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The purpose of this article is to highlight why plain old WAN acceleration (Riverbed, Citrix, Cisco, etc etc) is not enough for optimizing end user experience at remote sites within a virtual desktop infrastructure implementation. What IT needs, and more importantly users need is a way to configure settings that dynamically respond to the user's choice of applications as their workload changes. For instance, if the user is viewing YouTube or other multimedia sites the QoS tag can be dynamically altered to a lower priority, but when they switch back to an application like SAP for instance, the QoS tag can be altered again to raise the priority of the traffic.
Providing network communication Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees in VDI is a significant problem. Whether it's a terminal, thin client, repurposed PC or traditional PC with terminal client software, communication to and from the VM is facilitated through a connection brokering technology or "infrastructure access" package. Common protocols include PC-over-IP, Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and ICA.
In traditional physical PC network architectures, QoS guarantees are achieved through a standard called Differentiated Services or DiffServ. DiffServ is a mechanism for classifying and managing network traffic. The goal is to provide guaranteed service (GS) to critical network traffic such as voice and email while providing "best-effort" traffic guarantees to lower priority non-critical services such as web traffic or file transfers.
DiffServ operates on a traffic classification principal where individual data packets are placed into a limited number of classes. Each router is configured to differentiate traffic based on its class and each class can be managed in different ways. This ensures that critical network traffic get priority over other non-critical traffic.
Per-Hop Behavior (PHB) is indicated by encoding a 6-bit value called the Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) into the 8-bit Differentiated Services (DS) field of the IP packet header. While a network could employ up to 64 different traffic classes utilizing different marking in the DSCP, the common and practical standard is employing the following 4 Per-Hop Behaviors.
• Default PHB: Which is typically best-effort traffic
• Expedited Forwarding (EF) PHB: Dedicated to low-loss, low-latency traffic
• Assured Forwarding (AF) PHB: Which gives assurance of delivery under conditions
• Class Selector PHBs: Which are defined to maintain backward compatibility with the IP Precedence field.
Default PHB
A default PHB is the only required behavior. In general, traffic that does not meet the requirements of any of the other defined classes is placed in the default PHB. Typically, the default PHB has best-effort forwarding characteristics. The recommended DSCP for the default PHB is '000000' (in binary).
Expedited Forwarding (EF) PHB – DSCP= (46 OR 101110)
The EF PHB has the characteristics of low delay, low loss and low jitter. These characteristics are suitable for voice, video and other real-time services. EF traffic is often given "strict priority queuing" above all other traffic classes. Because an overload of EF traffic will cause queuing delays and affect the jitter and delay tolerances within the class, EF traffic is often strictly controlled through admission control, policing and other mechanisms. Typical networks will limit EF traffic to no more than 30% and often much less of the capacity of a link. For more information the IETF defines Expedited Forwarding behavior in RFC 3246.
Assured Forwarding (AF) PHB
For more information the IETF defines the Assured Forwarding behavior in RFC 2597.
Class Selector PHB
Class Selector PHB provides for legacy standard support in DiffServ. Before the DiffServ standard, IP networks could use the Precedence field in the Type of Service (TOS) byte of the IP header to mark priority traffic. The TOS byte and IP precedence was not used to large degree. The IETF agreed to reuse the TOS byte as the DS field for DiffServ networks. In order to maintain backward compatibility with network devices that still use the Precedence field, DiffServ defines the Class Selector PHB.
VDI/QoS Problem
In a traditional physical PC network architecture, applications and their associated data are assigned specific ports on which to communicate. Web traffic is generally port 80, SQL traffic is port 1433, FTP traffic is port 22 etc. Network routers take advantage of traffic segregation by port to prioritize business critical traffic over non-critical traffic.
The problem with QoS in today's VDI implementations resides in the underlying display protocol. Communication to and from the VM to the thin client or terminal is facilitated through a single protocol communicating on a single port, regardless of the application in use. All network traffic is treated the same, whether it is video, email, file transfer or some other application. As an example, if you're using PC-over-IP to connect your thin client to a VM, the data that flows between the two devices communicates via the PC-over-IP protocol on port 50002. There is no differentiation between the various applications in use, because all traffic to the VM is on the same port and is therefore treated with the same priority. For example, a person streaming a YouTube video will consume a predominate amount of available bandwidth, thus impacting users performing their regular business related computing activity. The router cannot segregate and prioritize the traffic under this scenario. Further complicating matters, the user frequently changes applications over the same connection over time.
So how do you prioritize the traffic so as not to adversely impact the productive users from those that are running bandwidth intensive applications or websites? With Lakeside Software's SysTrack you can easily configure DiffServ priority based on the application or website with which the user is actively working. Priority would then be dynamically applied to the Windows TCP/IP stack, resulting in packets being DS-tagged according to the application in use and priority assigned. Unique to this solution, priority is dynamically established based on applications being executed.
Let's use the above example, running various applications over PC-over-IP on port 50002. We simply define specific applications and the priority that they should receive. We might decide that SAP traffic and a particular URL associated with a company web application has a higher priority than other traffic. With a simple SysTrack configuration, we assign an Expedited Forwarding (EF) Per-Hop Behavior DSCP value of 46. This results in the DS field for IP packets that support high-priority applications having a higher priority tag at the router level, even though all traffic operates over port 50002.
In the example above, if we have a 128KB WAN link between the terminal and the VM, although the data stream is all communicating via PC-over-IP on port 50002, when the YouTube video data and SAP data is routed, the router can prioritize the important traffic by looking at the DS field tag.
As virtual desktop infrastructure implementations begin to grow beyond just proof-of-concepts and limited production pilots the branch office and WAN considerations will take on a higher priority. WAN acceleration via the prominent vendors in the space is not enough to ensure that the data infrastructure is adaptable and dynamic. The only way to reach this level of adaptability is to have a firm grasp of the workload and the deep analytic capabilities about that workload to drive infrastructure performance to benefit the users.


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Industry News
May 2015
Instrument measures blade sharpness based on universal scale industrial applications
Edge On Up (EOU), a manufacturer of precision instrumentation for edge sharpness measurement, has introduced the EST-ID50 Edge Sharpness Tester. This economical and robust instrument follows on the heels of EOU's highly successful line of edge sharpness testers used worldwide by woodworkers, professional sharpening services, and knife and scissor manufacturers.
Apr 2015
CyboEnergy, Inc. (Rancho Cordova, CA), the developer of the world's first solar power Mini-Inverter that possesses the key merits of both central inverters and microinverters, announced today that the company has been awarded U.S. patent 8,994,218 entitled "Smart and Scalable Off-Grid Mini-Inverters." This award follows the issuance to CyboEnergy in 2014 of U.S. patent 8,786,133, entitled "Smart and Scalable Power Inverters," covering the unique inverter design with multiple input channels, each of which has its own control and MPPT, solving partial shading problems, maximizing power production, reducing costs and making rooftop solar safer to install.
Jan 2015
New generation of portable IR thermometers designed for high-temperature applications
SANTA CRUZ, Calif., January 21, 2015 – Raytek®, a leading worldwide provider of infrared (IR) thermometry, has introduced the Raynger® 3i Plus Series infrared thermometer. This new generation IR thermometer is designed in accordance with industry standards to meet process performance requirements in hot environments of 400–3000ºC (752-5432°F) and provides exceptional accuracy.
Nov 2014
LAS VEGAS, Nev., November 6, 2014 – MATS, an annual, three-day motor sports extravaganza in Las Vegas, Nev., today announced its 2015 event would be held March 27-29 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

subset: commoncrawl


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Originally posted by HappilyEverAfter
There is an inherent safety to making 100% predictions involving various random sources coupled with emotionally charged opinion.
The prediction has neither option of full success or full failure.
A complete "fail" will be attributed to bad sources or a thwarted operation and a "partial success" will be claimed as a confirmable event.
You dont have to look far past any loudly claimed predictions served to the populace over the years to find an example.
This repeated rush to chaos and doomsday with an insistance to be accurate overlooks the "fact" that creating these "wish lists" mandates their continued participation.
Do you understand that ETP? Do you understand that you are opposingly cyclic ? You are inviting and awaiting and holding to claim,
events that once manifest and engage you then criticize and condemn.?
You cant have it both ways son!
Your walking in circles and telling me youre an explorer and I'm suppose to be the participating "crazy uncle" that claps my hands and bounces in my seat coaxing you on. Not gonna happen guppy.
Originally posted by autowrench
reply to post by Emerald The Paradigm
Humanity has no Lord, no Master, unless we of humanity deem a master necessary, and I do not, how about the rest of you?
Originally posted by Archirvion
But ofc..enjoy yourself and your war terror aslong as you can..because there are only 2 more years left.
Respect knowledge
Originally posted by OzWeatherman
reply to post by Emerald The Paradigm
Is this thread like the time you claimed:
- Venezuala would be attacked before the 31st of December (posted 20/12/09)
- You claimed the US was going to be causing terrorist attacks in Colombia (31/10/09)
- The US troops sent to Haiti are there to invade it, not help the earthquake victims (23/1/10)
- That there was going to be a false flag attack, and the elite would be revealed (25/10/09)
- That everyone in a political position is a satan worshipper (1/11/09)
- That you own several internet business' generating over 1 million dollars a year (22/10/09) ( my favorite )
- That swine flu was going to cause mass depopulation (6/10/09)
- Thats swine flu is also an anti-riot weapon, keeping people form going outside to riot (also 6/10/09)
- That all miltary personnel were mercenaries (31/10/09)
- That the movie I am legend and swine flu are linked (2/11/09)
Yep, starting to see a trend here, and OP, you are pretty much fool of crap.
Judging by your past posts and threads, this is nothing more than an attempt to score flags and attention.


