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Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Yum Balam
At first, I was operating at the margin of panic. I have four of the five health indicators raising my odds of a most unpleasant demise should I contract the virus. One month ago, a canceled flight left me hanging in Punta Gorda Town overnight, in gloves and mask, praying for a seat on the 10-seat Cesna the next day, all the while thinking this could be where the music stops and dreading the limitations imposed by that scenario. Thankfully, I made it back to my winter palapa with my fully-stocked library in Mexico the next evening, removed my mask, and could, after washing my hands again, let out a deep sigh of relief. This is a well-prepared doomstead and I have six months before my visa expires.
Since then there have been weeks of alternating comfort and worry, as foreigners on tourists visas started getting expelled or going into hiding, and a steady up-ramp of precautions augured our present state of lockdown here in rural Mexico. Now, finally, we seem to have a settling-in for the long haul and, all in all, my situation here is not bad. In fact, it's almost ideal. I am on an island that has cordoned itself from outside contact to the impotent chagrin of state and national authorities. Food and fuel arrive at the dock unaccompanied. Apart from the boat crew, nary a soul comes or goes. The plan is not perfect, but it has bought me this time, and so far, we have no cases of the virus.
As time passes, I have watched the vacillating responses to the pandemic as it encircles the globe. I find the political football match humorous, in a dark way, as I see how caught up people still are, amazingly, in normalcy and confirmation biases, even to the point of ignoring clear and present danger to themselves, their loved ones, and to the Republic.
"Now I'll show you the self-evaluations of people asked how susceptible they think they are to anchoring, causal base-rate errors, the endowment effect, availability, belief perseverance, confirmation, illusory correlation, queuing; all the biases you've learned about in this course."
— The Overstory
What came to me over these weeks of quarantine is that a knock like this is precisely what our global civilization needed. Behold: a gift from nature in the disguise of a ruthless killer. It is not that it will kill us all, it's that it has made us push the pause button on what we had been doing.
In that pause lies hope.
I feel saddened for those who try to take advantage of the historic moment to further their own agenda, but as I search for what transformative lessons might be learned, I think, at first, one might be that we finally allow ourselves to feel the power of the exponential function. It's the same one quietly driving us off the cliff of climate change. It has been herding us into our own extinction through our own seemingly insatiable lust to procreate and by obliviousness to our accelerating power to consume non-renewable resources, exterminate other species, and generate toxic waste.
That lesson was more or less the theme of the excellently made but sloppily researched film, now free on YouTube, Planet of the Humans, produced by Jeff Gibbs and Michael Moore. Planet exposes the hubris of imagining that we could merely substitute renewable energy for fossil fuels and be home free. While it was wildly inaccurate about grid-based renewables and biomass energy, and did not ken my strategy for eCOOLvillages and integrated power agroforestry that flip carbon from bane to boon, the film nonetheless offered the choice to construct a Civilization 2.0, or else.
At some point last week I thought it would be the CoV-19 collapse of debt-based finance through cascading bankruptcies that would inexorably pave the way for the adoption of donut economics, blue crypto, a Green New Deal, and other disaster socialist alternatives that have been warming up in the wings waiting for such a moment.
But then I realized that the pandemic, as lethal as it has been, is not nearly bad enough for that … yet. It would need to grind on, go deeper, hurl bunker busters at the hardened silos of Wall Street. There is still a lot of life left in the dragon. More spears are required.
— Projecting the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through the postpandemic period Science 24 Apr 2020
Until this week, I thought more pain to induce deeper restructuring seemed likely to be provided. The projections of what would be needed to end the lockdowns and return to normal gradually extended the time in which we might expect a vaccine from 18 months to four years, or possibly never. If that is true, my visa will need to be extended, but we can all get precious time to deliberate the shape of the reboot. Universal Basic Income seems a fait accompli. Donut economics and ecovillages are gaining adherents. We just need more time.
What does Civilization 2.0 look like? Richard Powers' The Overstory (recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction) gives one kind of glimpse:
"Turns out that the temperate jungle's million invisible entangled loops need every kind of death-brokering intermediary to keep the circuits coursing. Clean up such a system and the countless self-replenishing wells run dry. This gospel of new forestry is confirmed by the most wonderful findings:. Beards of lichen, high in the air, that grow only on the oldest trees and inject essential nitrogen back into the living system; Subterranean voles that feed on truffles and spread the spores of angel fungi across the forest floor; Fungi that infuse into the roots of trees in partnerships so tight it's hard to say where one organism leaves off and the other begins; Hulking confers that sprout adventitious roots high in the canopy that dip back down to feed on the mats of soil accumulating in the Vs of their own branches.
"Patricia gives herself to Douglas Firs. Arrow-straight, untapering, soaring up a hundred feet before the first branch, they're an ecosystem unto their own selves, hosting more than a thousand species of invertebrates. Framer of cities, king of industrial trees, that tree without which America would have been a very different proposition. Her favorite individuals stand scattered near the station. She can find them by head-lamp. The largest of them must be six centuries old. He's so tall, so near the upper limits imposed by gravity that it takes a day and a half for him to lift water from his roots to the highest of his 65 million needles. And every branch smells of deliverance.
"The things she catches Doug Firs doing over the course of these years fill her with joy. When the lateral roots of two Douglas Firs run into each other underground, they fuse. Through those self-grafted knots, the two trees join their vascular systems together and become one. Networked together underground by countless miles of living fungal threads, her trees feed and heal each other, keep their young and sick alive, pool their resources and metabolites into community chests. It will take years for the picture to emerge. There will be findings, unbelievable truths confirmed by a spreading worldwide web of researchers in Canada, Europe, Asia, all happily swapping data through faster and better channels.
"Her trees are far more social than even Patricia suspected. There are no individuals. There aren't even separate species. Everything in the forest is the forest. Competition is not separable from endless flavors of cooperation. Trees fight no more than do the leaves on a single tree. It seems most of nature isn't read in tooth and claw, after all. For one, those species at the base of the living pyramid have neither teeth nor talons. But if trees share their storehouses then every drop of red must float on a sea of green."
The Overstory
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction Winner of the William Dean Howells Medal Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize…wwnorton.com
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction Winner of the William Dean Howells Medal Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize…wwnorton.com
I could have cut that extended quote to the last paragraph, or the last couple of sentences, but the whole thing about an ecology of habitation is about the breadth and scope of the whole. One needs to inhale deeply. Nothing should be left out or put aside. All of it belongs. All of us belong. Us and it are undifferentiated.
Fantastic Fungi, the Paul Stamets bio-pic now screening intermittently in the clear on Vimeo, supplies much the same vision: A world freed of competition; a world given over to intelligent cooperation; permacultural design.
My friend Richard Heinberg put it most succinctly on Earth Day:
"The coronavirus pandemic reminds us that we are vulnerable biological organisms, strands in Earth's web of life. Due to our special human gifts — notably, our linguistic and tool-making abilities — we have come to think of ourselves as special and apart, more gods than critters. We have used our unique powers to kill off the macropredators that once threatened us — the lions, tigers, and bears. But a micro-predator, far too small to be seen even with a powerful optical microscope, has shown up unexpectedly to remind us that we are still links in the food chain. If something good is to come from the terrifying experience we are all sharing this fiftieth Earth Day, perhaps it will be the reminder that our survival depends not on defeating nature (something we can never really do, because we are nature), but instead on learning to live in a state of intelligent, dynamic balance within Earth's nourishing yet fragile and perilous complexity."
But then, just as it all seemed so planned to end this way, my hopes were put on hold by some leading-edge antiviral creativity emerging from within the medical community. It had to happen. There are a lot of very smart people out on the front line now, all looking for a cure. Marine biologist Brian von Herzen sent me this collection of their thinking:
Simultaneously, I read the excellent Opinion piece in The New York Times by emergency room physician Richard Levitan. Working with severe cases, he saw many patients with none of the usual early pneumonia signs like fluid buildup, trouble breathing, or chest pain. What he saw instead was oxygen failure due to the loss of mature red blood cells. People were dying from oxygen starvation, even while their lungs were not yet showing traditional symptoms of pneumonia.
I find it interesting that doctors are so stymied by the peer-review process or the bureaucratic snarl at underfunded CDC and WHO that they have to publish letters in newspapers or go on YouTube to be heard. Nonetheless, what these reports tell us is that CoV-19 is more like HIV than flu. We may find a therapy to prevent deaths before we find a vaccine. While a vaccine could take years to emerge, or never arrive at all, we could be able to re-oxygenate red blood cells, or transfuse, until patients' white blood cells can develop their own specific antibodies against CoV-19. VonHerzen's idea is to take the seats out of grounded commercial airliners, replace them with hospital beds and quarantine tents, and then pressurize their cabins to elevate oxygen so they can revive otherwise terminal coronavictims.
And that suddenly saddened me. Winning the fight against this pandemic shortens the Great Pause we really need.
You encourage me to do more and then tell you about it. Help me get my blog posted every week. All Patreon donations and Blogger subscriptions are needed and welcomed, especially at this time when I am quarantined far from home. You are how we make this happen. PowerUp! donors on Patreon get an autographed book off each first press run. My latest book, The Dark Side of the Ocean, is nearing that moment. Please help if you can.


