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I often think about how I got so addicted to travelling. (Because let's face it – life would be a lot cheaper and easier without travel – although a whole lot more boring, too!)
As with pretty much any tricky thing in life, I think a common strategy is to blame your parents. And I think I can accurately blame my parents for encouraging my love of travel. I grew up hearing tales of their own explorations of the world – my Dad had worked in Papua New Guinea for several years, my Mum had explored the east coast of Australia as a teen, working her way from state to state. Then they took my sister and I out of school for six months and drove us all over Europe, when I was nine. I was hooked.
When I ask my mother about what made them take that huge trip to Europe – it was a financial stretch, and most certainly a huge comfort zone stretch, especially in those pre-internet days – she tells me that she thought my sister and I would travel a lot when we were older, and she wanted to have seen it, so she'd know where we were. Of course, she turned out to be right, but mostly because she took me there in the first place – a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, I think!
Does everyone who loves travel have the same travel genetics as me?
Anyway, I wondered if all my fellow travel-lovers were made that way by their parents. Actually, I suspected that what I decided to call your travel genetics was the key and that if I asked other keen travellers they would say yes, their parents had taught them to love travel.
It turned out I was sometimes right but not actually all that right. Most of the people I asked (in a very unscientific poll of friends who love travelling) had a story to tell about how their parents got them into travelling; a few, quite significantly, didn't. Let me elaborate.
Loving travel because parents travelled for work
The first thing that struck me which I hadn't really expected – although it has parallels to me hearing stories about PNG from my Dad – is that some travel lovers learnt to love travel by watching a parent travel a lot for work. (Most parents who have to travel a lot complain they're away from their family – yet these ones were teaching them something very valuable!)
I met Lola Akinmade-Akerström of Geotraveler's Niche fame (and one of those people who is good at both words and pictures) online some years back and the fact that we both really like travel is surely reflected in the fact that although she lives in Sweden and I live in Australia, we both happened to be in Dublin on the same day last year, purely coincidentally, and we got to meet up in person. Lola told me that it was her father's work that first sparked her interest in travel:
My father's job fascinated me. As a geologist, it seemed he was always off to some place exciting. Whether on helicopters circling volcanos or visiting offshore rigs in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the sense of adventure and wanderlust which his career gave off intrigued me. It started my love affair with geography and the geosciences.
My first trip out of Nigeria was taken before my first birthday to the United Kingdom and the United States. And throughout my childhood, we'd take family vacations abroad in lieu of amassing material possessions or spending on things we considered frivolous displays. That spirit of exploration was instilled in me at a very young age; one that chose a life of exploring the world around me despite all odds. I knew that travel – a lot of it – would be in my future.
Even when other career paths tried to derail me, I knew my calling had to do with travel. Today, I work as a travel writer and photographer whose has explored many countries (50+, maybe 60+ – I stopped counting) and who has dragged her 2-year old daughter along to roughly 15 countries or so as well.
And then there's my gorgeous travel-blogging friend Jo Castro of Zigazag, who not only travels widely but has lived in nearly a dozen different countries. It was perhaps less that her parents loved to travel and more that they had to, but it certainly had an effect:
As a child we didn't travel from country to country but rather from English county to county. Due to my father's job we moved houses a lot, and I went to 9 different schools, so not being permanent in any one place became a state of mind with which I was quite familiar. Given that we were a show jumping family, I also spent a good part of my childhood living in the back of a horsebox as we travelled around England from show to show.
So I suppose yes, the philosophy of travel as in being on the move and discovering new places was promoted by my parents as quite normal and became part of my psyche quite early on, although I do remember getting to the age of around 17 and declaring that I never wanted to travel out of Devonshire ever, least of all get on a plane or boat. Ironically these were prophetic words – Not! Here I am finally in Australia … 11 countries later 😉
The opposite – loving travel despite parents who didn't travel much
So. Then there were the people who totally wrecked my hypothesis! But that's okay, that's why I asked, I guess. For example, Mike Richard of Vagabondish, who approached me to write for his site years ago; we've been friends ever since because we have a mutual love of travel. He shocked me by having virtually no experience of travel as a child, even though now you can't stop him:
My family didn't travel much when I was growing up. "Vacation" typically meant semi-annual trips to Disney World and the occasional few days spent in Rhode Island to visit family for the holidays. My first foray outside the U.S. was a weekend trip with friends to Canada after graduating high school. That was Game Over for me! After 18 years, I finally had a small taste of the world outside my own country and I was hooked. So, in some sense, I believe it was that lack of travel experience that fueled my desire—my need—to step out and see the world.
Interesting point, isn't it – that maybe it was the lack of travel experience that turned him into such a lover of travel. Nora Dunn of The Professional Hobo – whose love of train travel I can definitely vouch for, because she spent days on the train across Australia to Perth, stayed with me for less than 24 hours, then hopped on the train to head all the way back again – had something similar to say:
I traveled a bit with my parents growing up, taking the train to visit my grandparents 400 miles away (which fostered my evangelical love of long-distance train travel, about which I wrote a book), and often heading to Cape Cod for summer vacations. However I didn't really get to experience world travel with them, and I don't particularly attribute my current travel lifestyle to my upbringing.
Interestingly, it has almost worked the other way; since I started traveling full-time, my dad has taken numerous trips to Europe, and my mum has met me in various spots around the world, giving her the first chance in over 40 years to leave North America. Also, my own travel tips and habits seem to have worked their way into my parents' travel agendas. For example, I've been traveling full-time with carry-on luggage only, and now when my parents travel, they do the same!