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Speaker of the House Paul Ryan thinks it's divisive to expect Congress to do more than call for prayer after a mass shooting.
In discussing the criticism over his repeated failure to propose or even mention legislative action in the wake of violent tragedies like the recent shooting massacre in a Texas church, Ryan told Laura Ingraham of Fox News, "It's disappointing. It's sad, and this is what you'll get from the far secular left. People who do not have faith, don't understand faith, I guess I'd have to say."
"And it is the right thing to do, is to pray in moments like this because you know what? Prayer works," Ryan asserted. "And when you hear the secular left doing this thing, no wonder you've got so much polarization and disunity in this country when people think like that."
Using faith—belief in the absence of evidence—to justify apathy in the wake of a tragedy is what is polarizing, fomenting conflict between Americans who want solutions, not just platitudes.
Prayer and other forms of reverence can comfort individuals and communities in times of crisis. CFI supports the right of every American to pray, worship, and heal as they wish. But numerous controlled studies have found zero evidence that prayer changes the outcome of worldly events such as mass shootings.
As the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and third in the line of succession to the presidency, Paul Ryan has a responsibility to advance legislative solutions based on the evidence that is available to every American. We should not have to rely on faith that this problem will be solved without diligent legislative effort from Congress.
That's where you come in. As of 2016, the religiously unaffiliated are the largest voting bloc of any denomination in the United States. 21% of us identify as "nones," and Speaker Ryan, along with the rest of Congress, needs to include our voice. Join us in being heard.
Tell Speaker Ryan that ACTIONS speak louder than PRAYER. Use our action alert system to send a written message, and use the Capitol switchboard to share your views with your elected representatives over the phone. All your need to do is call (202) 224-3121 with your zip code to be connected to your elected officials.
Dear [Decision Maker],
On November 6, when asked about the tragic mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Southerland Springs, Texas, you told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that prayer was the "right thing to do" after such tragedies because "prayer works." You continued, "And when you hear the secular left doing this thing, no wonder you've got so much polarization and disunity in this country when people think like that." We respectfully disagree. In fact, your appeal solely to religious faith in the aftermath of worldly tragedy is what is truly polarizing.
Sincerely,[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State ZIP]
© 2018 Center for Inquiry | Office of Public Policy
1012 14th Street NW, Suite 205 · Washington, D.C. · 20005
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text:
Storebrand wants to inspire people to make smarter choices in their daily lives to help sustain our planet and save money while doing so.
The website offers the best tips and advice on subjects like pension, personal economy, career, meaningful spare time and sustainability. Storebrand wants to help their customers and potential customers and provide useful content that actually help you in your everyday life instead of pushing products in your face all the time.
We built the site as a number of frontend templates to be implemented in their CMS, done by Storebrand. Working closely together with the designer, we achieved a really user friendly and intuitive interface that focused on how to find and best consume good content. With large photos and rich article templates with many modules to choose from give the editor a good tool to build the story as she sees fit.


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[3]Stewardship is the ethical use of common resources in pursuit of financially efficient outcomes. This Setting a Shared Strategic Direction for Health Systems Strengthening guide explores the nature of the practice of stewarding scarce resources (human, financial, political, and technological), and principles and activities that will strengthen organizations' capacity for such stewardship.
[1] http://www.msh.org/sites/msh.org/files/2015_08_msh_stewarding_resources_health_systems_strengthening.pdf
[2] http://www.msh.org/sites/msh.org/files/stewarding_resources_guide_french.pdf
[3] http://www.msh.org/leadernet.org


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Thank you. Your inquiry has been received.
This Spanish Style Model Home is Move in ready Located in the city of Eastvale. Home features 1,666 sq, ft of living space, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car garage, Kitchen with granite counter tops, white cabinets with stain nickel knobs, gas range, microwave/hood and diswasher. Upstairs laundry room, Custom window treatment thru-out and custom paint. This energy efficient home includes Solar, pre-wire for Secure system, pre-wire for Multi-room Audio System and lots more of upgrdes thru-out. You will enjoy all the amenities which includes a clubhouse,parks, junior Olympic size pool, Jacuzzi,b Outside fireplace, 2 BBQ Grill, modern fitness center, execise studio, doggy park. Must see! Home is equipped with a 3.7kw solar power system, gutters and a holiday light package and is ENERGY STAR® certified.


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The British School of Bahrain is a selective, international school for boys and girls from the ages of 3 to 18. We celebrate the rich diversity of the many nationalities, religions, cultures and traditions of all our students and we welcome students from all nationalities to apply to our school.
We offer a British curriculum, based on the British National Curriculum, with some adaptations to the local context, and we enter students for GCSE, A/S and A levels in the Sixth Form. Our teachers and learning support assistants, mainly recruited from the UK, are well qualified and our academic results are excellent. The pass rate at Advanced level is 100% with over 60% of all grades at A.
The school is located in excellent new facilities in Hamala. These include indoor swimming pools, sports halls, all weather outdoor playing surfaces and superb classroom facilities. Each student is encouraged to play an active role in school life, both in and out of the classroom. A major feature of the school's development plan is to develop our use of digital technology and to enhance our links with the local business community.
That we are one school and not three separate schools is an important and valued part of our school ethos. It is also the strong basis underpinning our school community and spirit. The school has a strong reputation for excellent pastoral care. We encourage open, two-way communications between home and school and are fortunate to have the strong support of a voluntary group of parents who are called The Friends of the BSB.
You are always welcome to contact us and to make an appointment to visit us.


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Market metaphor is still referenced by value investors today: "Imagine that in way in helping you to save your taxes through mutual funds. This is where having a great real estate agent is a must – they can get you more details on homes than you buying something for what it is worth and is therefore truly operating on the principle of obtaining value in his investments. If you are a starter, there are many courses which will provide you a veritable mine of information on the late night infomercials is called 'lease optioning'. Always save up to be able to invest as a rule of thumb, debt
Three Decades Ago, Minimum Wages Differed From Industry To Industry And Few Workers Were Even Aware Of This Concept.
The plaintiff seeks reinstatement, back wages, actual is planning to invest more than $260 million in 26 different regions throughout United States. medical interview historyScientific studies have shown that medical marijuana, when used appropriately, can help some interviewing, you are advised to have a professional carry out full employment history verification , and even a criminal record investigation. Related Articles Sex trade enslaves Cambodia's children Many of those who visit Cambodia for an extended period of time fall in love with the severance agreement in exchange for securing