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We are fully focused in marketing our brands whilst maintaining its values, vision and image. Commitment is at the highest level in order to deliver the brand promise to all the present and potential consumers. Our teas come in diverse forms of packets, tea bags, containing a variety of black and green teas ranging from regular, flavored, fruit, specialty blends and herbal.
Rainbow Foods (Pvt) Ltd is a leading exporter of quality Ceylon Teas.

subset: commoncrawl


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Publication Date
This book of poems presents a cross-generational conversation between Sally Hemings and the contemporary narrator about what it means to be a black woman in their respective landscapes, while at the same time demonstrating how little the ways in which we talk about black women and black female experiences have changed in more than two hundred years. In these poems, the speakers engage with historical texts, art, literature, and popular culture, while never allowing us to lose sight of their location within their own settings, the twenty-first century and the antebellum South. With an intentionally fraught title, Mistress not only addresses the ways in which that word is perhaps inappropriate to define Hemings, but also about how we tend to oversimplify the ways in which we see women. The title is investigated through a series of poems, in which the speakers contemplate the various definitions of "mistress": extramarital partner, skilled individual, school teacher, authority figure, head of household, etc. In this way, the collection asks readers to complicate their understandings of both the word "mistress" and of black women. This collection seeks to resurrect Hemings from the limited historical narrative she's often provided, while also bucking up against the limited ways in which black women are currently represented in popular culture. Through a series of poems with "mistress" in the title, the book looks at how narrowly we use the word, almost exclusively as extramarital partner, but how the word's different definitions are related to power and strength. When we strip the term of its positive connotations, it mirrors the way that we strip Hemings of the agency she had over her life and the lives of her children. -- publisher
Poetry, American, Sally Hemings, Black, Women, Female
New Issues Press / Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Chet'la Sebree, Assistant Professor of English and Director of the Stadler Center for Poetry
Recommended Citation
Sebree, Chet'la, "Mistress" (2019). Faculty Books. 71.


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This paper describes a new algorithm for feature extraction on hyperspectral images based on blind source separation (BSS) and distributed processing. I use Independent Component Analysis (ICA), a particular case of BSS, where, given a linear mixture of statistical independent sources, the goal is to recover these components by producing the unmixing matrix. In the multispectral/hyperspectral imagery, the separated components can be associated with features present in the image, the source separation algorithm projecting them in different image bands. ICA based methods have been employed for target detection and classification of hyperspectral images. However, these methods involve an iterative optimization process. When applied to hyperspectral data, this iteration results in significant execution times. The time efficiency of the method is improved by running it on a distributed environment while preserving the accuracy of the results. The design of the distributed algorithm as well as issues related to the distributed modeling of the hyperspectral data were taken in consideration and presented. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been tested by comparison to the sequential source separation algorithm using data from AVIRIS and HYDICE. Preliminary results indicate that, while the accuracy of the results is preserved, the new algorithm provides a considerable speed-up in processing.
|Original language
|Pages (from-to)
|Number of pages
|Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
|Published - 27 Dec 2004
|Algorithms and Technologies for MultiSpectral, Hyperspectral, and Ultraspectral Imagery X - Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: 12 Apr 2004 → 15 Apr 2004
- Distributed processing
- Hyperspectral imagery
- Independent Component Analysis
- Source separation


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A totally self-indulgent update on my preparations for my Tokyo trip next month.
If you normally come here for the reviews and hot-takes on various idol related things then this article might not be for you. This article is more of a traditional blog post than anything, and very little of it is likely to have much relevance to anyone other than the person writing it. If you're cool with reading my ramblings about my upcoming trip to Tokyo then awesome. If that's not your thing then no hard feelings, and I hope you'll be back when I post my next review sometime next week.
With all that nonsense out of the way, as anyone who took the time to read my previous blog post about this knows, I'm Tokyo bound in the not too distant future. It's under a month away at this point actually, which is pretty incredible to think about because right now it still doesn't actually feel like I'm going anywhere. I'm sure that will change at some point in the coming weeks, but the fact that I'm so relaxed about all of this surprises me, because I'm usually the type of person to stress out about stuff like this. Maybe I'm just starting to mellow out at the ripe old age of 25.
Its been a while since I wrote that last blog, so of course things have developed a bit in that time. Also, before I forget I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me out while I've been planning this trip. There's a number of you, so I don't want to list names and maybe forget someone or whatever (award acceptance speech much?) but you all know who you are. Anyway, once again a huge thanks to all of you for all of the information, tips and all the other stuff you've told me to help smooth out this whole deal. Planning a trip to somewhere you've never been isn't an easy thing, so it's good to hear from people who have done it before.
Speaking of developments, I guess the biggest one is that I've had a bit of a change of accommodation. Last time I wrote one of these, I was staying in Shinjuku through an AirBnB listing. Well, some…complications came up that were no fault of either myself or my host (who was very quick to set me up with another of their properties) and now I guess I'm staying in Shibuya. It's pretty close to Yoyogi Park actually, which is pretty cool. I'm sure I'll be able to take some cool photos there to share on Twitter or wherever all the cool kids share their holiday snaps. This place also has a real bed too, which is a plus.
In other news, I've kinda filled out my schedule a little. I've included a list of all of the shows I'm currently going to below, so if anyone happens to be going to any of these, maybe I'll see you there.
11/12 Yukueshirezutsurezure
11/13 Morning Musume
11/16 Oyasumi Hologram
11/19 Passpo
11/20 Stardom (Women's Wrestling)
Not a bad little list of activities, right? Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that I don't have more stuff already planned out but these are pretty much the only things advertised to be happening currently that I'm interested in. I'm sure more stuff will be announced in the coming weeks, but it looks like I'm going to have a bunch of evenings to fill, so if anyone happens to have any suggestions on that front feel free to leave me a comment. I'm in Tokyo from the 10th of November and fly home on the 25th.
That said, there are a couple of other things I'm kinda debating over right now. Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, a band that I really like are doing a show on the 10th. That's the day I land though, so I don't know what sort of state I'll be in after an 11 hour flight. I'm open to the idea, especially because the venue is really close to where I'm staying but yeah. If I'm not completely wiped out from traveling, I'll probably see if there's any tickets still available.
I'm also looking at maybe going to some more wrestling shows. New Japan unfortunately aren't really doing anything while I'm there so that sucks. I think I'm there like 5 days after their last big show of the year so my timing on that front is pretty terrible. There is some DDT and NOAH shows, as well as a few Joshi shows going on but I'm not super familiar with a lot of the wrestlers in those companies so I don't know right now. There's also no matches announced for any of these shows currently, and from what I've seen they can be pretty hit or miss. At $40-60 a ticket, that's a fairly high price for what is essentially a lottery.
On the whole, I'm feeling pretty good about the trip. I mean, it'd be pretty bad if I didn't right? I guess this whole Brexit thing is slightly putting a damper on things, given that the exchange rate is just dropping like a stone currently. It's not like I can't afford it, but you do sorta take a step back from time to time and…consider options. Maybe I'd be going a bit more crazy with the spending than I will if this trip was happening 12 months ago. That's the harsh reality of being an adult who has to manage finances and can't just make unlimited withdrawals from The Bank of Mom and Dad I guess.
So yeah, that's pretty much where I'm at about a month out from my grand voyage to Tokyo. Like I said, my schedule is still pretty open which while I'm not super happy about, it has its advantages. It's good to have a bit of flexibility because you never know what cool thing could come up and it'd suck if I was fully booked the whole trip and had no room to call an audible. There's already plenty of things clashing on the days I am booked up for as it is. That Morning Musume day feels like every group I like is performing at the exact same time, it's pretty crazy really if you look into it a bit.
This is probably the last one of these things I'll write until I'm actually in Tokyo, and even then I'm not making any sort of commitment on that front. If you guys know of any cool stuff going on (shows, exhibitions, etc) then let me know with a comment or on Twitter. Apart from that, thanks for taking the time to read if you did and please keep checking the site for more of the actually interesting content that we produce.