And finally: a travel lover with travel-loving parents
So out of everyone I asked, only Di Bortoletto of Travelletto really came through with the story I actually expected. Like me, her family loved to get out and about on whatever budget they could manage, and they all still love to travel today.
Growing up, we always travelled, and that's how my love of adventure started. It was different sort of travel back then. Living on the east coast – first Melbourne and then Canberra, we were the opposite of a rich family, but that didn't deter my parents. We were always packing up the car and going camping on weekends to different spots along the Victorian coast or south coast of NSW. We all loved it – everyone got to do what they wanted – dad spent his days fishing, usually with mum sunning herself beside him, my sister and I made friends with other kids in the caravan park and would spend our days swimming, running, playing and generally exhausting ourselves, happily. A simple dinner of fresh fish and salad was enjoyed under the stars before we snuggled into our sleeping bags and slept soundly in our tents.
It wasn't until I was 24 that I ventured overseas – straight to London and pretty much straight onto a Contiki tour with my sister and four friends. Now I'm in my (very early) forties and travel is very much a part of my DNA. I don't want to go travelling, I need to go travelling. My husband, bless him, enjoys holidays but doesn't understand that travel is my mental medicine. I need to know that next adventure is around the corner, that the next trip is booked or I start climbing the walls.
These days, I enjoy the freedom of travelling to far flung places with my intrepid parents, who incidentally joined the "SKIN" club (Spend Kid's Inheritance Now) several years ago. We've met up in Rome, twice, in Lima (Peru), holidayed together in Umbria, Sicily, Buenos Aires, Margaret River (three times), and around the Coffs Coast of NSW. There's talk of travelling through Egypt together and going to Greece next year.
My favourite line, because I agree just so much, is when Di says "I don't want to go travelling, I need to go travelling." Absolutely. I also love that, like Nora and like me, she gets to meet up with her parents in interesting places around the world.
So what are your travel genetics?
Do you love travelling because your parents did? Because they didn't? My theory's been blown totally apart anyway, so now I'm just plain curious. How much influence do our parents have on whether we take to the travelling life or not? All your thoughts in the comments, please!
And a big thanks to Lola, Nora, Mike, Jo and Di for their generous thoughts and gorgeous images.


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News Roundup: Biometric VR Interfaces and AI Upgrades
Last week at FindBiometrics Behavioral Biometrics Month came to a close with an expert webinar on our April featured topic. Meanwhile, the industry news covered a diverse selection of topics, from biometric virtual reality interfaces and AI innovations, to multimodal mobile devices and liveness detection standards.
Here is a look back on last week's top stories in global identity management:
Behavioral Biometrics Month Comes to a Close
April was Behavioral Biometrics Month at FindBiometrics during which we spent weeks delving deep into the mainstreaming modality taking the financial vertical by storm. Last week we hosted the webinar, Continuous Identity: Why Behavioral Biometrics Are Going Mainstream, and published a roundup of the month's top behavioral news and featured articles.
Our modality of the month made industry headlines too, with BioCatch weighing in on the ROI of behavioral biometrics, and a new partnership between BehavioSec and Appdome aimed at mobile authentication.
Behavioral Biometrics Month: The Roundup
Behavioral Biometrics Offers Considerable ROI: BioCatch
Appdome and BehavioSec Team Up on Sophisticated Mobile Authentication
Connected Innovations
News took an exciting and futuristic turn last week as we reported on Samsung's experimental FaceSense technology which has the potential to turn facial recognition into a virtual reality user interface tool. Sensory, Inc, meanwhile, announced the latest upgrade to its TrulyHandsFree speech recognition platform, which now boasts improved artificial intelligence. University researchers revealed a new theoretical biometric modality based on photonic perception, too. And Goode Intelligence released the latest numbers on the mobile and wearable biometrics markets.
Mobile and Wearable Biometrics Markets To Exceed $6.2 Billion by 2022: Goode Intelligence
Sensory's TrulyHandsfree 5.0 Boasts Upgraded AI
FaceSense Turns Facial Recognition into VR User Interface
Researchers Say Perception of Light Can Be Used for Authentication
HSBC launched a voice recognition solution for customers last week, serving four languages with the contactless biometric technology. SpeechPro, meanwhile, was at Finovate Spring showing off its VoiceKey platform, and new reports gave insight into why Samsung Pay doesn't currently offer a facial recognition option for transaction authentication. Check out last week's top FinTech stories:
Galaxy S8 Facial Recognition Not Ready For Payments: Report
HSBC Launches Voice ID Biometric Authentication System for US Customers
SpeechPro Shows Off Voice Biometrics Tech at Finovate Spring 2017
Precise Biometrics announced a new licensing agreement with MELFAS last week. Integrated Biometrics, meanwhile, unveiled a new and compact 10-print scanner. Companies were previewing their Connect:ID presence too, with SecuGen and BIO-key each announcing their expo schedules.
Integrated Biometrics Announces Pocket-Sized 10-Fingerprint Scanner
BIO-key Announces Substantial Connect:ID Presence, Here Are The Highlights
Precise Biometrics Licenses Software to Korea-Based MELFAS
SecuGen Offers Another Early Look at FAP 45 Reader at Connect:ID
Liveness Detection
Liveness detection is becoming increasingly important in biometrics at large. Last week Goodix was won an Edison Award for its fingerprint solution that features built-in anti-spoofing tech, and we received insight into the aftereffects of Precise Biometrics' recent acquisition of liveness specialist NexID, which it is now referring to as its 'US operations'. Standardization efforts in this area made the news too, with an executive from Novetta having been chosen to lead the development of an ISO/IEC presentation attack detection standard.