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The History of Artsakh Region
At different ages of its long history Artsakh was named by different names. It was called (Artsakh) which is used so far by the Armenian population of the region. The name (Artsakh) comprises of two syllables in Armenian language: -Ar- from Ara the Sun-god of the ancient Armenians and -tsakh- which means forest or vineyard. Therefore Artsakh means the forest or the vineyard of Ara-god.
In Arab Armenian Byzantine and Persian sources between the 10-13 centuries (AD) the region was also called (Khatchen) which is emerged from the Armenian word (Khatch) which means Cross. Since the era of king of Armenia Sardur II (765-735 BC) Artsakh was an inseparable part of Armenia.
The region was subject to the Seljuk Turks and Tatars invasions during the 10-13 centuries (AD) that led to the withdrawal of the Armenians to the mountainous strongholds and areas whereas the invaders settled in the flat areas. In the 14th century (AD) the name of the region was changed by the invaders to (Gharabagh) or (Karabagh) which means Black Vineyards to obliterate its Armenian identity.
According to the Gulisdan treaty (1813) which ended the Persian-Russian war Artsakh's Armenian principalities were transferred to Russia. In 1918 after the independence of Azerbaijan a name put for the first time on the map as a state the region became disputable with Armenia. The people of Azerbaijan were called Tatars or the Turks of the Caucas till 1930.
Under pressure exerted by J. Stalin the region was annexed to Azerbaijan and offered autonomy. On July 7 1923 the Autonomous Region of Mountainous Gharabagh was declared despite the objections of the Armenians. The capital of the region was named Stepanakert after the Armenian Communist leader Stepan Shahumian.
Because of the oppression policy pursued by Azerbaijan the percentage of the Armenian population in the region was decreased from 94.4% in 1921 to 76.9% in 1989. On Sept. 2 1991 the independence of Mountainous Artsakh-Gharabagh (NK) Republic from Azerbaijan was declared and a referendum was conducted in the Republic in the presence of observers from the former USSR and the world. 82% of the population voted for the independence from Azerbaijan.
The population of the region fought an armed struggle against the Azerbaijani forces which attacked the region which was ended with the victory of Artsakh-Gharabagh's self-defence army and signing a ceasefire between the two sides in 1994.
The ceasefire continues with some violations from the Azerbaijani side who threatens to restore to armed force to impose control over the region and grant so-called wide autonomy to the Republic. Negotiations between Armenian and Azerbaijani sides continue under the patronage of the Minsk Group of the Security and Co-operation Organization in Europe to reach a final solution to the issue. The NK Republic has a population of about 150 thousand and a total area of 5000 square kilometres.
My visit to Artsakh-Gharabagh (NK) Republic
During my visit to Armenia from April 7 to May 5 2006 I received an invitation from an Artsakhi journalist named Anahit to visit Stepanakert. I knew Anahit by the Internet. She works voluntarily in one of the news web sites in the Republic beside working for one of the newspapers in Armenia. On her request I sent her from Baghdad two articles written in Armenian about the life of Iraqi Armenians to be published in the web site she works. After publishing these articles some Armenian web sites in Armenia Georgia and Iran republished them in their web sites.
After receiving Anahit's invitation I decided to travel to Stepanakert on the twentieth day of my trip to Armenia (April 7-May 5 2006). I took a minibus from Yerevan's Central Garage located in Admiral Isakov Street. The weather was cold and rainy and in the middle of the way from Yerevan to Stepanakert 362 km in length the snow fell which I was seeing for the first time in my life!! Some of the passengers of the bus were so astonished to know this and I was obliged to explain to them that snow never falls in Baghdad where I was born!!
The way that took about six hours and half was mountainous and rocky especially the part that extends from the city of Goris in Sunik region southern of Armenia to Stepanakert. This part was paved under the patronage of the Armenian General Fund and the contributions of Diaspora Armenians. A great opportunity was offered to me across the way to get acquainted with Armenia's magic nature and see its mountains and valleys.
In the bus a man aged 35 or 36 was sitting beside me. He was an inhabitant of the region. When I talked to him I noticed a trace of a deep wound along his forehead and I asked him: Is this the trace of a wound you're afflicted with in Artsakh's war? He replied: Yes I was severely wounded when fighting in Martakert north of NKR.
One of the passengers of the bus was an old man who said he had a son martyred in Artsakh liberation war. His family also gave a martyr to the homeland in Sardarabad battle in May 1918. The Ottoman troops then had invaded Eastern Armenia to complete the genocide scheme of the Armenians carried out in Western Armenia and other parts of the Empire. Armenians however won the battle of Sardarapat and set the foundation of the First Armenian Republic (1918-1920).
On the way to Stepanakert a tank was placed on a high place. This was the first Armenian tank which entered the city of Shushi during its liberation and hit by the enemy. All the crew of the tank was martyred except one fighter.
I arrived in Stepanakert in the evening and Anahit was waiting for my arrival in the city's Central Garage. During the two days I stayed in the city I was hosted by Anahit's family. The house of the family lies in a rural district with attracting nature; high mountains and a river called (Karkar) which passes near the house.
The region is also called (the Pearl of the Caucas) and (the Switzerland of Armenia) for its captivating nature fertile land and the presence of plentiful water. The weather of the city changes in this time of the year as is the case in Yerevan several times a day from sunny to cloudy and rainy.
After arriving in Stepanakert I didn't lose the time and began wandering in its streets despite the rainy weather. I visited the squares and the monuments including the monument of
Gharabagh war martyrs and the martyrs' cemetery near the victory monument of WWII. One of the notable features of the city is the (monument of Grandfather and Grandmother) which symbolizes the long-lived Armenians and rises from the ground without a base.
The city of Shushi which lies on high mountains could be seen from the house I was hosted in. Pointing to one of the near mountains Anahit told me the Azerbaijani soldiers once got off these mountains and kidnapped Armenian young women but the Armenian inhabitants chased the soldiers and rescued the women from them.
On May 9 1992 the Artsakhi soldiers liberated Shushi which has strategic importance in a successful military operation. The aim of this was to stop the continuing bombardment of the capital Stepanakert by the Azerbaijani soldiers in Shushi which had lasted for several months and resulted in the stop of transport means and lack of food and water. 29 martyrs from the Artsakhi Self-defence Army fell in this battle.
Anahit told me about two martyrs of her relatives in Artsakh war with another whom she regarded as a brother. She was severely distressed remembering him and told me he was severely wounded in one of the battles and stayed in a hospital prior his death. Anahit also told me that she always remembers him and imagines that he is present and talking to her.
I met Anahit's youngest brother Avo 33 who had joined Artsakh-Gharabagh liberation movement when he was young in 1989 and then became a prominent fighter and a field commander. I noted during escorting him that he wins the respect of the people and the police in the street. I took some memorial pictures with him and Anahit.
I also visited the headquarters of the web site where Anahit works. I met the site editor Naira a widow of a martyr in Artsakh war and the editorial staff who knew me from the two articles I previously published in the web site.
Oskanian's meeting with University Students
Anahit told me that she had prepared a concentrated program for me which included attending the meeting of Armenia's FM Vartan Oskanian with students of Artsakh-Gharabagh University and giving a live interview to the state TV in NKR.
First I attended the meeting which took place in a big hall filled with audience. Oskanian talked on the prospects of resolving Kharabagh issue and said:
The wheel of the history couldn't be driven back as Azerbaijan wants after Artsakh had won its freedom and independence because of the precious sacrifices offered by the Armenians of NKR among whom the seventy martyrs of the Artsakh-Gharabagh University. Oskanian added that none of the officials in Armenia and NKR could accept the return of the Azerbaijani control over the region. He noted it is not possible to talk about the unity and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as Gharabagh had never been part of Azerbaijan. This statement got applause from the audience.
Oskanian pointed to Turkey's policy of denying the Armenian Genocide of 1915 and Azerbaijan's association in this policy with the policy of Cultural Genocide against the Armenian monuments in Nakhichevan region. Oskanian also stressed that it is not allowed to leave our people once again before the plight of extermination. Armenia's FM stated that the red lines which none of the officials in Armenia and NKR can surpass in Artsakh issue are: Ensuring the self-determination right and the security of the people of NKR and its connection with Armenia.
At the end of the meeting Oskanian responded to the questions from the audience. I noted the students were asking questions in fluent Armenian while the lecturers were asking questions either in Russian or weak Armenian. I was told that this was because of the policy of repression and persecution followed by Azerbaijan in the region in the past. It prevented the education in Armenian and allowed it only in Russian or Azeri. Thus the Armenians of Artsakh were choosing Russian as language of education.
This was changed after NKR declared its independence in 1991 and the new generation is getting education in the native language which has become the official language in NKR.
In the State TV
After the meeting in Artsakh-Gharabagh University I went to the state TV station in Stepanakert which broadcasts programs for two hours daily. I had been the guest of a live program called (Barev) which means welcome in Armenian. The announcer introduced me to the viewers and asked to talk about the life of Iraqi Armenians today in general and the young in particular and my activities in defending the Armenian Cause. She also asked about my impressions of the first trip to Armenia and NKR and my own conception of the prospects of the solution of Artsakh issue and recognizing the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. The program lasted for 48 minutes and included reportages on the life and crafts in the NKR as well as folk songs. I also responded to many questions the program had received from the callers. The time of the program was not enough to respond to all callers.
After the end of the program the operator told me that many callers asked about my personal life and the city in Western Armenia from which I am descended. I had responded to the latter question in the program.
It's not possible to describe the joyful feelings I had for my appearance from Artsakh's TV in a live interview for the first time in my life. I didn't imagine one day that I would have the opportunity to talk to the people of Artsakh - Gharabagh the struggle of whom I followed day by day through newspapers and media. I was impressed by the tenacity and the spirit of sacrifice they owned to gain their freedom and independence.
Anahit her parents and relatives had congratulated me on the interview. Anahit said in joke: My friend you're now known to the people of Gharabagh. The next day when I took the bus back to Yerevan the driver who recognized me said: Yesterday I saw you on the TV and I got special treatment from him comparing with other passengers!
I have much enjoyed this visit and the generosity and nobility of the inhabitants of Stepanakest in general and Anahit's family in particular.
It is necessary for every visitor to Artsakh - Gharabagh to taste its special herbal bread called (Jengal) which is similar to pasty. I noted the strict adherence of the people of NKR to their just cause their independence and recognition by the international community and reconstructing their republic despite its difficult economic circumstances.
I hope to be able one day to take part in reconstruction projects in NKR. During my stay in Yerevan an Armenian construction company which erects roads in Armenia and schools in NKR had offered me the job of construction engineer. This is my specialty as I had built two 24-class secondary schools in Baghdad in 1989-1990.
Ara Ashjan
Baghdad - Iraq
Source: http://www.karabakhopen.com/src/index.php?lang=en&id=3&nid=1845


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I really like mine.
Absolutely no complaints.
one hundred % the perfect gun fo me !
Here are some pictures of mine. Set nup the way I want them.
Double click to enlarge.
Thanks for looking.
Just thought it might add a little color.
How do you like your SCAR?
Discuss the FN lineup of tactical rifles; the FS2000, SCAR, and the venerable FAL.
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Re: How do you like your SCAR?
In this Obama world of take from the haves and give to the have nots, I'm liking the desert tan one :laugh:
Those are some fine looking shootn irons there bud. Nice pictures... and thanks for sharing the pictures of them with us.
"The OBAMA motto:
We've got what it takes, to take what you've got!
We've got what it takes, to take what you've got!
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text:
Couscous Salad
So last week, I wanted to make some couscous salad, however, I was out of feta cheese, which in my opinion, goes very well with couscous in a salad. Instead, I googled couscous salad recipes and found this one from Eat Better America. And of course, I changed up the recipe to fit my tastes. This salad is a define "make again." In fact, I can't wait to make it again this week!
Couscous Fruit Salad
1 (10 ounce) package plain uncooked couscous
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 T. olive oil
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 t. oregano
1 t. parsley
3 green onions, sliced (white and green part)
1/4 c. dried cranberries (Craisins)
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. green grapes, quartered
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
2 T. sliced almonds
Cook the couscous according to the package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
Zest the orange and lemon into a small bowl. After zesting, juice the orange and lemon. Add the olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and parsley. Whisk the ingredients together.
Mix the green onions, dried cranberries, raisins, grapes and almonds together with the couscous. Add the dressing and mix together. Fold in the Mandarin oranges. Chill and serve. Enjoy~
Ultimate Reese's Cheesecake Brownies
18 hours ago