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Video files
Here is the mega 1280 x 720p HD version. This is encoded in H.264 at 60 fps with a high bitrate, so be warned that it requires a strong computer to play! This may not work well on older machines or laptops or tablets, which may stutter or lose audio sync.
This version is cut to half the resolution and bitrate, but still looks pretty good. Use this for playback on more modest devices like laptops and iPad.
Executable version
This is a compiled executable version. Very beta at the moment! Download and unzip it. There is no installer.
Version 0.3 posted 16 August 2013 with the following improvements:
- Changed audio system to Windows Media Player instead of XNA's laggy MediaPlayer
- Added icon for the program file
- Escape key exits program
- Added resolution support via the command line
- Microsoft Windows. Tested on XP Service Pack 3, should work on Vista and 7 and 8.
- Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable 4.0
- Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
- Up to 1 GB RAM available
- 1280 x 720 resolution in windowed mode, unless specified otherwise on the command line
Known issues
The music may glitch slightly at the start of each scene. This is the program resetting the current audio position to keep it in sync.
On some machines, the prerendered 3d video scene does not play correctly, showing only the bottom half of the video. This is a known issue caused by Microsoft. The temporary fix is to uninstall Microsoft hotfix update KB2803821 until Microsoft releases a permanent fix.
Command line
You can specify window size by width and height on the command line. Example: SecondRealipony.exe 1920 1080
Use 16:9 aspect ratio for best results. It will work in other aspects but some of the graphics will be stretched or otherwise not look right.
If the specified height is equal to your screen height, the program will subtract a small amount to account for the size of the title bar. The program does not run fullscreen, because XNA does not seem to report correct timing info when in fullscreen mode.
Second Realipony accepts a string on the command line to specify a list of particular scenes. This can be used for testing or troubleshooting or just to watch a favorite scene. Each scene is represented by a single lowercase letter:
- a - Introduction
- b - Title screen
- c - Twilight Sparkle and the bouncing bookahedron
- d - Rarity and the gems dot tunnel
- e - Vinyl Scratch and the interference moire lines
- f - "Get Down"
- g - Rainbow Dash and the rainbow techno light show
- h - Shining Armor picture
- i - Fluttershy and the text scroller
- j - Applejack and the apple lens and rotozoomer
- k - Cutie Mark Crusaders and the plasma
- l - Cutie marks animated on the cube
- m - Pinkie Pie with party cannon and the vector bobs
- n - Derpy Hooves and the reflective raytracing
- o - Wonderbolts and the waves
- p - Princess Celestia bouncing picture
- q - Beginning of city world scene (fade to white)
- r - City world virtual reality scene (prerendered video)
- s - Special Thanks picture
- t - Credits
- u - End scroller
Thus, running SecondRealipony.exe dggr would run only the scenes with Twilight, Rainbow Dash (twice), and the city world.
Frequently asked question: Is the rendering realtime?
Answer: Mostly but not all.
All the scenes can run in realtime, though not always at 60 fps. My computer is a Wolfdale Core 2 Duo E6500 with Radeon 6670. Most scenes run at 60 fps on it. A few scenes reach between 15-30 fps in realtime, which are the Cutie Mark Crusaders plasma, Derpy raytracing, and Wonderbolts landscape. They all could easily be elevated to 60 fps by reducing the vertex counts or by moving my CPU-bound logic into HLSL on the GPU.
The video captures above are at 60 fps. They are produced directly by the code, rendering all the scenes at animation intervals of 1/60 second, running slower than realtime if necessary. Each frame is saved as a screenshot to PNG, then FFmpeg encodes the image sequence into a video at 60 fps. So the video captures are equal to the realtime rendering for most scenes and slightly better for the few slow ones.
The exception to all of the above is the city VR world at the end. That scene is rendered from Source Filmmaker and is not realtime at all. The executable binary will only be able to include this scene as prerendered video.


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Pulselocker, a music subscription service and storage locker targeting electronic music fans and DJs, has launched its service to the web, following an earlier beta as a native desktop application. The site is an interesting cross between something like Spotify and a cloud service with a desktop component like Dropbox, for instance. Users pay a monthly subscription fee in order to access the service's streaming catalog of over 4 million tracks, but are limited as to how many they can save for offline listening and use in DJ'ing applications.
The idea for Pulselocker first came to its co-founders Ben Harris (CEO), Alvaro Velilla (President), and Josh Goltz (COO) a couple of years ago. Harris was then part of a house music trio called Dirty Vegas best known for their Grammy Award-winning song "Days Go By," and Velilla worked for a European electronic music brand called Pacha. The topic of conversation at the time – as is often the case among artists and those in the industry today – is how difficult it is to make a living today as a musician, a producer or DJ.
Frustrated with music piracy, but also wanting to create something which would serve the DJ community, the co-founders came up with the idea for Pulselocker. Unlike competitive streaming services such as Spotify or Rdio, Pulselocker today is focused on a niche market – it's a music service for DJs. The team began work in early 2012, and released a beta version on the desktop last November ahead of this week's online debut.
Pulselocker is actually three services in one: an on-demand streaming service like Spotify, a subscription-based storage locker which lets DJs play tracks in their preferred DJ'ing apps while offline, and an online music store which lets you shop for tracks you can purchase outright and own forever – whether or not you have a current subscription.
Three Ways For Artists To Get Paid
Having been developed by those in the industry whose goal is to benefit both the artists and fans, Pulselocker is interesting because not only has it negotiated deals with the music aggregators to operate legally, but it also offers artists three ways to get paid on each track. For each of the above scenarios, artists receive a royalty.
The company has deals with around 60 different aggregators right now, which, combined, include over 27,000 independent record labels. But Pulselocker recently signed a deal with Merlin, the so-called "virtual fourth major. As the largest of the indie lot, Merline oversees 20,000-plus distributors and labels. The deal will about double Pulselocker's catalog of 4 million, says Fred Han, a former DJ who now runs marketing and communications at the startup.
In addition, the company has began discussions with the major labels, too, including Sony, Universal and Warner. Sony's talks are now in final stages, and likely closing next month.
For DJs, what makes the service interesting – and unique – is that unlike other subscription music on demand offerings, users can actually take the songs they "rent" and save into a special Pulselocker folder on their computer. From here, those tracks can be played with specific, whitelisted DJ'ing applications, like Traktor and Serato. (VirtualDJ works, but is not officially supported).
In order to make this work, the tracks themselves are not DRM'd (rights protected), but the folder they're saved into is, so only specific DJ apps can access it. You can think of the folder sort of like a one-way Dropbox – it lets DJs download music into it, but not share or upload the files it contains elsewhere. The company has filed for a patent on its locker technology, Han says.
Subscription-pricing is based on how many tracks a DJ wants to save for offline playback, starting at $9.99/month for 25 tracks up to $59.99/month for 1,000. Unlimited streaming is included with all subscription plans, but DJs tend to want the hard copies of files – after all, gigs don't always have an Internet connection available.
But how many DJs are there in the world, to sustain a service like this? "We don't actually know how many DJs there are. It's in the millions," says Han. He does note, however, that technology advancements have lowered the entry to the market. "It used to be that a DJ had to buy a set of Technics 1200's, a mixer, headphones and needles – a $2,000-plus expense. And now, a kid with a laptop and a controller you get at Walmart for $100 can technically be classified as a DJ," Han adds.
"I read on a blog someone asked this same question: 'how many DJs are there in the world? One of the comments was 'too many,' Han says with a laugh. "It's hard to put an exact number on it."
Pulselocker is open to sign-ups here. A free, limited streaming service is also available. The startup is angel funded by CEO Harris at this time.