SecuGen, Precise Biometrics to Show Off Liveness Detection Tech
Goodix Wins Edison Award for Live Finger Detection Solution
Novetta VP to Help Lead Development of ISO/IEC Anti-Spoofing Standard
Safran Identity & Security will be providing MorphoTablets for upcoming elections in Kenya, we reported last week. Meanwhile in India, the use of biometric attendance tracking for government employees continued to spread. Stateside, we also learned how voice biometrics can help the US Coast Guard address a prank call problem.
Safran Identity & Security to Provide Biometric Tech for Kenya Elections
Coast Guard Looks to Voice Biometrics to Thwart Hoax Mayday Calls
Chief Minister Expands Biometric Attendance Tracking in Uttar Pradesh
Contactless Modalities
Contactless modalities were in the news, with EyeLock announcing another iris recognition patent. FST Biometrics was celebrating its recently won awards from April's ISC West conference, and FotoNation announced its demonstration schedule for this week's Embedded Vision Summit, which starts today in Santa Clara, California.
FotoNation to Demo Tech at Embedded Vision Summit
New EyeLock Patent Further Refines Iris Imaging
FST Biometrics Celebrates ISC West Wins
Service Model Identity
The service model is becoming increasingly popular in software and IT, and biometrics are part of this trend. Last week Aware, Inc. announced its latest Software as a Service offering—Indigo|Onboard. Jumio released a fiscal update, in the meantime, revealing that its Trusted Identity as a Service product, Netverify, has been subject to considerable growth in adoption.
Aware Announces First in New 'Indigo' Line of SaaS Services
Jumio Reports Considerable Growth in Adoption of Netverify TIaaS
Fiscal Updates
Finally, Aware, Inc. announced its Q1 2017 results last week, and more fiscal updates are heading our way over the next little while, with FPC scheduled to release its Q1 numbers this week.
Aware Inc. Q1 Results Meet Company's Expectations
FPC to Present Interim Q1 Report Next Week
Stay posted to FindBiometrics for all your global identity management news. Be sure to follow us on Twitter so you don't miss a beat.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Since it was first set up in 1963 Kenneth Jay Lane has been offering distinctive and elegant accessories that demand attention for all the right reasons. Famous for the costume jewelry designs that attracted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor when the brand was first established, Kenneth Jay Lane has gone on to expand into a wide selection of different lines, including beautiful brooches, earrings, necklaces and a range of watches. The watches line from the brand is incredibly diverse, whether you're looking for sports style designs or classic vintage looks. There are colored and crystal encrusted dials, sleek leather strap watch designs, as well as ultra modern cuff watches and directional pieces with structures that are made almost entirely from ceramics.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf rtf lrf pdb txt html
Vivienne Wilkes has been writing plays and pantomimes and adapting existing stories into plays for more years than she cares to remember. She is involved with several drama organisations within the Birmingham area, including Shire Productions, a company dedicated to out of door productions.
This story was inspired one workday in Moseley Bog as Penny Marriott, a Ranger with The Shire Country Park, was examining the stream for signs of water voles. It was a cold day, but the sun streamed through the trees and the light sparkled off the water near to the Burnt Mound and seeds of an idea drifted down.
Vivienne has lived in Hall Green, within a mile of Moseley Bog (as the heron flies), since her marriage in 1970. Her father's family has lived in the area for over two centuries. She has been a part of the Moseley Bog Conservation Group for some years now, enjoying the work and company involved with helping to maintain this important nature reserve within The Shire Country Park. Moseley Bog exists because of the efforts of Joy Fifer (after whom Joy's Wood is named), who worked tirelessly to protect the area, and Bob Blackham, who leads the conservation group today.
Review by:
Candle Star Press
on April 25, 2011 :
(no rating)
Just an extra note to add to my earlier review: early errors have been fixed. Moseley Bog's copy is clean! Download and enjoy!
(reviewed 10 days after purchase)
Review by:
Candle Star Press
on April 19, 2011 :
Vivienne Wilkes has written a delightful children's story in Tales from Moseley Bog: The Voles of Old, which I would highly recommend. With the same enchantingly English feel as Wind in the Willows and Peter Rabbit, this story tells the adventures of a colony of field voles who look to the return of their distant relatives, the water voles, to bring health and prosperity back to their home in Moseley Bog.
Ms. Wilkes has painted a beautiful world which she consistently describes through the eyes of her tiny characters and enriches with a wealth of quaint, story-appropriate word pictures. For instance, in describing old Melick's den, she writes "...roots stretched down through the earth, criss-crossing his chamber like long, thin claws." And she illustrates a roadway of cars as "a river of gigantic boulders, hurtling along one after another." And by the riverbank, Rye says, "This place feels very heavy, as though many moon-passings have squashed layers of life together. Like huge boulders pressing into the ground. Into my mind!" It is this setting - with its exquisite details and quaint place names like Old World and Deep Way - and Ms. Wilkes poetic prose that spin the pages of this story into magic.
Rye and Melick are just two of the interesting characters that inhabit Moseley Bog. Each member of the vole colony has been endowed with a special skill that, when used collectively, helps ensure the survival of all. Old Melick is the Past Master, the keeper of memories, and young Rye is a Rememberer in training. Foxtail, from whose perspective the story is told, is a Way Finder – a wanderer who seeks safe paths for the others.
