them, instead.It was something like that, anyway. Does that seem rude or offensive to you? If not, then why do you suppose they removed the comment?
If you truly believe that these businesses are overcharging their customers, then this suggests a profit opportunity. Why not set up a competitive shop in the neighborhoods where you find these places and then undercut them? I suspect, though, that their near-ubiquity means that they are already quite competitive with one-another, and are thus already charging the lowest price the market will bear. This means that making them illegal will almost certainly result in making credit even more expensive for the very people you are complaining are already being overcharged! How is what you suggest, then, going to be helpful?
Subsequent to the deletion of my first comment I wrote a second one expressing my disappointment at what I saw as cowardice on their part. Not surprisingly, that one was also quickly removed. Could it be that Smith & Merritt have no room for gray areas when it comes to debt? Unfortunately, if you are faced with a situation where you have to choose between spending an extra $50 or having your electricity shut off for 2 weeks, then sticking your head in the sand, as Smith & Merritt would apparently counsel you to do, isn't going to help.