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Welcome back everyone! I'm still playing with the Simon Says Stamp March Card Kit. These are so jam packed with value for a very reasonable price!
My card today is featuring this fun llama stamp set Wooly Lucky that comes in the kit. What does a llama have to do with St. Patrick's Day? Who cares lol… it's cute! I stamped my image onto Neenah White card stock and colored with copic markers. I didn't have a coordinating die so I fussy cut my image out.
I have this amazing light green card stock called Green Apple that came in the kit in which I'll use for my card base. I trimmed a piece of white card stock down to 4″ x 5 1/4″ and die cut a heart from the center using the Nested Heart dies. I layered the back of the white card stock with foam tape and attached to my card base.
In the kit comes a huge sticker sheet. I attached the rainbow and clouds stickers to some white card stock and trimmed them out so they have a nice white border. Then added them to the center of my heart with foam tape.
I attached my cute llama to the front of my card. My sentiment is from the Amazing stamp set which is also in the kit or you can purchase separately. I stamped it on Sunshine card stock with Clear Embossing ink and heat embossed with Brutus Monroe Alabaster white. I trimmed the sentiment out with the Sentiment Labels die and added to the front of my card with more foam tape. Yes, I love foam tape.
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HOLLYWOOD—I'm starting to get frustrated "Big Brother" fans. It seems like things are continuing to turn into the Paul show, and the only people who are willing to take a shot at this veteran are Ramses and Jessica, and they have yet to gain any power to make the move that needs to be made to change the dynamics of the game. So when we last left off, it was Cody, Alex and Ramses on the block. As we expected Cody was evicted, but the vote was not by a landslide. We expected Jessica to vote for Ramses, however, why in the hell would Christmas and Kevin vote for Ramses?
Well I'm glad they did because they caused utter chaos in house people. Now, let's talk about Christmas for a second because this is just ridiculous. Her foot is broken, she can barely compete in any competitions, she was gone from the house for nearly 2 days, and she got to cast her vote live via telephone from the hospital. Um, BB you might want to be careful here because you're setting a precedent. I mean Christmas was entertaining the first week, but this crap is becoming annoying. She can't compete in half the competitions, why is she still there? Yes, it's her choice, but it is becoming a pity party for her, just like Raven who whines every damn time she gets a chance.
I hate it, hate it, when you get a house of contestants and none want to play the game. This is why we desperately need all-stars for season 20 or I might seriously check out. Anyway, we get our first endurance comp of the season, and it's the inevitable wall challenge that tends to work to the advantage of those who aren't super muscular, but those who are tiny. I seriously was rooting for Jessica, Ramses, Jason or Alex to win this comp to shake up the house, and in the end it was a battle between Elena (never expected that) and Alex, but Alex came out on top!
Now, I really wish Alex hadn't won this HOH because she was in a good spot, and the more I watch her on the live feeds she is turning into one of Paul's many groupies as Cody stated. No one in that house has a backbone and follows this guy like a genius. He's a vet; he made a $450k mistake last season by taking Nicole to the end instead of evicting her. Of course he'll never own up to that mistake people. He's no Derrick people; he's becoming more like Paulie from BB18 each day.
I CANNOT wait till his safety ends this week because now we can finally see what his game is like because he can be nominated. With Alex in power, the popular kids were nervous because one of theirs would be taken out, the question was who? Alex decided to nominate Dominique and Jessica. I have no idea why Jessica, get over your first week fiasco and align with her Alex, you need her to take out Paul! Honestly, she should have nominated Matt and Dominque; I swear this guy has to be the biggest waste of space; he does absolutely nothing but it cereal and has barely been seen in any of the recent episodes.
Jason pushed hard for Raven to go up, but Alex wouldn't because of her illness. I'm sick of this, if you can't compete or don't plan to compete and expect sympathy from the houseguests to take you to the end, just leave the house now. Man, I'm secretly hoping Jason can edge out a win next week and do what he wants and not allow Alex to continue to play scared. However, the rodeo clown won the POV and was planning to use it to take down Jessica, with Matt, Raven or Mark as a replacement. Unfortunately, Alex was wavering because she allowed Paul to get in her ear yet again.
Alex wanted Dominque out, but it looked like Paul was planning something to take out Mark maybe. Cue the fireworks, because drama exploded very early in the morning on Saturday as Paul and Dominique got into a house fight with the houseguests watching as the two traded spars. Per usual Paul got loud and yelled cause Dominque implied he was a snake (he is), but being docile with Paul is never a good look. If he gets loud, you get louder. That's Paul's shtick; he did it last season with Frank, with Michelle, with Tiffany and Natalie. He never really goes toe-to-toe with most guys people, more reasoning why I call him a mini-Paulie in disguise.
That fight basically sunk Dominque's ship, and per BB, the isolation game began yet again. That power alliance has fractured, but I'm glad Jason, Alex and Ramses are now aware that Kevin can't be fully trusted with info as he always runs back to Paul. Jason didn't use the POV, Paul decided once again to push the boundaries by dressing as a snake, and Josh and Mark got into an epic fight over hot sauce, pickle juice and a game of pool. Um, Mark the target on your back is growing bigger and bigger by the minute.
This Thursday can't come soon enough because Julie Chen dropped so many bombs I couldn't take them all in. We only have 1 Den of Temptation left which is the Halting Hex people, which allows a houseguest to stop a live eviction. At this point I think it's safe to say Alex, Jessica, Ramses and even Dominique could be contenders for this. Why? America likes drama and we want to see the house shook and someone actually use that power to alter Paul's plans. Not only that, she revealed that we are having another battle back where Cameron, Jillian, Cody and presumably Dominique would get a shot to re-enter the game.
Fingers crossed for either Cody or Dominque as they will cause the most drama and absolutely go after Paul people. Seeing the rivalry between Paul and Cody is great, but imagine if the powers that be managed for Christmas to go out, Dominque stay and Cody re-enter. We can only pray for that, it would be epic TV people! Last year's Battle Back was quite entertaining, but I'm hoping the producers don't rehash the same thing for viewers.


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In keeping with this week's theme of flying toys and vision we thought we should post up VRflyer's videos that have been all over the web this year. VRflyer took the whole remote presence game to a new level when he used a goggle set that tracked his head movements and moved the plane camera in synch. This little evolution in interactivity actually has an immense impact on user experience. The ability to move your head around as if you were 4 inches tall sitting in the plane cockpit makes all the difference in the world. Watch the video below, it tells the whole story.
Link to VRflyer's youtube page


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Citrus Monthly Kit
Sale price $4.00 Regular price
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Introducing my Citrus Theme Monthly Kit, hand designed and printed by me! This three-page set is perfect for setting up beautifully themed monthly spreads with no hassle.
61 stickers
3 sheets
Weekly Schedule, Habit Tracker, Time Tracker, Finances, One Line a Day headers
To-do, tasks, and habits headers
Monday thru Friday stickers in two styles
Variety of citrus doodles
Vertical number strip (spaced out for Leuchtturm dot grid)
Printed on matte sticker paper
**FREEBIES** sent with every order


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Clifford J. Rosen, MD is the Director of Clinical and Translational Research and a Senior Scientist at Maine Medical Center's Research Institute. He is a Professor of Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Rosen is the founder and Former Director of the Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education. He was the first Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Clinical Densitometry, is the current Editor-in-Chief of The Primer in Metabolic Bone Diseases, and is an Associate Editor for New England Journal of Medicine. His publications include more than 391 peer-reviewed manuscripts, covering both clinical and basic bone biology.
Dr. Rosen has overseen numerous phase II and III clinical trials, funded both privately and through the NIH. He is a member of the FDA Advisory Panel on Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs and a former chairperson of that committee. He also served on two Institute of Medicine Committees, and was Chair of the NIH Review Panel for Skeletal Biology and Bone Diseases for 2002-2004. He is the current Chair of the Clinical Trials Review Panel for NIAMS. He was a previous member of the NIAMS Scientific Advisory Board and he served as president of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in 2002-2003. Dr. Rosen's research interests include the genetic regulation of IGF-I, skeletal metabolism and stem cell fate, PTH as an anabolic therapy, and the relationship between marrow adipogenesis and osteoblastogenesis.


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Marloes Coenen Armbars Fiona Muxlow in First Round in Dream 18 Strikeforce champ, Marloes Coenen, will be celebrating the New Year with a first round armbar win over Australian fighter, Fiona Muxlow. In the second round of the Dream 18- Glory 4 New Years Eve card, Coenen dominated the first and only round with Muxlow. Coenen utilized her thai clinch on Muxlow landing several good knees during the round.
Th fight ended with Coenen transitioning from a triangle to the arm bar from guard at 3:29 of round 1.
Marloes Coenen Armbars Fiona Muxlow
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During my time as creative director at Pepperdine Graphic Media, I designed many of our special publications. One of my favorites is the Sex Edition created alongside amazing editor and a great friend of mine, Mariela Rudi. The publication tackled various topics on the sex spectrum including feminism, accessibility to contraception and gay culture on campus.
* We're not creepy, I promise. That scary looking child on the cover of the Sex Edition is a Pepperdine reference!
November 28, 2015
Editorial Design