When Foxtail catches a glimpse of an unusual animal, he runs to tell wise Melick and learns of the Voles of Old – water voles who moved away long ago when the streams and ponds became unclean. "Water voles live in the memories of field voles as symbols of healthy rivers and streams, and were thought to be lucky." Melick confides to Foxtail that it is his wish to see one of these distant cousins before he Fades Away. Rye and Foxtail combine their talents and set out to make Melick's wish come true. In their travels they encounter adventure after adventure, including cats, rabbits, dogs, an angry shrew, and a horrible run-in with the "bane" of Moseley Bog. And they meet a certain water vole who, at the end, returns to his own land bringing with him "stories of the courage, wisdom and spirit of meadow voles."
At one point, Foxtail comments, "I wished I hadn't asked about flaws. I think I was full of them." Moseley Bog, too, includes a few. I found many typos scattered throughout the text (mostly incorrect quotation marks), some punctuation errors, way too many exclamation points, a POV slip or two, and several instances of redundancy when a thought is overwritten or a word repeated in close context. But I'll admit I'm being very technical. And these minor blips do nothing to detract from the charm of the story.
In conclusion, I think the last verse of one of Rye's memories conveys very well the sweet essence of Moseley Bog:
Keep faith with the myths and the legends.
Forget not the truths that must last.
Give life to the lays, that tell of our days,
As the moons of our lives hurry past.
Ms. Wilkes' story is well worth a read.
(reviewed 4 days after purchase)


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Satellite internet access provider
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Sites 23
Offers satellite access solutions for the Internet, including VoIP and VPN. Support to USA and Canada.
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Offers Internet services for personal or business use.
Offering satellite internet service for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
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Offers business satellite broadband and WiMAX internet services.
Multimedia solutions and services via satellite (streaming video, fast internet, gateway and satellite routers). Open-Sky reseller.
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Offers broadband satellite Internet services in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Implements Voip solutions and satellite telecommunications. Also offers a support forum.
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A satellite-based two-way internet service.
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text:
May 20 2006 DARPA Conference
Well they've disqualified the SSIK Mick, for legitimate reasons. We will be able to enter 2 S.S.I.C. hybrid cobra muscle car under special provision. Happily they have disqualified many of the CMU tricks as well. I'm hoping that they will disallows outside maps and imagery. I can very much see some of the teams having a survey aircraft ready to fly over the test area during the 24 hour period before the race.
May 2006 Next DARPA Urban Challenge invite.
This leaves a quandary, We have already started the hybrid cobra muscle car build. We are going to finish the cobra first, do a publicity tour, and then we are thinking about maybe taking our vehicles to work with a local high school / college to have the manpower this time.
June 6 <didn't make list>
We Just got the news; we did not make the cut for the race. If it is run next year well, we'll be nine months ahead of where we started :) in the meantime onto other projects... Current thoughts are try to get on Monster Garage, Scrapheap Challenge, build a hybrid custom motorcycle (I have most of the parts on our bench tester), and build a 65 Coupe from FactoryFive racing.
Already posted to Monster Garage's 'Show us your welds'
June 6 <waiting for list>
Patience is now gone :)
For those of you who are interested, even though I am thinking about other projects to do if we don't get chosen, I still plan on finishing the vehicle. It is just a matter of timing and priorities. If we don't get selected I plan on working on it for human drivable first; and doing a couple projects to recharge myself. Also if I don't make it, put what I've done into an audition tape for Monster Garage and Scrapheap Wars (original UK series from which Junkyard Wars came from).
This will be updated after I know the results :)
June 4,5 <Weekend before announcement>
<Random Thoughts>
OK, I managed to wait like three week with no anticipation. Now the weekend before the announcement I'm tightly wound. I decided that I want to build a hybrid motorcycle if I don't make the cut. I figure I can have the electrical part in on a weekend. I realize that this is in part transference / sour grapes.
I am having lots of odd thoughts, like 'how do I expect to be able to build something like this with a lot of help from my friends'. Then I think, well I built 2 augmentative speech devices for two disabled kids is like two months including building scratch power supplies, software, LCD, etc. And then I think about stripping a car and dropping engine, tranny, and brakes, in 6 hours as an audition for Junk Yard Wars.
Week 2 - Post Site Visit
First slept and goofed off a lot.
Simulated disk brake steering redneck style - put a hardwood hammer handle in the wheels on one side and disconnected their motor controller, then applied 10% power to the other side. Worked well! So I need to fab some caliper brackets (or have Metro Welding fab some) and order a couple linear actuators + computer control and we will have both the skid turning (below 25 mph) and the emergency brake that we need.
Week ?? - Site Visit
Well we went to the site visit trial and managed to not fail. We got the AI software working at its first level 1. All the motors responded, and the car turns fine at over 25mph (but not below). In fact I would say that our car did as good as any non-turning autonomous robotic vehicle could (I was up at 4am the previous 3 days working on the AI).
More to come when I recover - first pictures <couldn't take pictures on base, they took them for us though, and after review they will send them to us>
Week 4-Site Visit post video
Got Bottom protective cage welded and bolted in (with Metro Welding).
Spent 3 weeks (part time) writing software to make new controllers brake (which old controllers did automatically). Many of the resultant routines would have been needed anyway.
Ordered GPS with inertial (gyroscope) module.
Ordered 3 axis electronic compass with tilt that does everything you can image a compass doing and costing more than you can image paying for a compass.
2 weeks till sight visit theme song now "Now Sleep till Brooklyn"
Week 3 post video
Didn't get all the parts I needed by the weekend. They are all scheduled to arrive on Tuesday. Have organized people for a Tuesday night build and Wednesday a long lunch.
Started an advice / what I would do defiantly page.