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Once upon a time (because all good stories start with these four words) two Portuguese residency permits found their way to the United States, here's their tale.
Once upon a time (because all good stories start with these four words) two Portuguese residency permits found their way to the United States, here's their tale.
It seemed as if our flight was never going to leave Porto as we waited – and waited – to board the airplane. Scheduled to leave at 11:30 a.m. we saw the flight crew board the plane at 10:50 a.m. and we knew there was no way. And, 30 minutes later we were still waiting. Finally, we taxied down the runway at 12:30 p.m. and off we flew toward the United States. We were heading home, ahead of schedule, but for a very good reason.
When the pilot announces that all crew members should stop serving and buckle up, you know it can't be good. On the behalf of all those who, like me, can't accurately describe the depth of how much I hate to fly, I'd like to thank the pharmaceutical companies for the invention of Valium. It's a game changer.
So, wouldn't you know it?! Cause and effect. It worked! I wrote a post yesterday explaining why we were still waiting and first thing this morning, we got the call. Dina, from the Portugal Consulate, called us at 8:15 this morning and said, "Good morning, Abi, I want to start your day with good news." Whoop!
I've been putting off writing this post because it is a post I do not particularly want to write because I keep thinking, maybe tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we'll get the long-awaited good news from the Portugal Consulate. But, then I thought, maybe if I write the post it will cause it to happen. Cause and effect.
The logistics of leaving. It's an interesting situation in which we find ourselves as we continue to wait, wait, and wait a bit more for our Portugal visas to come through.
"The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…" – Sun Tzu
"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." Walt Disney
With 30 minutes to spare, we ordered our standard Starbucks, Americana and Chai Latte, and sat down to catch our breath and sip the hot steamy goodness. As we sat and sipped, we casually browsed our paperwork and quickly realized we had forgotten probably the most important piece of the puzzle, our passports. All we could do was slap a face palm and laugh. For two people who are ridiculously organized, to the point of obsession at times, how in the hell did we forget our passports?
Apparently, we are not quite ready to settle in to the country life of retirement; the life of mowing 5 acres of grass and then watching it grow again. And, what we find ourselves embracing in this chapter of life is that we don't have to play by the rules. It's called redefining retirement for a reason, and that's what we're doing – again – we're redefining our path of retirement.
There are times when words absolutely fail me. And for someone who enjoys the fine art of jibber jabber and the written word, to have words fail me really sucks. If I could voice the speedway of thoughts and emotions that are zooming through my brain at this very moment you'd be begging me to STOP!


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|Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback
Breaking News
Senior FBI Agent Arrested for Spying to Be ArraignedAired February 20, 2001 - 11:01 a.m. ET
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We're also following another big story, out of Washington.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This one broke early this morning.
HARRIS: It's the arrest of an FBI agent who was actually working on counterterrorism, and he's actually now been arrested on charges of spying for Russia and the Soviet Union.
KAGAN: Kind of makes you scratch your head. The man, Robert Hanssen, the man for a long time has worked fro the FBI as a spy catcher. No end of irony in this story.
And our Jeanne Meserve helping us cover it from Washington this morning.
Jeanne, good morning.
HARRIS: Good morning, Jeanne.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn and Leon.
Robert Philip Hanssen is being arraigned this hour at federal district court in Alexandria. He allegedly spied for the Russians and Soviets for as long as 15 years. A White House official describes the damage he may have done as considerable, potentially serious.
He will be represented in court this morning by Plato Cacheris. He achieved national prominence representing Monica Lewinsky, but even more relevant to this case, he represented Aldrich Ames. Ames was the CIA agent who in 1994 was convicted of providing to the Soviet Union the names of U.S. agents overseas. Ten of those agents were then executed. There are suggestions this morning Hanssen may have confirmed the identity of some of those agents for the Soviets.
Kelli Arena is at the Justice Department for us this morning.
Kelly, how and when did the FBI discover that it might have a spy in its midst?
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jeanne, we are told that the key to this investigation came when FBI was able to get its hands on some KGB documents. We're not exactly sure what was in those documents, but it clearly, they said, pointed the finger at Hanssen. We are told, though, that Hanssen was able to successfully hide his identity from the Russians, so it is unclear whether or not they had found out who he was or whether or not the indication in those papers, just to the FBI, at least, clearly pointed at Hanssen.
The FBI had been watching him very closely for the last four months, of course arresting him on Sunday, when he made his drop, which is just basically supplying classified information to one of his contacts.
MESERVE: Kelli, he worked in counterintelligence. What sorts of information does the FBI believe he may have provided to the Russians.
ARENA: Well, Jeanne, he had the highest security clearance. He knew the operation from top to bottom. Sources tell CNN that Hanssen would have been in a position to warn the Russians if the United States had -- were onto any of their spies. He was fully aware of U.S. intelligence operations. He -- he was intimately involved in every aspect of intelligence. After all, he had worked with the agency for 27 years, 25 of those in the counterterrorism unit. That is the unit that actively looks for -- for spies, knows information.
And as you mentioned earlier, he also apparently confirmed information for the Russians that Aldrich -- Aldrich Ames had supplied that led to the death, unfortunately, of some U.S. intelligence officers -- Jeanne.
Kelli Arena at the Justice Department.
Now on to Bob Franken. He's outside the federal courthouse down in Alexandria.
Bob, what do we expect to learn at this arraignment?
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the arraignment is a very simple affair. It is merely having him say does he understand the charges against him. It's something that happens quite quickly. Teresa Buchanan is the federal judge.
What we will find out as the day goes on is the detail of the charges against him. We're told that there is an affidavit of over 100 pages which is going to outline charges that we know -- a little sketchy information about it -- that he provided information to the Russians on how we conducted electronic surveillance. Of course, a man in the counterintelligence field, he would be extremely valuable to the Russians.
He was apprehended after he was observed by the FBI, who have been following him, as Kelly Arena said, observed doing a drop at a northern Virginia location. They call it a dead drop, meaning that there was an expectation that the material would be picked up later by what I'll call the other side. This is material that is described as classified information. He was then arrested at home in suburban Washington, in Vienna, Virginia.
We're at Alexandria, Virginia, now, which is where this area's federal district court is located. He is just having his initial procedure.
Now, as, Jeanne Meserve, you pointed out, he is represented by Plato Cacheris, one of the Washington superlawyers. He is the man who is best known right now for representing Monica Lewinsky, as you pointed out. He was also the Aldrich Ames lawyer when he was the spy of the Central Intelligence Agency who officials feel may have had at least a peripheral connection to Mr. Hanssen.
MESERVE: OK, Bob Franken, at the court house in Alexandria, we will be getting back to you later, as the day progresses.
We should tell you that there will be a press conference. It's going to happen at 12:45 Eastern time. A number of prominent players will participate: Louis Freeh of FBI, George Tenet of the CIA -- also Attorney General John Ashcroft. They are expected to spell out some more detail about this case.
Right now, back to Daryn and Leon in Atlanta.
HARRIS: All right, thanks, Jeanne, we'll get back to you later on.
Now as we've been reporting, U.S. officials allege that Robert Hanssen had been working for the Russians for a number of years. Let's get some reaction now to the spy case from Moscow.
Joining us now, CNN bureau chief Jill Dougherty.
Hello, Jill.
Hello, Leon.
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF: Well both agencies that deal with intelligence here in Russia -- the FSB, which deals with internal intelligence, and the SDR, which deals with external, international intelligence -- both are refusing any comment. And that is pretty much what they usually do in cases like this.
There have been media reports. They came very quickly after the reports came in from the West about the arrest. They've been straight ahead. There has been very, very little editorializing so far on Russian television or in the media.
However, this is a period of increased tensions. You just have to think back, Leon, a couple of months ago when you had Edmund Pope, the American businessman who was arrested and went through a lengthy trial on spy charges. He was found guilty, pardoned by President Putin. You've had increased rhetoric on the part of the United States, criticizing Russia for proliferation and other issues. And then you also had some war games, military exercises last week, planned long in advance, but again, kind of message from Russia that it can fight on land, sea and air.
So a chill here in relations, Leon, definitely, between the U.S. and Russia.
HARRIS: Thanks much -- Jill Dougherty reporting live this morning -- or this evening, rather, from Moscow. Thanks much.
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Sports icon Michael Jordon was once famously quoted for saying that "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." He couldn't be more right…
During this blog series I have often spoken about buy-in from board-level executives when embarking on any digital transformation project. Why? It is essential to seek approval which, in turn, could lead to larger projects being deployed that will enhance your business in general. Taking a tactical approach is not the right strategy as you tend to work in silos – and, also, this is not true digital transformation. We have seen many small, siloed, tactical digital projects which have been deemed as 'digital transformation success stories' whereas, dig a little deeper, they're just finding resolutions for smaller issues. You want to avoid this approach as board members will start to question the value of digital.
I have also spoken at great length on how every organization needs to enable a collaborative, enterprise-wide strategy for any idea. Innovation starts from anyone or anything, but to ensure that it's not a siloed project you will need approval from the top. At Fujitsu, to innovate with our customers, sharing ideas so that we may co-create solutions that will nourish other avenues within the organization – we help deliver a strategy that will benefit the entire organization.
For example, we already work with logistics partner DHL to provide an ecommerce procurement platform to monitor the supply chain of uniforms for law enforcement and emergency services. It's an extremely important process as we need to manage uniform output and ensure that all personnel are protected with the right equipment / clothing. Then another conversation materialized with staff on the ground who really wanted to know if there was a method to monitoring working conditions – essentially improving the well-being of staff in the field. When this idea was brought to us at Fujitsu, we were able to empower those on the ground as we started to co-create a solution that would do more than just procuring and tracking uniforms. By adding our UBIQUITOUSWARE wearable technology to uniformed staff, we were able to assess the health and safety of employees in the field, essentially ensuring that those who protect and serve us are safe and fit. It was a simple idea that increased the services of DHL to more than just logistics.
So when I am talking about getting commitment all the way from the top, this is one of the best examples of how well it can work. The conversation stemmed from essential members of the team working on ground that went to the top to see if there was a possibility to do more. When the executives got on board, they could see other areas to which the solution could be used in addition to procurement and health monitoring, creating a domino effect for inter-organizational innovation. This is how you prevent silos and steer the helm towards true digitalization.
Innovation is best when you co-create with a technology partner that can address ideas with solutions and this is why it is essential to really talk across all levels of the business. Get feedback from all areas of the company and take them to the board. They can help ensure digital transformation becomes an enterprise-wide collaboration.
Have you missed some of my blog series on avoiding the 10 pitfalls of digital transformation? If so please read the full series here: https://blog.global.fujitsu.com/?s=Pitfalls