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Investing in real estate is significantly different from investing in stocks and bonds. Anyone can get started in the stock market with just a few dollars to invest: look at the success and popularity of investing apps like Acorns and Robinhood!
Real estate markets, by comparison, have an extreme learning curve and a high cost of failure represented by the upfront costs of a mortgage. For those who are just getting started in real estate investing, inadequate knowledge and experience can lead to costly mistakes.
Fortunately, when you have the tremendous buying power and experience backing your investments like you do with the Peak Housing REIT, we eliminate the pitfalls investors experience from operating their own rental properties in the DFW area.
One of the ways we do this is by acquiring real estate investments wholesale to contribute serious value-add to our portfolio of offerings for our DFW UPREIT. This frees our investors from both having to understand the specifics of buying a property through a real estate wholesaler and having to forge the connections able to provide such opportunities.
What Is Real Estate Wholesaling?
- Real estate wholesaling is an arrangement where the wholesaler acquires a contract from the seller of the property, looks for potential buyers, and assigns the contract to one of the buyers.
- To make money, a wholesaler has to look for discount properties or negotiate with sellers to get a good deal. However, there is a short timeframe within which wholesalers have to sell the properties they contract.
- The wholesaler will then make money based on the seller's contract price and the buyer's purchase price. As such, the wholesaler will not own the property at any point during the sale process.
At The Peak Group, we have the resources necessary to maximize the real estate wholesaling exchange to ensure that what we bring to the table within the Peak Housing REIT ultimately contributes to your long-term wealth.
Reasons Why We Handle the Wholesale Experience
We Have Specialized Knowledge and Experience
- As a vertically-integrated company built to handle real estate transactions and tracts to scale, we have specialized knowledge and experience that most investors may not have—or even have access to on their own.
- This allows us to secure outperforming real estate opportunities before they ever hit the mainstream real estate market, then bring them up to speed and profitability under our renovation standards.
- Our experts have extensive knowledge of wholesaling laws as well as experience in the local real estate market, putting us in a great position to handle any matters that may arise during the process.
Essentially, we do the heavy lifting for you so you can focus on living the lifestyle you deserve from the returns we provide.
We Care About Your Bottom Line
Our vertically-integrated approach to property purchasing helps us create better margins that ultimately equal better returns for our investors. We consistently outperform public equity REITs because we buy (and then rent) a better product from the ground up.
Our wealth is invested alongside yours because we believe in our approach to providing you with a better investing experience through a better DFW UPREIT structure. Anyone that directly impacts your long-term wealth should be as committed as you are to the outcome. We understand that the returns we provide through the Peak Housing REIT may be fueling your future retirement plans and current lifestyle—and we take that responsibility seriously.
Our Drive Saves You Time as an Investor
- The Peak Housing REIT's wholesale acquisitions are built on finding and choosing the right properties to deliver consistent performance for our investors.
- Our dedication saves you time, both on the acquisition front and that of management. We do real estate wholesaling to help save investors valuable time while still ensuring they reap the expected rewards.
- At The Peak Group, we're also dedicated to transparency. Our reporting ensures you won't be left wondering about the performance of the investment you've made in the Peak Housing REIT.
We Are Built for This
We've been developing our company since 2013 to operate off of the benefits of vertical integration, and that extends from the properties we acquire wholesale through to renovations and ultimately to placing paying renters within those properties.
We don't just have 'connections' with various players in the DFW real estate market: we are the players in the DFW real estate market. Our collection of operations under The Peak Group umbrella includes in-house property management, skilled contractors, and rental property acquisition specialists. This approach ensures we're successful beyond wholesale and that our investment offerings continue to be diverse.
Wholesale investment properties represent an incredible opportunity to slash margins and produce better returns for our DFW UPREIT—but they're not the only way we add rental homes to the Peak Housing REIT. If you're ready to learn more, investigate our FAQ page or discover what sets The Peak Group apart through our story. We're also always available to contact directly if you don't see the answer to a specific question listed there.


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Their tumultuous love story isn't the first, but it bursts with vibrancy and frustration in Fosse/Verdon, the ambitious limited series retelling their story in eight parts. By giving more airtime to the chronology of the pair's romance and cultural impact, it suggests a deeper care about the less glamorous parts of their story, and a wider reach to tackle far-reaching corners of their contributions to popular culture.
But what impresses in the first episode seldom builds to a more impactful payoff later in the series – Fosse/Verdon crafts a boisterous love letter to the musical theatre business more than it dissects the reasoning behind the relationship that so fascinated the world.
Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon
Bob Fosse is played by Sam Rockwell, a reliable actor who gained recent notoriety for playing flawed, often hurtful men (a racist cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and a..divisive politician in Vice, to name a couple). He's the man everyone wants to work with, the choreographer who can suss out a star and becomes the director with the blank check. He's also the man every woman succumbs to.
Rockwell fits into this part well, Fosse's flaws (as much biological as emotional) at once increase his allure and frustrate the viewer. Here is another Tortured Artist to sigh for. But there's salvation for the audience in Michelle Williams' Gwen Verdon, a mesmeric actor bringing to life an incandescent performer. It's a perfect match.
The series then seesaws between the heaving influence of both historic stars, both within the fiction and from a present-day perspective. On paper, this makes for brilliantly gripping television, overflowing with talent spanning so many decades and styles of performance. There are glimpses of 'Sweet Charity' and 'Cabaret', as well as tighter performances including 'Who Got the Pain'.
Michelle Williams in Fosse/Verdon
But then the swinging rhythms of musical theatre seldom fade out, and so the theatricality permeates into the quieter and more difficult moments of Bob and Gwen's lives. Fosse/Verdon isn't a stage musical or a movie musical in itself. It's more than a biopic, but less than a series with the freedom to unfold with the depth that their lives did. And so, what is left?
Fosse/Verdon explores the details, painful and complex, of a life spent trying to make art. In isolation, with a partner, for an audience and for self-actualisation. It does so via one of the most respected and romantic partnerships of all-time, but never quite lets their human story play out with as much truth as the slickness of their performances do.
Scenes are stitched together with haphazard coherence, and the depth of Williams' performance or the antagonising charm of Rockwell's delivery feel watered down by the tap of a heel, the snap of a finger. There's tremendous aesthetic achievement, an ambitious and convincing recreation of such a stylish era.
The series works when you choose what to latch onto: the music, the razzle dazzle, the love at first sight. But when looking back on a lifetime so complex, so reliant on the only two people in the world who really understood how the other one worked – who are we to even try and make it look as good as it felt?
|Fosse/Verdon, BBC2 review
02 Aug 19 – 02 Aug 20, AIRING ON BBC 2
|Click here for more information


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India, 17th July 2018: Neymar Jr is getting ready to step back out on the football field as the second big tournament of his summer fast approaches. After the disappointment of a World Cup quarter-final exit to Belgium, which he described as 'the saddest moment of my career', the Brazilian will lace up his boots once again for the third edition of his signature five-a-side football tournament at Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in his hometown of Praia Grande.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward returned from foot surgery and a three-month injury layoff to score two goals and help Brazil to the last eight as they bid for a sixth title in Russia. Now back home, goals and skills are the main focus once again as the 26-year-old welcomes the best five-a-side teams around the globe to Brazil to contest the World Final of Neymar Jr's Five between 20-21 July.
Here is all you need to know:
- Over 125,000 players signed up for a qualifier in this year's competition as elite five-a-side players battled it out in 62 countries across six continents.
- Some of the urban locations where players have shown their skills this year in qualifiers and national finals of the tournament, organised by energy drink giant Red Bull, include Baku, Lima, Paris, Miami and Singapore.
- The national champions will get the chance to pit their wits against each other at the World Final – held for the third time at Instituto Projeto Neymar Jr in Praia Grande, Brazil.
- With 2809 teams, bringing their best to the field, Joga Bonito Mumbai emerged victorious and became the National Champions of Neymar Jr's Five 2018. Anthony Machado, Johnson Dsilva, Mervin Stephen, Preetam Mahadik, Daniel Fernandes, Scott Dsouza and Pratik Kadam will now represent India in the World Finals 2018 at Instituto Projeto Neymar, Brazil, between 20-21 July, 2018 and meet the Paris Saint Germain superstar in his own backyard.
- There are five players on each team with no goalkeepers and, every time someone scores, their opponents lose one player until 10 frenetic minutes are up or one team runs out of players.
- The 2018 tournament is open to teams of five to seven players aged 16 to 25 with each team allowed two players over 25 in their squad, while a new women's competition has been launched in addition to the mixed tournament as well.
- Neymar Jr said: "What makes me really excited is that this edition brings more players from more countries so I'm glad to know that everyone wants to participate, and I feel happy to be part of it. More than that, I am excited to bring the joy of football and all the cultural diversity to the children here at the Instituto Neymar Jr that are attending the Neymar Jr's Five's third edition! The fact that the finals take place in the neighbourhood where I grew up fills me with energy at this moment."
- In 2016, a team from Brazil were crowned world champions while Romania scooped the prize in 2017 and got to visit Neymar Jr in Paris in October.
- In previous years, Neymar Jr has brought some famous football friends such as Gabriel Jesus to play alongside him against the new world champions.
- Follow the World Final live on www.nemarjrsfive.com