Got all the parts in on Tuesday. Tested controllers got one wheel hooked up an tested in the air! Need an addition 30 connectors and bunches of cables to get it hooked up, but hey I believe that they will work. I BELIEVE!!!!!, but I still will have one person on kill switch and one on fire extinguisher. I estimate that it is about 20 man hours to get these hooked up (the last ones were 2.5 man hours), but that's OK.
I estimated time wrong. We have about 30 man hours in plus 10 that I was forgetting to count. We have made all of the wire, made 4 new circuits to negotiate with the new controllers, rewritten our software to talk with the controllers, and gained confidence in the new controllers, simply by there refusal to do anything! (well refusal to do anything with any fault. The relays make up for some of the mad scientist that was lost. I figure we have another 5 hours and SSIK will be ready for more test runs.
I'm craving a junkyard wars style build. All this measuring and quality is getting old.
The new controllers work, there were two ground fault fires that burned up 3 fuses and 2 wires.
Our Video was accepted for Site Visit! This does not mean I'm taking Urban Dance Squad "Say A Little Prayer for My Demo" of the playlist <We have just renamed the site visit Demo 2, and the Qualifier Demo 3, the Race I'm thinking 'The Main Event'>
Week 2 post video
Decided that after this much work I'm not giving up, and so it was
time to order everything I need for the next stage (the site visits).
Weekend 1 post video
Every bit of free time on weekend (plus cash) used to get roll cage. I am of mixed feeling about the roll cage. It is good, strong, and needed. But it takes the look away from the Mad Scientist into the functional tractor like feel. Of well I guess I'll have to add more electronics :)
1st-3rd Days Post Video
1st Week Post Video
Return defective parts to retailers. Won't take one of the serial cables back because its doesn't have driver disk. I hope they plug them in <evil laugh>. I did warn them that the parts started a fire.
Return extra parts to Home Depot (electrical boxes, etc.)
Make arrangements to exchange the motor controllers. They company Roboteq is very nice. They come up with a compromise that make me happy and agree to drop ship the replacements.
Order PCI Serial card, install and test.
Make arraignments to have Roll Cage made and do testing on weekend.
Started to understand Urban Dance Squad song "Say a Little Prayer for My Demo". And dug it up from my music collection to listen to.
Got in new motor controllers, they are the wrong models, but they will work so I installed them (it took an extra 1.5 hours to move the encoders over, and they won't put out as much power, but hey they are here).
Son of a ........... - Fire #7 (smoke, but no visible fire from controllers). Apparently the problem is that the motors are generating something that nothing can handle so far. The latest 2 controllers smoked after passing the low speed test, going to full speed forward and reverse, smoke from both controllers (not supposed to be possible). Well I'm going to call the motor place and quiz them on the controller designed specifically for these motors. It's too bad I don't cry over stuff like this... OK, so my choices are 1. get new controllers that someone will tell me is going to work, quit, buy new motors and controllers (probably 12k), try to build a circuit that has serious clamping on spikes that would protect the controllers.
<Poker reference> I now feel I understand how Phil Hellmuth feels like when they interview him after getting knocked out of a tournament. I used to feel that he was, shall we say, overly emotional. Yesterday I felt the same way. I had victory in my hands (well in my mind at least) and then, through no fault of my own, smoke. I can just order different parts, and I suppose Phil can just enter another tournament.
What we plan to add to vehicle still
Add a roll cage. DONE


text:
Want to crush your challenges and kill scores in the games you play every day? Try these dexterity games to improve your speed and coordination. Read more →
Cool Games that Need to be Greenlighted
Guise of the Wolf
"In the medieval Kingdom of Uhorsko, a young alchemist named Dominik is summoned to assist in stopping a ravenous beast. Dominik's goals soon change as he discovers he has been bitten, and cursed to become the very thing he has set out to stop. Now he must delve further into a dark castle in search of a cure, and cold answers to the enigma he finds himself entangled in along the way."
There are tons of games where you play vampires, but not many where you play a werewolf, so this game is long overdue. I like the idea of using moonlight to become a werewolf, which despite its form can still solve puzzles, though there may be some limitations to what you can do in werewolf form, I don't know. You're an alchemist as well, so you can make potions. I wonder if you can make a potion to cure yourself or to make the wolf more powerful? That would be very cool. Developer Fun-Creator promises multiple endings, so there's some replay value already built in.
Check out their Greenlight page: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=122741932
City of Steam
A browser based Steampunk MMO with multiple races, including humans from different lands and three kinds of green-skins (goblins, orcs, hobgoblins) and four classes with lots of abilities and profession choices. Each race has a distinct look and all the Steampunk accessories you might want.
There is a shop where you can spend real money to buy things, but, according to the developers, everything available in the shop also can be found, made or otherwise acquired in the game world. I like this touch, as it strikes a balance between people who want to spend money on a game and people who want the challenge of finding/making something cool in the game world.
If you support City of Steam by purchasing what they call "Collaborator Packs," then you can get some in-game money and a bunch of other bonuses, including name reservation when the game finally launches.
This game looks cool, and the fact that it can run in the browser is a plus. No more waiting for downloads to finish.
Check out the Greenlight page for City of Steam here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=112850527
Tiny Barbarian
An old school platformer harkening back to a time when you could find arcades in every mall and shopping center, Tiny Barbarian wants you to smash hordes of creatures and "jump, sword, and climb your way to vengeance" all in the name of saving "the most beautiful ladies that can fit into a 16×16 pixel box." Tiny Barbarian will have more than one episode, with four total being planned for right now. I like this game because it reminds me of retro games like Rastan and Golden Axe, both of which ate a fair share of my arcade money in their time.