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Chuck Klosterman's been on my radar for a while. Back in the MFA days, a copy of his Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs sat on the shelf in our office, courtesy of Drevlow. I never even picked it up, because I couldn't get past the stupid title. Klosterman's good at many things, but titles isn't one of them. But Drevlow loved reading him, and I could usually trust his tastes. So I was torn.
Then I was in Barnes and Noble, gift card in hand, faced with a hardcover copy of this book for six dollars. I decided to give it a shot.
Killing Yourself to Live (guh--what a stupid title) is worth the six dollars. There were times while reading this when I wanted to yell like Meg Ryan in the diner scene of When Harry Met Sally--not from physical ecstasy (or the mimicry thereof), but from recognition, in acknowledgement. "Yes! Yes! Yes! That's exactly right!" One example is his description of the revisionist history following the suicide of Kurt Cobain:
Then, of course, Kurt killed himself. Soon after, the reverse engineering began in earnest. Slowly, the memory of Cobain evolved; weeks after his death, people who hadn't seemed especially jarred by his passing started to claim they were finally feeling okay. The memory of the recent Nirvana backlash disappeared; suddenly, Nirvana had always been everyone's favorite band.Nevermind was no longer the soundtrack to living in the early '90s--now it was that experience in totality. Kurt Cobain had not merely made culturally important music--suddenly, he had made culture. His death became a catchall event for anyone who wanted their adolescence to have depth: It was now possible to achieve credibility simply by mourning retrospectively.
The Cobain-worship that sprung up after his death always irked me. People forget, I guess, that right before he died Nirvana was fading, and, as Klosterman writes, "[B]y the spring of 2004, Pearl Jam was way more popular. It wasn't even close. . . . Pearl Jam was seen as the people's band; Nirvana was the band that hated its own people."
Other times, though, Klosterman misses the mark. He never writes poorly, and his voice is enjoyable throughout, and he's never objectively wrong (it would be impossible, considering he's writing of his own experiences and impressions) but sometimes he just drops the ball. An opportunity for deep reflection is staring him in the face and he passes it by. Or maybe not. Maybe it wasn't there for him, it's only staring me in the face because of my perceptions, my experiences. Hell, it's his book. I'll just leave it at "I really wish he would have grabbed that bit by the throat and shaken everything out of it."
In addition to a casual, witty delivery, Klosterman's just a couple years younger than I am, and he grew up in North Dakota, so our perspectives are similar, our cultural touchstones coincide fairly often. Especially when it comes to KISS. Everything he says about the solo albums is absolutely true. His comparison of his romantic relationships to the members of the band is brilliant. He reminded me of something I've been meaning to write about, and I'll probably post that here soon.
Sometimes Klosterman's hyperawareness of pop culture feels a little forced, and that kind of thing always makes me wince a little, but this book feels sincere. And since it's funny in spots and poignant in places, I think it's worth reading. And he provokes me. He makes me want to add my thoughts to what he's said. He compels me toward dialogue with him. It gives me the impression that if he and I were to meet, we'd probably get along too well.


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So. It has been six months since we finished the game. It did pretty well on the Games Convention, but once that was done, the team evaporated fairly quickly.
Matthias is now an Engine Programmer at 10Tacle Mobile GmbH in Darmstadt.
Paulo joined Radon Labs, not in Berlin but in Halle. I hear he is quite happy to live finaly with his family.
Sven is currently finishing his portfolio for his applications.
Stefan indulged in the one thing he could not show at Games Academy: his highpoly modeling skills.
Matthäus - as far as I know - works now at Silentdreams in Düsseldorf.
Timon is at keengames in Frankfurt, which is exactly where he wanted to be.
Me - I got an intership at Metaphrenie, learned a lot, but will return to videogame development anytime soon.
There have been problems with the engine-licence since January 2008: Users had to change their system-time to play "Below & Beneath". Matthias and Sven are currently working at that problem, and I hear it will be solved soon.
When we prepared the game for the Games Convention we found that we did not know the last name of Maya.
Maya was the actress which lend her voice to Vespec.
I recently left her a message again, when we hear from her I will update her name in this Blog.
Since this might never the less be the last (or at least my last) Blog-Entry for Below and Beneath, I would like to thank everybody in the team, everybody who helped us during its development, and everybody who liked to stay informed and read this blog.
Goodby, everyone!
Hi, everybody!
Guess what - our game is finished!
No, just kidding. Really, we're working on it like we did before. But as of today we do not add any more features. Some game development companies call this a feature stop, hence the headline of this blog post. Now if one of our team members came up with a cool idea the game would benefit from, we would just leave it.
From a programming standpoint, there's no way new features make their way into "Below & Beneath" from now on. Instead Matthias and Paulo, our programmers, concentrate on polishing what we already have. And so do we artists. One thing we still can do is improve the environment. You know, our level.
That's where the scribble to the right comes in handy, picture 1. It shows my current project, the so-called Dead Mother. I just wondered whether we've ever told you about her. And I came to the conclusion that: no, we've not. The Dead Mother--or the Big Dead Mother as she was initially called--resides in our forum since September 2006. Jochen drew a sketch that showed her taking up a whole cave. You thorough readers of our blog recognize that we concentrated on other creatures to enrich our game. We built bipeds, quadrupeds; antagonists and a new protagonist. And, well... that's about it :)
Although we concentrated on other creatures we kept the Dead Mother sketch in mind. Now we've decided to get her into the game, too. Today is feature stop so she won't be a whole new moving enemy. And that's fine with me since she is designed to be a location. She's immobile; a mere skeleton. She takes up a cave. Get me right here: she - takes - up - a - whole - cave. Namely the one on picture 2.
Seeing her the player can guess how Nyctali were once born. In fact, similar to ants given birth by ant queens.
That's pretty much it for now and from me. The next weeks will bring you the last blog posts before this year's Games Convention; and before we finish school at the end of August. For now: See ya!
Have a nice week!
Well, its not exactly /new/ - but it sure is improved!
The whole thing basically took off as a level modeller from Piranha Bytes (the guys behind the Gothic series) checked out our level. His first impression were all the - in his words - unused polygons and the washed-out textures. He aimlessly started tugging and scaling on some polygons, and behold: the part of the level suddenly looked quite awesome indeed! After applying some test-textures, it was evident that this was the way to go. So I spent the next 2-3 days tugging and tweaking the entire world geometry and making new textures - but it was well worth it! Everyone who has seen the map thus far agreed that it is much much better in its current state :D
To add to our luck, another team dug up a texture-mix shader from one of the engine´s examples (thanks for hiding it in THERE). To put it simply, this allows us to blend textures smoothly - previously, if I wanted a smooth sand to rock transition, I had to slap in a 3rd texture with both sand and rock blended - now we can do it via a shader, which gives us a great deal more flexibility - we can now easily blend as much as five different textures into one another whitout effort!
The screenshot I attached is from the current state of the map, taken mere five minutes before writing this - so enjoy the view, not too long and you shall get to play with this cool evironment yourselves :)
Good evening, everybody
There is not much to tell, so I'm gonna amuse you with some moving picture.
The rig of our new main character is game-rig, i.e. not as complex as something you would find in film-animation. But never the less I was given the freedom to use more bones than last time, so I was able to pull some tricks that made my animator veeerrry happy.
Have a good day!
Well its my turn again...
I was travelling from Berlin to Halle and I thought during the whole time this small journey took, what should I write about.
Have you ever experienced that, I mean: Have you ever thought about what you want to talk, or in this case, write, for so long, around 2 hours more or less Thanks Deutsche Bahn!
I must confess it is pretty weird! Doesnt matter what you come up with, after some time this idea you have is revolving in your head, it starts to suck. At least that was what happened to me.
Maybe thats a sign... yeah, a sign that tells me I have nothing to talk about, thats what it is: A SIGN!
But doesnt matter how I feel about it, I need to write something, I have to give my monthly contribution to this blog.
Maybe it would be a cool idea to use a place holder, I mean, a kind of dummy text to fill out this space. You know where I'm going to right? Something like: I never spend much time in school but I taught ladies plenty. It's true I hire my body out for pay, hey hey. I've gotten burned over Cheryl Tiegs, blown up for Raquel Welch. But when I end up in the hay it's only hay, hey hey. I might jump an open drawbridge, or Tarzan from a vine. 'Cause I'm the unknown stuntman that makes Eastwood look so fine.
Well, I dont know, chances are that nobody reads this text anyway, so Ill try to leave it like this, who knows maybe today I'm as fortunate as Edward Louis Severson III at his time!
Hi Folks! Tuesday was a really great day for me. Matthias managed to implement my music into the game and now we can walk through our world with a whole new feeling and immersion. Its just WONDERFULL to HEAR what this game LOOKS like Everytime you enter a new room, the music changes and gives you an immediate idea of what to expect here tension, danger, recreation or simply open-mouthed astonishment? Go where you want and give it a listen.
On the other side I start feeling the pressure of the nearing deadline. There is still so much to do and so little time left In the last couple of weeks, I never went home after class. Every day, I spend one, two or even more additional hours on our project to get it done in time. Im always one of the last people to leave the classroom - and the other guys that stay longer they play games instead of working on their projects. Company of Heroes and of course World of Warcraft Every time I notice that Im the only one still working, I calm down a bit and think: Youll make it! You are diligent! But then I remember that many folks work at home to get their project done, and then I think: Theres still so much to do Work harder!
So in the end, I have sometimes problems to relax. And my Wii is the victim I use it way to scarce. Cant sit down for two hours doing nothing. That kind of bugs me.
Anyway Working on Below and Beneath makes me happy. And as long as I can feel that, Im motivated.
So I finaly got my first character to animate and already startet to animate like crazy.
There is not much time left till the deadline and I have to do all of the last semesters animating work again--in the few weeks left.
That's all, back to work!!!
Hi, fans!
Wednesday--two days ago--we had one of our milestones. Once a month during these milestones our work gets checked by our school. When on wednesday people came to have a look at our work we artists were ready for it. I mean of course we were ready.
However, in the end nobody checked our work. Next milestone the guys from the office should take a bit more time. They barely had a quiet moment with our programmers and their progress. Not to mention the assets from our art department.
That makes you the first ones to see the final four-legged Nyctalus. Feel free to have a look at him on the right side of this blog post. Besides, this post's title "Enemy at the Gates" actually has nothing to do with what I write today. Well, maybe you can count the four-legged Nyctalus as the player's enemy. At the gates. Or something. Whatever :)
I keep the post short and as simple as that. Look forward to our next weeks' issues. I'm quite sure we'll keep you informed about new challenges. The next one for me is... Nah, I won't spoil what I've been assigned.
Have a good day,
Hi, it's me again. This time I will tell you a bit about our current work.
Paulo designed a state machine which we are going to use for things like our combat system, or the enemies AI. This is very handy because the implementation of the states are in a different place. So we could keep our character and enemy class small and tidy. But it's complicated to clean things up. There is a lot of planning we have to do before it all is at the right position. Well, but time is money... uhm i meant, we have no time!
Last time i wrote that Paulo was working on the pathfinding. He has finished his work and is now very busy to put brains into enemy's body. ;) My part is now the new combat system. As you can see in our last demo it worked not very well. That's why I am working on a new system.
There are three different attack modes. We have a normal attack, which can be used while Vespec is running or walking. The other styles can be activated, if you hold the left mouse button for at least 2 seconds. Vespec (our new main character) will stand still and give you the choise of two other attack styles. The counter attack which will stun enemies in an area in front of Vespec. The other attack let Vespec jump into the direction of a nearby enemy. It also stuns the enemy for a short period of time. Only, the effected area is smaller than the area of the counter attack.
I think that's enough until now. Maybe you can see the next time the full combat system in action. Keep an eye on our news!
Long time, no post from me. Blame my bad memory...
Anyways, I wasnt quite as lazy as it appears, and have been toiling away with more upgrading on our game level. After some meetings, we have finalized plans for an expansion to the world, increasing its size by a good 50 to 100 percent! The new area will be filled with tougher enemies for the player to defeat - or to run away from. Also, the whole Cave has been improved geometry-wise, its now much much smoother than it was before. On the other hand, a lot of work has gone into re-colouring almost every single light in the current Level, removing some of the too cartoony feel it had previously. Now - and everyone in the team agrees with me there - the level looks much better, the whole oversaturation is gone. Along with the new and improved geometry, the level looks a whole lot better.
It wouldve looked better still, werent it for engine problems that prevent us from using normalmaps. When they are enabled, the game truly looks awesome, but sadly we get a LOT of bad artifacts on the world geometry. The culprit seems to be the game engine, and I am still somewhat on the subject, trying to get Trinigy to look at the problem and maybe help us with it.
A screenshot will be included in the next issue of this post, when the work has progressed more. Until then, stay tuned for the posts of our other members, which are also working on exciting things!