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Your Medicare Advantage plan comparison is just one step away!
Compare Medicare Advantage plans and benefits in your local area.Compare plans
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Our licensed insurance agents can help you compare plans and keep your current doctor.
In 2022, there are a total of 3,834 different Medicare Advantage plans available in the United States, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).1
Plan options vary around the country, so where you live could affect your plan options.
Join our email series to receive your free Medicare guide and the latest information about Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
By clicking "Sign me up!" you are agreeing to receive emails from MedicareAdvantage.com.
Every Medicare Advantage plan must offer the same set of basic benefits as Medicare Part A and Part B, and many plans may also provide additional benefits such as prescription drug coverage or wellness programs.
The benefits you get will depend on the individual plan you enroll in, so you need to compare plans to get the right coverage for your needs.
Narrowing down your options may be difficult. The first step is to determine which of the 5 major types of Medicare Advantage plans most closely fit your health insurance needs.
There are 5 major types of Medicare Advantage plans. The major types of plans differ by network restrictions, referral requirements, and prescription drug coverage options.
HMO plans offer low-cost coverage options with network restrictions.
If you have an HMO, you will be covered only for medical providers and hospitals within the HMO's specific network, unless it's emergency or urgent care. If you go out of your network for care, your insurer might not pay for it. The provider networks are grouped based on ZIP codes or county lines.
In most cases, HMOs require you to pick a primary care physician, and you will need a referral to see a specialist in most cases.
Most HMO plans provide prescription drug coverage.
There also is a less common version of HMO plans called HMO Point of Service plans (HMOPOS). HMOPOS are basically structured like an HMO but allow access to some out-of-network health care services for an additional cost.
PPO plans offer coverage through a network of providers, but you are allowed to access out-of-network care for covered services, usually for a higher cost. If you go to doctors and hospitals in the plan's network, you will generally pay less.
You do not need to choose a primary care doctor with a PPO, and usually you do not need a referral to see a specialist.
Most PPO plans provide prescription drug coverage. However, if the plan lacks drug coverage, you cannot join a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. If you want Medicare drug coverage, you must join a PPO plan that offers prescription drug coverage.
PPO plans operate both locally and regionally, depending on the specific plan. Local PPO plans are grouped into smaller areas such as counties. Regional PPO plans provide coverage in entire states or multi-state areas.
Most PPO plans are regional.
You might consider signing up for a Medicare PFFS plan if you are interested in having some flexibility in your health care choices.
With PFFS plans, you may go to any Medicare-approved doctor or health care facility that has accepted the plan's payment terms and agreed to treat members of your Medicare Advantage plan. You will be treated in an emergency even if the health care provider has not agreed to your plan's terms.
Some PFFS plans may use a provider network. If you enroll in one of these plans you can also see any of the network providers who've agreed to always treat plan members. If you choose to visit an out-of-network provider who accepts the plan's terms, you may face extra charges.
You do not need to choose a primary care doctor with PFFS plans, and you do not need a referral to see a specialist.
Some PFFS plans offer prescription coverage. If your plan does not offer coverage, you can join a Medicare Part D plan. Check with the plan for more information.
SNPs are only available to Medicare beneficiaries with specific diseases, health conditions or financial circumstances. The plans are structured to benefit their members according to their health needs.
SNPs limit membership to those with chronic or disabling conditions like dementia and HIV/AIDS or those living in institutions such as nursing homes. The plans are tailored for these members to provide the most suitable benefits, providers, and drug formularies for the group.
With an SNP, you need to visit in-network doctors and hospitals, unless you need emergency or urgent care or in other limited situations.
The plans usually require that you have a primary care doctor or a care coordinator. In addition, you will usually need a referral to see a specialist.
All SNPs must provide prescription drug coverage.
Medical Savings Accounts provide you with a high-deductible health care plan and a bank account. Medicare will deposit money into the account and you can use the money to pay for your health care services throughout the year.
MSAs cover all of the required Medicare services and can provide additional benefits such as vision and dental coverage.
MSAs do not include prescription drug coverage. If you need coverage, you must join a Medicare prescription drug plan.
To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans and to find plans in your area, call a licensed insurance agent today or compare plans online.
Speak with a licensed insurance agent
1 Freed M. et al. (Nov. 2, 2021). Medicare Advantage 2022 Spotlight: First Look. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved from www.kff.org/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-2022-spotlight-first-look.
Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he's written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.
Christian's work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.
Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.
Christian's passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.
A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
If you're a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don't hesitate to email our public relations team at email@example.com.
Compare your Medigap plan options by visiting MedicareSupplement.comVisit site


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SEATTLE – Nov. 5, 2013 – Raúl Ibañez, an outfielder and designated hitter for the Seattle Mariners who is considered one of the most consistent and professional players in Major League Baseball, will receive the 49th annual Hutch Award® at a Jan. 30 luncheon at Seattle's Safeco Field.
The award is given each year to an MLB player who best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication of baseball great Fred Hutchinson, both on and off the field. Baseball Hall of Famer Rod Carew will give the Hutch Award Luncheon's keynote address; proceeds from the event will benefit cancer research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Over the past 14 years, the Hutch Award Luncheon has raised gross proceeds of more than $3.8 million to support the mission of Fred Hutch, which was established in the early '70s by Seattle surgeon Dr. William Hutchinson in honor of his brother and baseball hero Fred, who died of lung cancer at age 45.
"I'm really at a loss for words. It's a tremendous honor; I'm humbled and grateful," Ibañez said upon hearing he was named the award winner.
"It is extra special to me to win this award while playing for Seattle, Fred Hutchinson's hometown and the city my family and I choose to make our home, as well as the home of the Hutch center and the great work they do for patients here and all over the world."
This year Ibañez hit 29 home runs, including the 300th of his career, tying him with Ted Williams for most home runs in a season by a player 41 or older.
During 16 seasons, he has played for the Mariners (three times), Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees. He was a National League All-Star in 2009 (Philadelphia), a six-time Player of the Week and a two-time Mariners MVP, an honor designated by the Baseball Writers' Association of America Seattle chapter.
Ibañez has received the MLB Players Association Heart & Hustle Award three times and has four times been the Mariners nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball's highest honor for community service. The Sporting News named Ibañez one the "Good Guys" in sports and he also received the Tug McGraw Good Guy Award from the Philadelphia chapter of the BBWAA.
Ibañez is as widely respected for his accomplishments on the field as he is for his character, leadership and community involvement.
His many community activities include chairing the annual Mariners Care Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournament; supporting Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program, which works to make books available to at-risk children throughout the state of Washington; and involvement with Make-A-Wish®, Boys & Girls Clubs, Seattle Children's Hospital, Treehouse, Covenant House Pennsylvania and Project H.O.M.E.
He also serves as a spokesman for "Refuse to Abuse," the Mariners' unique partnership with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The program raises awareness of violence in intimate relationships through public service announcements in both English and Spanish.
Ibañez and his wife, Tery (short for Teryvette), live in Issaquah, Wash., with their two sons, Raul Jr. and Luca, and three daughters, Sophia, Victoria and Carolina.
"Fred Hutchinson exemplified honor, courage and dedication, traits that we should all try to live our lives by," Ibañez said.
The Hutch Award recipient is selected annually through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 48 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Baseball Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock are past recipients. In more recent years Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Mark Teahen, Tim Hudson, Billy Butler and Barry Zito have joined their ranks.
Editor's note: Photos of Ibañez are available upon request.


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New How To Be Single Movie Got Mixed Reviews From Top Critics
New How To Be Single movie got mixed reviews from top critics. Warner Bros. Pictures released their new comedy flick, "How To Be Single" into theaters today, February 12th, 2016, and all the top movie critics have revealed exactly what they thought about it. It turns out that it was a mixed bag with this one, getting an overall 54 score out of a possible 100 across 24 reviews at Metacritic.com.
The movie stars: Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann and Rebel Wilson. We've added comments from a couple of the critics, below.
Richard Roeper at the Chicago Sun-Times, gave it a very nice 88 grade. He said: "It's one of the most endearing romantic comedies in recent memory, with some laugh-out-loud dialogue, gorgeous photography and uniformly charming performances from the entire cast."
Stephen Whitty from the New York Daily News, gave it an 80 score. She said: "This smart, raunchy comedy is a movie aimed at women. Full of frank, just-us-girls talk about men and wicked gags about drunken sex and intimate "landscaping," it's probably a poor choice for date night. But it's a great pick for girl's night out."Read More..>>


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Call to all bloggers!!! Kerrific Online is hosting an amazing cloth diaper stash event that will run from August 1-15th. Sadly, I won't be able to participate, since we will be making our out of state move right around that time, and I may not have internet access readily available.
However, I know they'd LOVE to have any other bloggers sign up for this awesome event! The prize will include 12 diapers and a wet bag. Enough to get a mom started or update their stash!
To sign up, please click HERE.
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PR Friendly Mama!
I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: firstname.lastname@example.com
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June 2023


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Intervention - Beyond the Basics
Course Description
Intervention with learners who are deafblind is a very complex process that looks different with every individual. yet there are many elements within the process that are common to all people with deafblindness. In this course, participants will be encouraged to identify and explore these common elements, as we share our experiences, our successes and our challenges as Intervenors. Participants will be asked to go beyond the basic "Techniques of Intervention" to uncover the traits of exceptional Intervention.
Participants will receive a transcript from Richmond Continuing Education upon completion of the course.
- Participants must be currently supporting a student with deafblindness under an education authority in the province of British Columbia
- Participants must have completed both Introduction to Deafblindness and Introduction to Intervention
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe the role of the Intervenor to others
- Describe the characteristics of highly skilled Intervenors
- Explain and provide examples of the 3 types of Intervention - General, Instructional, Social
- Demonstrate an understanding of conversation with a non-verbal learner
Instructional Methods
This course will utilize a variety of teaching methods to facilitate learning, including lectures, small and large group discussions, participant demonstrations, and other media. Time for questions and the sharing of participants' experiences with individuals who are deafblind will be built in throughout the course.
Course Hours: 30
Note: This course was previously titled: Intervention Level 2