Their Greenlight page is here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=110272647
Go To Hell Dave
When Dave wakes up at the gates of Hell after smashing his car into a lamp post, he discovers that his girlfriend, Sharon, was gone. She's in good company, because Satan is also missing, and Hell is becoming quite the messy place. So Dave needs to figure out what's up, and he goes on a tour of the nine "floors" of Hell. This is a Point and Click adventure with British humor, tons of characters to interact with, and "a boring sewer level, because every game has to have one."
The title is what made me look at this game, but it was the story and the art style that made me want to be able to play it.
Check out the Greenlight page for yourself at: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=109393605
Toxic Bunny
Toxic the rabbit is having a Very Bad Day. Someone has interrupted his coffee break, brainwashed all his friends and covered the planet with decaffeinated goo.
Developer Cobus describes Toxic Bunny as "A caffeine fueled, pun infested, hamster launching retro platform romp through pop culture. Semi Visible Chickens. Hamster launchers. triple strength espresso, Armoured sentient mucus. Just a day in the office for Toxic Bunny."
In this game you get to "show general disregard for public safety by firing the Nitric Hamster Launcher, the only known weapon to guarantee a fatality, Giggle evilly as you squish aliens with rusty nautical equipment, and break expensive machinery, dismantle robots and play with industrial strength, radioactive adhesive in an attempt to solve increasingly complex puzzles.
You can actually pay and download the game here already, but it's so gonzo it deserves the wide audience being Greenlit on Steam can provide.
Their Greenlight page is here: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=108520156
There are a ton of games waiting to be Greenlit. Check them out for yourself and give indie developers a hand in getting onto Steam.


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NIC to offer more scheduling options to students for fall
To better meet student demands, NIC will be offering more scheduling options this fall
To help improve accessibility and better meet student demands, North Idaho College will begin offering additional scheduling options for students this fall.
The new "More Classes. More options. More opportunities." initiative is being launched to bring more scheduling options to fit students' busy lives while helping to absorb the increasing enrollment on campus.
"Affordability, availability and accessibility are hallmarks of community colleges," said NIC Vice President for Instruction Jay Lee. "These new scheduling options make education even more attainable to more students, which further cements NIC's commitment to availability."
Scheduling options now include the traditional face-to-face weekday courses, hybrid and Internet-only courses, Friday-only and Saturday-only courses, Friday and Saturday courses, evening courses and additional offerings at outreach centers. Course times will range from traditional 50-minute sessions to two hour and 50 minute sessions, depending on the schedule.
For example, more evening courses have been added for students who are juggling day-shift work schedules and school. Evening courses that meet one day per week for 2 hours and 45 minutes each have been added.
Also new this fall will be the Friday- and Saturday-only courses for students who cannot fit school into their normal week.
Students will also have the option to mix and match more than 150 Internet courses and hybrid courses to meet their unique needs.
Registration is currently open to new students. To apply for admission, contact the NIC Admissions Office at (208) 769-3311, [email protected] or download an application online at www.nic.edu/admit


text: "As some of you may know, finding parts for the 165 hp 229 V6 Crusader can be a challenge. After smoking an exhaust hose last week, it is finally time to replace the risers and elbows. When Looking for the risers and elbows I only see the one listed for the V8 that look very similar with a 3" outlet. Does anyone know if these risers and elbows will work for the V6 as well.


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In order to listen to the release of this important news, scattered in all over the road and the famous thieves have come to Dawson's mansion, and even the money-shaped police (Asano Takeshi) also get the information rush to. In this group of experts, naturally, Lubang (small chestnut decorated) and their partner's figure, after all, his grandfather Lubang I – Yasen Robin and Dawson have forged a break, and Dawson more Intends to put the old man's grandchildren on the boss throne.
Who knows in the successor's name is about to publish the critical moment, the money-shaped police department with his men suddenly broke into the fierce battle of both sides of the police bandits. In the midst of chaos, Dawson was killed by hostile Lubang's Mike Lee and his men. Behind the death of Dawson, a legend of the rare treasures gradually surfaced.
In the 1940s, the heyday of the Roman Empire, Anthony to Egypt after the Cleopatra VII presented with the peerless beauty comparable to the jewelry – inlaid with deep ruby light necklace – crimson heart The But in the long and chaotic history of the river, crimson heart I do not know when to be stolen, from the disappearance of the dust in time.
Today, the crimson heart is re-divided into two parts, the deep ruby held by Dawson, and the light of the Name Necklace and Dawson is comparable to the East Asian triad emperor Pramumu (Nirut Sirichanya ornaments) dominated. East and West two big guys you come to me, do not give up each other. Years of infighting, and ultimately to Dawson's death come to an end.
Dawson died a year, hiding for a long time Mike Lee to reproduce the rivers and lakes, intends to hand the light necklace sold behind the scenes all the Pramum. Money-shaped police to get the message, the use of the peak of the child (black wood Ming yarn ornaments) cheated Lubang. Clever escape of Lubang III inherited the legacy of Dawson, determined to regain the secret in any case. He first went to Japan to find Ishikawa five right guard door, then with Mike Lee released the hatchet. Thieves world's most prestigious master who formed a burning raging revenge team. But the crimson of the heart has long been Plummuk hidden in the map are not found in the virgin forest Custom Name Necklace, where there are more heavily armed forces guard fortress treasury "Navarry Ark". In order to regain the crimson heart, to prove the world's first thieves title of the world, Lubang III and partner sub-large mediated (Yushan iron two ornaments), Ishikawa five right guard (Aya wild ornaments) and the peak of the child toward this impossible The task to challenge.