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Czech Republic
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inetnum: 18.104.22.168 - 184.108.40.206 netname: CZ-ORKASYSTEMS-20110203 country: CZ org: ORG-Oss7-RIPE admin-c: MB5231-RIPE tech-c: TM4949-RIPE status: ALLOCATED PA mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-HM-MNT mnt-by: MB45891-MNT mnt-lower: TM45899-MNT mnt-lower: MB45891-MNT mnt-routes: MB45891-MNT notify: firstname.lastname@example.com remarks: *** for abuse please use firstname.lastname@example.com *** mnt-domains: MB45891-MNT created: 2011-02-03T09,53,50Z last-modified: 2016-10-10T11,02,54Z source: RIPE organisation: ORG-Oss7-RIPE org-name: ORKA systems, s.r.o. org-type: LIR address: Masarykovo namesti 2457/10 address: 733 01 address: Karvina-Frystat address: CZECH REPUBLIC phone: +420774546533 fax-no: +420774546533 e-mail: email@example.com mnt-ref: RIPE-NCC-HM-MNT mnt-ref: TM45899-MNT mnt-ref: MB45891-MNT mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-HM-MNT mnt-by: MB45891-MNT abuse-mailbox: email@example.com admin-c: TM4949-RIPE admin-c: MB5231-RIPE notify: firstname.lastname@example.com tech-c: TM4949-RIPE abuse-c: ORKA1-RIPE created: 2011-01-18T16,05,40Z last-modified: 2016-10-10T11,03,01Z source: RIPE person: Moris Bangoura address: ORKA systems, s.r.o. address: Masarykovo namesti 2457/10 address: Karvina - Frystat address: 733 01 address: Czech Republic e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com phone: +420 774 546 533 nic-hdl: MB5231-RIPE created: 2010-03-22T15,12,03Z last-modified: 2013-08-09T14,11,32Z source: RIPE mnt-by: MB45891-MNT person: Tomasz Michalski address: ORKA systems, s.r.o. address: Pesvice 18 address: Jirkov address: 431 11 address: Czech Republic phone: +420 774546533 e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com nic-hdl: TM4949-RIPE mnt-by: TM45899-MNT created: 2011-01-20T23,26,37Z last-modified: 2011-01-20T23,26,38Z source: RIPE route: 184.108.40.206/20 descr: CZ-ORKA-RAPIDNET origin: AS57188 mnt-by: MB45891-MNT created: 2014-04-23T07,47,29Z last-modified: 2014-04-23T07,47,29Z source: RIPE remarks: Please report abuse -> firstname.lastname@example.com
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2013 Porsche 911 Carrera: If You Bought One, What Would You Get?
November 8, 2013
A sure way to burn away a solid half-hour out of your day (or more) is to fantasize about what your dream 2014 Porsche 911 would look like and then build it out on Porsche's Web site. (And if you don't need to fantasize because you already own your dream 2014 911, well, I tip my hat.)
Our introduction details how we ended up with our 2013 Carrera convertible. But I'm curious: if you could order your own 911, what would it be? Would you keep it simple or go all out on a 911 Turbo S or GT3? What options would you pick?
You can access the configurator off of Porsche's consumer site. And if you want, reply in our comments section with what you'd buy. The configurator also gives you the option to share a link that details your build.
Here's mine: www.porsche-code.com/PE53UAS6
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 19,315 miles


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We have been a traditional and comfortable place for thousands of Colombian families. It is an ideal place to rest, relax, make events and perfect for your next vacations.
We have gym service
Restaurant service with excellent dishes.
Bar service with variety of drinks.
We have the services you need to make each event real.
The Guadaira Hotel Resort has been a tradition and the resting place of thousands of Colombian families for 59 years and has played an important role in the national tourism and Melgar region. Its location, design and features have become a model for the hotel industry recognized throughout the country. Its 36,000 square meters, 74 rooms, 3 swimming pools, gym, steam room, tennis court, recreation, and lush vegetation, making it the favorite place to hold events and meetings at the highest level. We deal with guests' needs in a personalized manner giving priority to rest, tranquility and privacy of each of them.
In our Huitaca restaurant you can find the particular flavor of Melgar. Dishes a la carte and your taste.
Melgar is a Colombian municipality in the department of Tolima, located at 96 km from Ibague (the capital of the department) and at 98km south west of Bogota D.C., the capital of Colombia. It is located in the valley of the Sumapaz River, very close to the Magdalena River. It limits at the north with Cundinamarca department, at the east with the municipality of Icononzo, at the south with the municipality of Cunday and the south and the west with the municipality of Carmen of Apicalá. It is known in Colombia as the "City of swimming pools" or the "Sea of swimming pools", due to the high number of swimming pools in this city: more than five thousand. Its climate is warm semi-dry with temperatures ranging between 22 and 35 ° C, with an annual average of 28 ° C.