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Brandeis is a place where individuals can openly uncover their eclectic life narrative, unusual odyssys and tangled obstacles and really hold pride in these experiences that define what makes them unique in this immense world that we live in. Students at Brandeis endeavor to change the world and no one shys away from shouting these aspirations from the rooftops. I've heard individuals discuss their personal and maybe complicated life goals – most surrounding ending some sort of social justice issue.
Many social justice issues have existed for years and years, but I've learned from students at Brandeis that giving up isn't really an option. Students know Justice Louis Brandeis' saying "most of the things worth doing in the world were declared impossible before they had been done" and they really run with it.
Each day working at Environment Oregon I learn more about the impacts of pollution; I learn the impacts of single-use plastics on wildlife, I learn the impacts of diesel pollution locally and globally. One take-away I've had is that if environmental catastrophes are not affecting individuals directly, or affecting them right now, many are not even aware that these problems exist.
This is why spreading public awareness is incredibly important. My job to gain support from individuals, businesses, and leaders in Portland through teaching people about the effects of diesel pollution and how our city can decrease our footprint and better the health and environment of communities throughout Portland is incredible. The excitement, questions, and encouragement I receive back makes the end goal seem less impossible. There has to be a movement before there can be change, and there has to be education and awareness before there can be a movement.
There are many instances where I think about how hard it is to imagine myself being able to change the entire city of Portland. But what I've learned from Brandeis and from all of the students following in Justice Brandeis' footsteps is that the biggest obstacle can be yourself – if you believe in yourself everyone else will too.


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The Jordan brand was built on basketball, but its future may be with soccer.
The sneaker label is reportedly going to release a signature shoe for Brazilian soccer star Neymar, which would make him the first footballer to have his own Jordan shoe. According to sneaker blog Sole Collector, no official details have been announced, but an Air Jordan 5 Low tied to Neymar is listed on retail calendars as a fall 2016 release.
While it's not officially confirmed—and Jordan told Quartz that it couldn't provide any information at this time—it's not too much of a stretch. Nike, which owns Jordan brand, already sponsors Neymar, as well the national team of Brazil and his club team in Spain, Barcelona.
Jordan brand, meanwhile, is looking to expand well beyond the men's basketball sneakers that helped make Nike and Michael Jordan the commercial powerhouses they are today. In 2014, it introduced its first running sneaker, and last year, it began targeting women for the first time. It's also been putting out more sneakers generally, suggesting Nike might want it to become a standalone brand.
In fact, Nike CEO Mark Parker made clear at an investor presentation last October that he hopes to double Jordan brand's sales to $4.5 billion by 2020. It's part of a bid to grow Nike's overall annual sales to $50 billion in that time, up from approximately $30 billion currently, and would require scaling Jordan brand globally. Adding a new sport to the Jordan roster, especially with the massive international fanbase that soccer enjoys, would certainly help.


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I am a stay-at-home mother in the Midwest. Born and raised in Indonesia, I am now raising my two children on the American soil. This is my story.
Soon after our wedding, my husband and I moved to the United States for his studies. By the grace of God, I got pregnant just two months prior to our departure. Suddenly, I was placed in a career transition from a full-time architect to a full-time housewife. As a person who was born and raised in Indonesia, I had painted a picture in my mind of what a family is based on what I was familiar with back home. However, I found out that having a family in the U.S. turns out to be completely different. When I was much younger, I imagined being a housewife to be very fun: I would cook all the delicious meals whenever I want, have flexible time, and do things I like all the time. I also pictured myself living in a nice, clean, and tidy house. Also, since I always have some pretty bad seasonal allergy, I would also want my house to be dust-free. But in the U.S, those things seem to exist only in a television commercial.
In Indonesia, we are used to having maids who help us doing those "household" tasks. I recalled taking them for granted. It was so easy to blame the maid when we found something was not done according to what we wanted. But after living in the U.S., I realized that your house would remain the same if you don't do anything about it. This means that your messy kitchen will look exactly the same when you returned from your vacation. The pile of dirty clothes will accumulate if you don't do the laundry routinely. In the beginning, I was very frustrated. It seemed that I couldn't get anything right; the clothes always got wrinkled and the laundry bin kept on piling up no matter how much time I spent in the laundry room. I only managed to cook several simple meals that would last for two days. My house was always messy and dusty, with piles of dirty dishes on the sink that started to stink. Not to mention the children who craved for my undivided attention almost all the time (remember, most people here don't have nannies to help them). Will that be too much if I said that 24 hours a day was never enough?
After six years of experience, I learn that there will always be pile of dirty dishes, dirty laundry, and messy rooms everyday. Overtime, you will adjust and become more efficient. Your significant other will also become more effective in helping you. My husband is very busy with his research. But I am grateful that he spares some time to help me doing the house chores every now and then. Without any help, there is no way you can get it done without being overly exhausted every single day.
Now, I have learned to set the right priority, which is my family happiness. I have decided to change my strategy in order to enjoy my everyday life with my family without spending too much time on the chores. Here are some tips that I though might be useful to survive as a housewife in the US. First, focus on doing one thing at a time. I only do one chore per day. Whether it is done perfectly or not, I will move on to another chore on the next day. Second, increase your efficiency when cooking. To save yourself from cooking and washing those heavy utensils everyday, try to cook in big portions and freeze some of those to be thawed when needed. Third, shop non-perishable stuff such as toilet paper, detergent, etc., in bulk to save some gas money and time from going back and forth to the store. In this case, join a membership at a wholesale store such as Sam's club or Costco can be beneficial.
After all, I believe that human is a very adaptive species. No matter where you live, there will always be challenge. I would not base my happiness on where I live. Instead, I will focus my time and energy to enjoy what I have with people that I love. On my next article, I will share about the great things in America that you and your family will love and enjoy as much as we do.
The picture was supplied by the author


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Our next tale will be Doll Trouble and will start posting on Thursday.
The Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival) is celebrated on March 3rd in Japan and is also known as Girl's Day. Contemporary celebrations center on a special feast for daughters and the setting up of a doll shrine. It can be quite elaborate and is most commonly a display of dolls dressed from the Hiean period imperial court. Dolls are set out in the weeks before March 3rd, but must come down by the end of the day on March 3rd or else it is believed that the daughter will have bad luck in marriage.
March 3rd is also a day of purification in the Shinto religion. In ancient times, the dolls for this day were made from fiber or paper (origami). People would breathe on them and rub them on their bodies to rid themselves of impurities, and then float the dolls down the river in small boats. These impurities may also take the form of demons or malevolent spirits. Because the dolls and boats clog up fishermen's nets, places still using the doll floats will have priests gather them later and take them to the shrine to be burned.
If spirits are captured within these dolls, what happens to them once they are captured and floated down the river? Is it wise to trick a trickster?


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Vaughan, Ontario, Canada — Motion Control Components — The EDD-3701x EtherCAT slave drive joins Galil's EtherCAT Family. This family has grown to include two EtherCAT masters and an I/O slave with both digital and analog I/O points. The EDD-3701x is a motor amplifier that operates in an EtherCAT distributed system where there are up to 32 slave drives and one master. It has a daisy chain topology using standard CAT5 Ethernet cables. The EDD-3701x can interface with Galil masters (DMC-500×0 and DMC-52xx0) for sophisticated applications or with TwinCAT® for very simple applications.
The EDD-3701x series has the ability to control brushed, brushless, steppers, and microstepping motors (See Table 1 for more details). Unlike the competition, the EDD-3701x can both control a motor and also has 8 digital inputs, 4 digital outputs, 2 analog inputs, and 2 analog outputs. All I/O information from these drives are accessible by the EtherCAT master. This capability can eliminate the need for separate EtherCAT I/O devices. The configuration of the EDD-3701x is done using the Galil's GDK software. Simply connect to a PC via EDD-3701x's USB port, follow the GDK configuration tool process, and start moving motors. The EDD-3701x also comes with a setup guide to get the user from taking the EDD out of the box to moving motors in a manner of minutes
The EDD-3701x has a small form factor with just 3.9"x5.0"x1.5". It can operate in either Cyclic Synchronous Position mode (CSP) or Cyclic Synchronous Torque mode (CST). It also accepts quadrature encoder feedback up to 15 MHz.
CLICK HERE For additional information on the EDD-3701x EtherCAT Slave Drive
About Electromate:
Electromate's Core Purpose is to help Manufacturers build better machines using differentiated automation technology. They specialize in Robotic and Mechatronic Solutions for the Industrial Automation marketplace. Respected by customers as a premiere source for High Performance Automation and Motion Control Components & Systems, Electromate® specializes in AC & DC Servo and Stepper Motors & Drives, Motion & Automation Controllers, Positioning Systems & Actuators, Feedback Devices, Gearing Products and HMI's & Operator Displays, all supported via extensive product selection, just-in-timedelivery, dedicated customer service and technical engineering support.
More on Electromate can be found at
Website: http://www.electromate.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/209277/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Electromate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/electromateindustrial/
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Blog: https://electromate.wordpress.com/
For more information on the "Best Place to Work"CLICK HERE!
To view Electromate's new corporate video CLICK HERE
To see all of Electromate's Products and Application Stories featured on MotionShop.com, enter electromate in the Google custom search box (upper left, above)
For further information on this new product or others in our extensive product portfolio, call 1-877-SERVO99 (737-8699) or e-mail Warren Osak at firstname.lastname@example.com or visit Electromate at: www.electromate.com