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When: Thu., Nov. 16, 6-8 p.m. 2017
Learn the basic techniques of fusing and slumping including: an introduction to different types of glass, firing in a kiln, annealing, cutting and shaping glass. Projects will be kiln fired and will be available for pick-up the week following class. Please note: All tools provided and no prior experience is required. Please bring safety glasses or purchase from the studio ($5). No open toe shoes. This class is for students 18+ years or older.
Price: $55


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4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Location: JSOM 1.508
Join this workshop to learn how to make your resume and cover letter the best they can be! Handouts and template will be provided. Bring your resume with you.
Presented by Neil Johnson, Assistant Director, Career Management Center
* Please RSVP for this event by registering on CareerWorks.
By registering for this event, I authorize The University of Texas at Dallas to record my participation and appearance on videotape, audiotape, film, photography (or other media) at this event and use it for educational or promotional purposes without further notice or remuneration to me.
Jenna Danko, 972-883-6916
Questions? Email me.
Tagged as Workshops, Professional Dev.
See more events from Naveen Jindal School of Management
View other events on the Comet Calendar


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Central Michigan University (CMU) is pleased to announce a scholarship program named as "CMU Leader Advancement Scholarship". The Leader Advancement Scholarship is awarded annually to "40" outstanding high school seniors who have distinguished themselves through a record of leadership and service. CMU provide student-centred education and foster personal and intellectual growth to prepare students for productive careers, meaningful lives, and responsible citizenship in a global society. The scholarship comes with an $8,000 scholarship – $2,000 per academic year.
Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university located in Mount Pleasant in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1892, Central Michigan University is one of the largest universities in the state of Michigan and one of the nation's 100 largest public universities.
Who Should Apply?(Eligibility):
This scholarship program is applicable for:
- Any incoming freshmen with a 3.0 high school GPA
- The candidate must have a 3.0 high school grade point average and be admitted to Central Michigan University
How Do I Apply?:
You can go through the given link to apply for the scholarship: https://ssl.cmich.edu/leadershipinstitute/
Award Money (Prize):
The scholarship is worth $2,000 annually, or $8,000 if renewed for four years. $1,000 will be applied to the student's CMU account each semester.
Deadline Of Application:
Your application must be submitted on or before the end of November 15, 2017.
Link for More Information:
Contact Information:
You have questions about this application. E-mail questions to cmulead-at-cmich.edu.


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Is there something more I am supposed to be doing?
I am at my new libraries.
Yes that is right libraries. I am now split between the Rexdale library and the Albion library doing children's programming at both.
Weird I say.
I have this horrible feeling of being uprooted. Of knowing no one, having no firm grasp on my duties.
I do everything I am supposed to do, but that leaves so much time to do . . . nothing. To surf the net, whatever.
I guess I am supposed to be filling that time with reference work, but no one is asking me questions. And to scare me more than I was before, I am possibly going to be the acting branch head of Rexdale for November and December. That is a wee bit scary as that means I am in charge, the buck stops here, I am the one who has to deal with all the crazy stuff. I guess this is good since it means they are prepping me to become a branch head, but for some reason, right now, I find all of this terrifying and I want to run away. And to be honest I don't really know why I feel this way.


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When you think of a burger, lamb may not immediately come to mind. But it should! Not only does lamb make for a moist and juicy burger. It's packed with nutrition too. Lamb Burgers: The "Supermeat" You're Not Eating In fact, just four ounces of lamb provides an excellent source of five key nutrients - including 49% of the RDA for cancer-fighting selenium and 41% of the RDA for heart-healthy … [Read more...]
Paleo "Secret Ingredient" Meatloaf
5.0 from 1 reviews Paleo "Secret Ingredient" Meatloaf Recipe Print Ingredients 1 pound pastured pork, ground 16 oz. pastured chicken livers 2 stalks organic celery, finely diced ½ Tbsp. organic dried thyme 2 tsp. smoked paprika 1 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses 8 tsp. Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos 1 Tbsp. organic raw apple cider vinegar ¼ Tbsp. Olivado Macadamia Nut Oil 1 … [Read more...]
Paleo Turkey Pot Pie
2.0 from 1 reviews Paleo Turkey Pot Pie Recipe Print Prep time 40 mins Cook time 90 mins Total time 2 hours 10 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients 1 medium organic carrot, thinly sliced 1 ½ c. Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth 3 Tbsp. Spectrum Organic Shortening 1 small organic onion, chopped 3 -8oz. breasts pasture-raised chicken, cut into 1-in chunks ½ … [Read more...]
Superfood Paleo Bolognese
What could be more comforting than a bubbling pot of Bolognese, rich with fragrant garlic, Italian herbs and vine-ripe tomatoes? For many, this simple Italian meat-based sauce is the ultimate comfort food, served with a steaming plate of fresh tagliatelle pasta and some crusty bread. And while traditional Bolognese relies on ground meat - typically grass-fed beef and pork - we've added a … [Read more...]
Asparagus Omelet
Asparagus Omelet Recipe Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 10 mins Total time 20 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients ½ small organic red onion, diced 4 large pastured-eggs ¼ tsp. sea salt 2 tsp. organic extra virgin olive oil 6 spears, small organic aspsragus, cut into 1 inch pieces Instructions In a small, safe nonstick skillet, heat ½ cup … [Read more...]