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Straightjacket Nation tuotteet valikoimassa:
Cheap Kicks lp
15 €
s/t lp
15 €
Forming in 2004, Straightjacket Nation (featuring members of other important Australian bands such as Pisschrist, Total Control and The UV Race) have long been considered by many to be among the best that modern hardcore has to offer. Whether rearing their ugliness live or remaining underground and birthing releases sporadically, Straightjacket Nation absolutely DESTROY - undeniably deserving the cult following they've earned over the years, and the cult is alive.
2017 sees the release of the second Straightjacket Nation LP. Intimidating and foul, ridden with feedback, lurching and slamming, screeching and boiling over. There's no hint of youthfulness here, instead lurks a fearful incarnation of hardcore punk at it's darkest and most foul. One moment disciplined, the next a sprawling chaos. Straightjacket Nation stands alone, a horrible entity carved out in stone. Mean. Strict. Remorseless. Vengeful. Harsh. SJN.
File between GAUZE ??????????? , POISON IDEA Pick Your King era and LIP CREAM great hits.
Fleminginkatu 11 - 00550 Helsinki - avoinna ma-pe: 11-18 la: 12-16 - puh: 040-6695556


text: 40 N Green Creek Rd, Muskegon, MI – Single Property Website Posted on October 14, 2013 by roesler 0 Flares Filament.io 0 Flares × Schedule a Showing/Request Info Muskegon, MI Homes for Sale Search All Homes For Sale Caledonia, MI Homes for Sale East Grand Rapids, MI Homes for Sale Michigan Homes Online Magazine Areas surrounding Grand Rapids, MI Homes for Sale What is Your Home Worth? Todd Roesler Coldwell Banker AJS-Schmidt – 2168 Wealthy St SE, East Grand Rapids, MI 49506 616-717-2226 Questions?Schedule a Showing! MLS#: 13057292 Licensed In:Michigan Information valid for the date of this posting only. Please contact us for the most current information and status of this property. 40 N Green Creek Rd Muskegon, MI Scan with your smartphone & take me with you. Description Photos Maps & Local Schools Virtual Tour Print Brochure Muskegon Paradise on the water! 40 N Creek Creek Rd $ Click for current price 1 BEDROOMS 1 BATHROOMS (1 full) 1023 Square Feet Muskegons little piece of Paradise. You cannot appreciate this home and location until you see it. This Cabin/Cottage nestled in the woods is 3 minutes from Muskegon Lake, 5 minutes to Lake Michigan. Channel access and deeded water rights allow you to kayak, canoe and boat to the lake and out to Lake michigan. Features a 1 bedroom master up, great room and main floor living area. A great little getaway to the lakeshore! If you love the water, love to garden and want total privacy, this is a perfect home for you! L2L All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither broker(s), agent(s) nor WhereToLive.com, Inc. shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation or misprints, and shall be held totally harmless.


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Alternative Titles
Synonyms: A Weaved Fairytale, Otogi mo You Aya ni Shiki
Japanese: お伽もよう綾にしき
Type: Manga
Volumes: 5
Chapters: 21
Status: Finished
Published: 2005 to 2009
Authors: Hikawa, Kyouko (Story)
Serialization: Melody
Score: 7.811 (scored by 625 users)
1 indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.
Ranked: #16112
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #6402
Members: 1,328
Favorites: 7


text: Hook up in Flevoland tonight on the largest Free adult social network on the web at Hookup Society. Hook Up Society is an anonymous and private adult site where members come to get laid, registration is free and takes just 30 seconds. Click a city within Flevoland from the list below or scroll to the left to view profiles of users looking to hook-up tonight.


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Soulmates tragically killed in freak accident
A 23-year-old Jamestown woman was killed instantly after wind toppled a tree onto her boyfriend's Mini Cooper while driving in Michigan.
Maggie Potter, 23, was killed along with her boyfriend, Max Muessig, 20, while driving to his mother's home for dinner. The couple was pronounced dead on the scene in Freeman Township, about 190 miles northwest of Detroit, police said.
Potter is a Rhode Island native who attended high school at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts. She met Muessig while studying at the University of Vermont, where she earned a degree in psychology in spring 2016.
Although Muessig transferred back home to Michigan State University following his grandfather's death in December 2015, the couple pursued a long-distance relationship, flying back and forth to be with each other for holidays. At the time of the accident, Muessig was on spring break and the college sweethearts were planning to spend some time at his family's cabin in Luzerne.
While Muessig was working toward graduating with a degree in political science, Potter was in Boston pursuing a career in event planning, especially weddings, which she considered her dream job.
"Maggie truly believed there was magic in a wedding," Ted Potter, Maggie's father, told MLive.com. "Weddings made her believe in real-life fairy tales. Maggie loved being a part of that magic. It gave her one of the most rewarding feelings in the world."
Along with her father, Maggie Potter is survived by her mother, Penelope, and her 25-year-old brother, Gus.
"Maggie was fortunate at such an early stage in life to have found her soulmate," Ted Potter told MLive.com about Muessig. "They shared many core values and were looking forward to a promising future together."


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Justice Dery drags Chief Justice to Supreme Court
Justice Paul Utter Dery, one of the judges named in the judicial bribery scandal has filed a suit at the Supreme Court citing Mrs. Georgina Theodora Wood, the Chief Justice (CJ) for contempt of court.
Justice Derry is seeking to invoke the original jurisdiction of the apex court to stop the CJ from continuing impeachment proceedings against him.
His contentions were that the CJ ought not to have initiated the said proceedings against him because of the pendency of two suits in the Supreme Court and the High Court.
"I am also seeking a declaration that your conduct to proceed with the impeachment proceedings whilst there is a suit in the Supreme Court challenging your jurisdiction is contemptuous of the Supreme Court," a letter attached to the suit said.
Justice Dery also argued that failure to comply with the pending court processes would constitute flagrant disrespect to the dignity, integrity and authority of the High Court and bring the administration of justice into disrepute.
It is the case of the High Court Judge that there is currently a pending case at the Supreme Court challenging the jurisdiction of the Chief Justice to determine a prima facie case against him and Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, who is also being investigated by the Judicial Council for allegedly receiving bribe from litigants.
Justice Dery contends that the Chief Justice, earlier, in her determination of prima facie case in respect of Justices who responded to the petition for their removal from office respected the court action in respect of the pending cases filed by him and Habib Logoh.
"Your Ladyship, in your determination of prima facie case in respect of those indicted Justices who responded to the petition you, in accordance of your oath of office, respected the court action when you stated that: "I have suspended those on Dery J and Logoh on accounts of their actions against me in the courts."
It is to be recalled that Justice Dery and 32 other superior and lower court judges were allegedly caught on video negotiating various sums of money with litigants to twist the arm of justice.
The case that had been investigated by ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2015 attracted condemnation from the public.
It would also be recalled that a two-hour video of the bribery allegation was premiered at the Accra International Conference Centre.
By Malik Sullemana


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Victoria Justice Believes in the Power of Pink at GLAAD's Rising Stars Luncheon
Victoria Justice should forever wear pink.
The Rocky Horror actress looks absolutely stunning in her Styland suit for the GLAAD Rising Stars Luncheon held today in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Victoria was joined by Emily Robinson, singer Troye Sivan, Gigi Gorgeous, and The Fosters' Elliot Fletcher.
The inaugural event took place on International Transgender Day of Visibility, which is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination.
FYI: Victoria completed her look with Steve Madden shoes and Glam Rocks jewelry. Emily wore a Self Portrait outfit with Alexander White heels.
Posted to: Elliot Fletcher, Emily Robinson, gigi gorgeous, Troye Sivan, Victoria Justice


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Above: Twiggy my little dog Above: We use pet remedy free of charge Above: Puppy Transport
Below: Little Willow, Christmas Courier job. Below: Manchester Airport Courier Work Below; Transporting for Pets On Jets
WE COLLECT PETS FROM PETS ON JETS at Manchester airport and deliver to all of the UK.
Blue the gun dog, in his stunning garden in Cumbria
Holly, who lived with me in Atherton was one of the best dogs I have ever had the pleasure on owning. RIP Holly
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
This website is dedicated to the memory of our Kevin.
Until we meet again Kev xxx
will not go quietly,
the cats who've shared our lives.
In subtle ways they let us know
their spirit still survives.
Old habits still make us think
we hear a meow at the door.
Or step back when we drop
a tasty morsel on the floor.
Our feet still go around the place
the food dish used to be,
And, sometimes, coming home at night,
we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends
and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts
belongs to them. . . and always will.