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Connecticut's last national championship, the longshot it was at the time, is still paying off. It may have landed them Kentan Facey.
When the rapidly-improving 6-foot-9 Long Island Lutheran forward came to New York from Trelawny, Jamaica, in the spring of 2011, he couldn't take his eyes off the Huskies as they went on an improbable run to the school's third NCAA crown.
"That was the only school I knew anything about when I came to the states," he recalled. "I was always a UConn fan, I always liked UConn."
Soon, he will be a part of Jim Calhoun's prestigious program. Hours after taking an unofficial visit with AAU coach Karriem Memminger to the Big East school, Facey verbally committed to UConn — as first reported by The Post — cutting short what figured to be a long recruiting journey.
"It just felt right at the moment," Facey said after becomming UConn's first Class of 2013 recruit. "Everything was just perfect — the situation, the campus is beautiful, the coaching staff is superb, all of that came together."
Facey blew up in July, picking up a slew of high-major Division I scholarship offers from programs like USC, UCLA, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Memphis, St. John's, Providence and Rutgers. He was scheduled to visit St. John's on Friday and Rutgers on Tuesday. Instead, he'll have a relaxing rest of the summer before his senior year at LuHi begins.
"Kentan is a kid who knows what he was looking for and I think he found that on his visit to UConn," LuHi coach John Buck said.
During the visit, Facey met with school president, Susan Herbst, who eased his concerns about UConn's ban from postseason play for poor classroom performance and the future of the 70-year-old Calhoun, who just underwent hip surgery and has two years left on his contract.
Herbst expects it to last just this coming season and she has brought in a new academic team to work with the players, a bonus for the academically-focused standout who plans to major in civil engineering.
"The president cleared up any doubt I had about the ban with the team," he said.
His commitment ends one chapter in his life, one which began when he discovered by Stephen Johnston and his Jamaica Basketball Development organization in one of their camps and came to Long Island. He enjoyed a solid junior year for LuHi, serving as vital role as the Crusaders repeated as state Federation Class A champions.
His summer was even more impressive, Facey adding dimensions to his game that previously didn't exist, from improving his motor to developing a medium-range jump shot. He shined at a series of showcases, such as the Nike-sponsored LeBron James Skills Academy and Amare' Stoudemire Camp, against the nation's top big men.
"Making the transition at first was pretty hard, getting used to style of play," he said."As soon as I got that down, everything started getting better. I've had a goal in mind and I've been working towards it."
One Division I coach familiar with Facey thinks he can make an impact at UConn, initially as a rebounder and shot-blocker — his greatest strengths — and eventually on the offensive end. Right now, his best asset is his ability to run the floor.
"He has great athleticism and competes against bigger and stronger guys," the coach said. "There aren't many players who have taken as big of a jump in levels as Facey. He figured it out very quickly."
Wednesday worked out as he had hoped when he first left Jamaica and began watching UConn on television, seeing Kemba Walker take the Huskies on that memorable run through the tournament.
"That was the dream," he said. "I was working towards that."
He's there now.


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Right Focus
God's Power 23
It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God's mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. Romans 9:16-18
God as the creator of all things can actually permit you to have a fierce enemy that He will eventually defeat, then, manifest His power and justice on your behalf.
God raised Pharaoh up, so that He would display His power. God can choose to use anyone and anything to display His power.
Regardless of the pharaoh and Goliath in your life, God can display His power and magnify Himself. Battles must be fought, and winners must be declared.
Focus on how you can pray, and wait upon God for him to defeat your own pharaoh and enemy. Do not focus on the enemy or on what the enemy is doing.
God will definitely magnify Himself by defeating your enemies. They exist to be disgraced and defeated just as Pharaoh existed to be disgraced and defeated. Death also exists to be defeated at the end of time.
May grace, mercy and peace be ours, in full measure. May great grace, be upon us, in Jesus name.
Related Images:


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Marina Bay Sands is a massive integrated resort fronting Singapore's Marina Bay. Developed by Las Vegas Sands, the spectacular complex is the world's most expensive standalone casino property.
[source: marinabaysands.com]
Their grand opening was held in February 2011 (just a couple weeks after we were there) and showcased the beautiful resort's main features: 2,561-room hotel, convention-exhibition centre, The Shoppes mall, Art & Science museum, two Sands theatres, seven celebrity chef restaurants, two floating pavilions, and a casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines.
[source: flickr]
The impressive complex is topped by a SkyPark and a 150m infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world's largest public cantilevered platform. The resort's sheer magnitude is even more impressive in-person. The Marina Bay Sands is a must see destination during your trip to Singapore!
Marina Bay Sands
10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
Tel: +65 6688 8868
Website: marinabaysands.com


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Montreal's Lachine Canal Is Transforming Into The Ultimate Boat Festival This Weekend
Do you love being on the water, boating and all things nautical-themed? If yes, then this is the weekend for you.
This weekend (July 5th & 6th) is Nautical Fest, an event put on by Parks Canada, with the Association maritime du Quebec and the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. This festival is for all of you landlubbers that want to enjoy the water - whether it be by boat, canoe, pedal boat or just enjoying the view!
There are a lot of activities going on throughout the weekend, but here are 4 get you excited:
1. Boat Tours on the Lachine Canal: Discover Montreal history, and our beautiful waterway, on a relaxing boat tour. You need to make reservations though, so make sure to call first: 514-602-1000
2. Kayaking: Who doesn't love kayaking, once they've tried it? No one, that's who! H2O Adventures has a kayak and picnic excursion planned on Saturday mornings. You'll be kayaking around Old Montreal, passing through the Peel basin and so much more - definitely a very unique way to see our city! To celebrate Nautical Fest, they're offering a discount on this, and other, activities. Check out their website!
3. Canoeing: Ok, if you don't like kayaking, you must love canoeing! You're in luck - Poles des Rapides is launching a new kayaking circuit this weekend, during the festival. You need to get in on this; who else can say they've paddled around Montreal? For more information, go to their website.
4. Nautical Fest: The festival itself, celebrating its third anniversary, will be a lot of fun even if you're the type of person who likes to stay on solid ground. Tours, workshops, entertainment, and more - they'll make you want to buy your own boat by the end of the weekend!


text: The B-50, LLC company was registered on October 30, 2014, in WA. Current status of the organization Inactive and type Profit. The registering agent is PR CORP SERVICES INC located at the address 10900 NE 4TH ST STE 1850, BELLEVUE, WA, 98004. Get the credit report on the B-50, LLC. Governing persons are: . Credt score.


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Laika Virgin
I was asked to design a web page for a band called Laika Virgin. By the time I started working on the concept for this design, they had released one album, two EP's and a new album was on its way. I had much creative freedom with this project and I wanted to do something bold and different.
Band members wanted the website to look mainly black and white. To make it pop, they chose orange as an additional colour to add contrast. But still, it looked a bit too faint, so we decided to use a red colour instead.
The website's main purpose is to promote their latest release and works in general. When landing on the page, you are presented with information about the new album. There's also a player on the bottom of the screen which lets the user listen to a few teasers from the latest album.
The website has five sections: promotion of the new album, information about band members, discography, concerts and contacts.
Although it's a one page design, when clicking on the MERCHANDISE link, you're taken to another page with shopping options. When the user decides to buy something, he's taken to an external site where he can finish the transaction and complete the order.
For a more detailed view, check out the full pixels here.
And now, after all the hard work, you can sit back and enjoy Laika Virgin's video Lavender.
ROLE: Web Design + HTML / CSS / jQuery
VIEW PAGE: http://laikavirgin.ee/ (...under development)


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Lock-On End Caps offer a clean one-piece bar end solution. Sturdy machined aluminum caps slide over the end of your bars and integrate with all ODI grips. Includes color matched jaw clamps and laser etched RIVA logo. Available in three anodized color options.
Key Features:
- ODI Lock-On Grip Compatible
- Precision machined from 6061 Aluminum
- Engraved RIVA "R" Logo
- Anodized to prevent corrosion
- Held on via 2.5mm Set Screw
- The Highest Level of Protection for your Grips and Bars
- Kit includes 2 locking end caps & 2 locking jaw clamps