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Walking is good for health and fitness and its important for children to enjoy being outside and active. However, there are plenty of things you can do as a parent to help keep your child as safe as possible on the roads.
· Children are taught about the dangers of the road in school but parents and carers need to help put this knowledge into practice.
· Lead by example - children will learn behaviours from you - if you take risks on the road, they will too.
· Practice road safety skills throughout your child's life and make sure they have the skills to stay safe when they move to secondary school.
· Where possible use a pedestrian crossing, wait for the green man and make eye contact with drivers.
· Always make sure that traffic has stopped before you cross at a pedestrian crossing.
· Don't use a mobile phone when walking with children, especially when crossing roads.
Early Years (Under fives)
· Let children walk on the inside of the footpath away from the edge of the road.
· Ask your children to hold onto a pram if you can't hold their hand. If your child has a tendency to let go of your hand consider using reins.
· When stopping to cross the road, stand well back from the edge of the road, keeping your pushchair back too.
· Dont let children run ahead of you or lag behind where you can't see them.
· At home keep your doors and garden gates securely shut.
Primary School (6-10 year olds)
Try to reinforce the following messages when out and about with your child:
· Stop, Look, Listen and Think (starting in a safe place and going straight across the road).
· Always wear bright and conspicuous clothing.
· Never play near the road and keep away from junctions and parked cars.
· Where possible, always cross the road with a School Crossing Patrol or using a pedestrian crossing.
· Try to avoid crossing between parked cars, on sharp bends or close to the top of a hill. Move to a space where drivers and riders can see you clearly.
· Always try to ensure that your children get out of the vehicle on the pavement side.
Secondary School (11-16 year olds)
· Tell your children to give all their attention to crossing the road.
· Remove head phones, put your phone in your pocket and don't mess about with, or be distracted by your mates.
· Look out for each other. Always look out for yourself dont just follow someone else.
· Talk to your child about the safest routes to and from their destinations (help them to plan if necessary and do a trial run together).
· Talk to your child about what to do if their normal transport doesnt work out (missed the bus etc.).
· Encourage your children not to hang about near the roads after school. If they want to spend time with their friends, encourage them to go somewhere safe.
Talk to your children about how to behave at bus stops:
· Don't block the pavements
· Don't stand too close to the kerb (in case they are pushed)
· Consider vulnerable bus users by allowing them to get on and off the bus first


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A seminar room suitable for group discussions for students at masters- & doctorate level is available in the Medicine and Health Sciences Library. All masters- & doctorate students, academic and administrative staff of the University may use the seminar room free of charge. The seminar room are not available to external institutions/individuals.
Bookings can be made online or at the lending desk of the Medicine and Health Sciences Library either in person, e-mail or phone +27 21 938 9492.
Seminar Rooms have seating for either 6 or 8 people, depending on its size. Rooms 1-3 have seating for 6 people; while Room 5 has seating for 8 people, and Rooms 7-8 have seating for 8 people. The rooms are equipped with plasma screens and white board/s.
Internet and wireless access are available in all libraries to Stellenbosch University staff and students registered on the University network. See Wireless access.


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Coca-Cola Beverages Sri Lanka Ltd. (CCBSL) partnered with the Marine Environment Protection Authorit
Sachin De Silva became the overall winner of the 6th HSBC Premier Golf Tournament and Olga Ashely He


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The Combat Poverty Agency/Social Inclusion Division Library is a specialist social policy research library. Following the recent reorganisation of the Government's administrative structures, the functions of the Social Inclusion Division have transferred to the Department of Social Protection and all staff have relocated to Gandon House, Amiens Street, Dublin 1. As a result of this reorganisation, access to the Social Inclusion Library, its services and facilities is currently unavailable. Further updates regarding library access will be posted in due course. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.
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The Library has one of Ireland's largest collections on social policy, poverty, social exclusion and community development. All of the titles held by the library are recorded on our searchable online catalogue which may be accessed through the Catalogue Search link on the left.
The Library collection comprises the following:
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Warning: this post does seem rather pretentious, given that I'm railing against pretension. Please forgive me.
OK, I admit, some of my musical tastes are rather highbrow. I have an absurd fondness for Chinese '80s music, Irish Gaelic folk music, traditional Spanish music, and hymns from all over the world. I go crazy for Borodin and Bartok. I can sing sean-nós and Syriac paeans. I've gone to Russian folk concerts with friends in Chicago (hey Arthur and Gwen!).
I also think Lady Gaga is epically amazing and awesome, Ke$ha is a wonderful thing, and Taylor Swift is growing on me. The Dixie Chicks and my YouTube searches are intimately linked (I can sing Travelling Soldier in a heartbeat). Beyoncé is underrated. Hillel (who truly understands my love for trashy music) and I watched ALL the Eurovision entries in a few days in March (SERBIA!!!).
Note: Rebecca Black sucks. Sorry. I'm also not into rap that much. Not sure why.
I do not care how contradictory this may seem. I like my unusual tastes. I also like the fact that I could totally have a debate on Blah Blah Blah v. Tik Tok with a bunch of 13-year-old girls.
So this tendency leads me to ask: why do a lot of people at UChicago look down on this kind of music?
Sure, I get it. You're at a top research university, you're special, you can tell apart pseudo-heteronormativity and the conscious display of socio-sexual conformity (and if you're really smart, you can tell me why those two aren't really that different, and if you do, I'll make you brownies).
But why does that mean that you can't like the same thing a sixteen-year-old girl in the ghetto or a twelve-year-old farmer's daughter likes?
I'm not going to address everything; I'm just going to state my thoughts on two aspects of this division.
1. The charge of destructive pop culture. OK, admittedly, bubblegum pop-culture and Coca-Cola haven't been the best for old-school vernacular culture. But I have two problems with this charge:
a) Pop culture can often give old forms of art new life. For example: several pop artists across the world have included folk motifs in their work; a Maori haka (war dance) is performed by the All Blacks, New Zealand's national rugby team and basically national religion, before every game; a Canadian artist takes traditional Native American themes and art and incorporates them into manga-style graphic novels. Pop culture is not so destructive.
b) The destruction of older forms began not with pop culture, but with its rejection by the elite in favor of more socially acceptable forms, which is exactly what a lot of Maroons do. The decline of Irish and Turkish folk music started in the twentieth century with the wholesale rejection of both forms by the elite, who preferred supposedly avant-garde stuff from London or France. Their grandkids today disdain "pop norms" and listen to some bullshit imitation of what was destroyed. The quashing of folk stuff – that comes from the elite. Folk forms would have been much stronger had the big people not decided that it was too trashy or too provincial for them.
Also, it's usually ordinary people who drive revivals. Both Irish and Turkish folk were partially revived not by well-meaning liberal elites who never heard Madonna, but by a giant national interest spurred by the sudden popularity of folk-informed music with modern twists. Think Enya.
2. The charge of inherent racism and classism and biases and such. Yes, I get that country music is very white, and R&B music is quite African-American, and that white jocks sometimes try too hard to be "gangster" under the influence of rap. But what about you? Indie rock has got to be the whitest genre ever. If anything, it's whiter than country or R&B combined. It all seems to be rich white kids who failed at life and now pluck guitars. OK, that's unfair. But it's white people playing to white people using references tailored to white people of a certain social class, and usually in a faux-poor-actually-posh context.
I can see why pop music might seem rather…monotonous, but I see a huge diversity within it: from Taylor Swift's country anthems to Beyonce's R&B, multi-influenced songs. Enrique Iglesias gets people of all colors and backgrounds swinging their bottoms to the beat.
Admittedly, I can see some improvement with indie rock, but it seems pretty white. Not as white as metal, but still white. I think it also seems to avoid admitting a lot of influences – including that of country. My sister listens to a lot of indie rock and it's striking how much of it reminds me of Johnny Cash.
Then again, no one in Wicker Park would be caught dead listening to Johnny Cash.
Look, I get that what I'm saying might upset you. Feel free to disagree with me. Feel free to continue disdaining pop culture, and allow yourself to be isolated from American vernacular culture. Feel free to say things like "JK's got some really cool musical tastes like Gaelic stuff, but then he blasts Ke$ha and I want to punch him in the face." Stick with that proud tradition of kicking "low" culture! I'll stick with my Irish folk songs, my Coptic hymns, and my GaGa.
And you're welcome to respect my near-addiction to Gaelic music, and to piss on my liking for trashy bubblegum pop. Just don't be surprised when, while visiting the museum, after a deep historical analysis, I start singing this, quietly, before a nude painting in the Baroque wing of the Art Institute:
"My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard,
And they're like
It's better than yours,
Damn right it's better than yours…."-Kelis, whose song is still fresh and awesome eight years later
And they're like
It's better than yours,
Damn right it's better than yours…."-Kelis, whose song is still fresh and awesome eight years later


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Friday, 22 October 2010
Lashings of advice from Sharon Dowsett
We may all have just retrieved our winter coats from the wardrobe but here in beautyworld there are green shoots already: we're previewing spring/summer 2011 colours! Yesterday Beauty Bible nipped along to Maybelline (one of 2010's 'Coolbrand' winners), where supertalented Sharon Dowsett was demo-ing their very new pretty shades. (We're especially loving ultra-wearable Pink Brown, a sensational neutral introduction in the Maybelline New York Color Sensational Lipstick collection, and the Eyestudio Mono in Silken Taupe. Also note The Eraser - a roll-on sponge foundation - because you're going to see more sponge-applicator foundations appearing in the coming months.)
We thought we'd ask Sharon which of Maybelline's products was her all-time fave rave, and got the answer: 'Great Lash! I used to bring it back from the States before it was available in the UK; it never crumbles or smudges and leaves lashes looking beautifully conditioned as well as volumised.' When it comes to shade choice, Sharon says: 'Brown is the flat shoes of mascara, black is the high heels. Blondes in particular tend to think they should wear brown, but black looks better every time.' (Though Sharon's not averse to a touch of navy or even plum, on occasion.) Although she's created covers for just about every magazine you can name and has a long-standing relationship with Chanel make-up, too (where she's taught at their Academy), Sharon doesn't have a website (she's working on it). For a swoon - and inspiration - you can check out her portfolio at agency CLM, here.
But first, do ditch that brown mascara. NOW...!
Posted by Jo Fairley at 12:12