Lamb Burgers with Herbs
Lamb Burgers with Herbs Recipe Print Prep time 10 mins Cook time 25 mins Total time 35 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients ¼ c. fresh parsley, chopped ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt 1 ½ pounds grass-fed ground lamb 2 cloves organic garlic, minced ¼ c. chopped organic red onion ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp. dried organic oregano … [Read more...]
Low Carb Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie
Low Carb Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Print Prep time 40 mins Cook time 90 mins Total time 2 hours 10 mins Serves: 6 Ingredients 1 medium organic carrot, thinly sliced 1 ½ c. Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth 3 Tbsp. Spectrum Organic Shortening 1 small organic onion, chopped 3 -8oz. breasts pasture-raised chicken, cut into 1-in chunks ½ tsp. … [Read more...]
Raw Broccoli Soup
Raw Broccoli Soup Recipe Print Prep time 5 mins Cook time 5 mins Total time 10 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 c. raw cashews, soaked 2 c. chopped organic broccoli ½ Tbsp. Olivado Avocado Oil 3 c. filtered or spring water 1 medium organic avocado 1 clove organic garlic ½ tsp. Celtic sea salt 1 tsp. raw honey 0.125 tsp. dried cumin Instructions … [Read more...]
Poached Salmon Spinach Salad
Poached Salmon Spinach Salad Recipe Print Prep time 30 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 1 hour Serves: 4 Ingredients ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 3 medium organic tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 Tbsp. flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 c. organic white wine 2 Tbsp. organic extra virgin olive oil 8 oz. organic fresh spinach ¼ tsp. Celtic sea salt … [Read more...]
Green Coconut Curry Mussels
Green Coconut Curry Mussels Recipe Print Prep time 20 mins Cook time 30 mins Total time 50 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients 1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil 1 medium organic yellow onion, chopped 1 ½ Tbsp. organic curry powder 1 whole organic lime, sliced into wedges 3 tsp. organic ginger, minced ½ c. Imagine Organic Free Range Chicken Broth Imagine Organic Chicken … [Read more...]


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Decision Making in Hospital Administration and Medical CareUniversity of Minnesota Press 1960; US$ 90.00
Decision Making in Hospital Administration and Medical Care was first published in 1960. This casebook based on experiences and administrative problems encountered in actual hospital situations will serve as a text for beginning students in graduate programs in hospital administration, as course material in allied fields, and as a reference work for... more...
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Based on a study of data about nearly 7,000 independent unites of hospital service in the United States, this book classifies and describes the patterns or types of hospital ownership and control to be found in the hospital industry. For each pattern, information is given on the organizational structure and governing authority, history, significance,... more...
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J.M.W. Turner was a painter whose treatment of light put him squarely in the pantheon of the world's preeminent artists, but his character was a tangle of fascinating contradictions. While he could be coarse and rude, manipulative, ill-mannered, and inarticulate, he was also generous, questioning, and humane, and he displayed through his work a hitherto... more...
Conserving Data in the Conservation ReserveTaylor and Francis 2012; US$ 32.69
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Smash Screen Prank
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Come for the Food, Stay for the Fun!!
The aroma of jerk cuisine will tickle your senses. The sounds of Reggae, Dancehall, and Soca music will make you dance. There are few better combinations than tasty food and hot pulsating music set in a relaxed atmosphere. That's the essence of the Atlanta Caribbean Jerk Festival.
As the only event of its type in the state of Georgia, and one of the largest Caribbean themed food festivals in the USA, the annual Grace Atlanta Caribbean Jerk Festival has been showcasing the flavors and rhythms of the Caribbean to Georgia and surrounding states since 2006. The Jerk Festival was named the BEST JAMAICAN/CARIBBEAN ANNUAL EVENT IN GEORGIA by the website www.jamaicans.com
This annual celebration of Caribbean food and music features live reggae, calypso, and gospel performances by national and international acts on the festival main stage. There are food vendors, craft vendors, fruit vendors, and even jelly coconut vendors. There will be games and prizes galore for the kids in their very own Kid Zone. There is also a young people's activityarea. The competition inside the games tent is always intense as dominoes experts battle for supremacy. Can anyone say 6 love!! Lovers of ludo, bingo, and checkers will also have the opportunity to match skill and wits against each other.
Jerk Fest 2018 will be bigger and better and has something for everyone!
The 13th Annual Grace Atlanta Caribbean Jerk Festival is scheduled for Sunday September 2, 2018 (the day before Labor Day) from noon until 10pm at the Georgia International Horse Park Grand Prix Stadium & Plaza located 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway in Conyers, Georgia 30013.
Limited discount tickets are available in advance at outlets throughout Georgia and surrounding states or www.atlantajerkfest.com


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By now, your toddler is probably a lot more active, so regular baths will help keep her clean and healthy.
Bathing your toddler 2-3 times a week is enough to keep him clean. But if your toddler gets dirty from playing, or enjoys bath time, you can bath him more often – once a day is fine. A bath at the end of the day can also be part of a relaxing and calming bedtime routine.
It's best to avoid using soap, because soap can dry out your toddler's skin. If needed, use a gentle non-soap cleanser.
Even though your toddler is older and can sit up by herself in the bath, bath safety is still very important.
Here are some tips to keep your toddler safe at bath time:
Some toddlers might be afraid of the bath. If this happens, take your toddler's fears seriously, because they're very real to her.
To help your child overcome a fear of the bath, you can try:
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Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) (2017). Bath safety. Melbourne: RCH. Retrieved 28 September 2017 from http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Bath_safety/.
Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) (2011). Skincare for babies and young children. Melbourne: RCH. Retrieved 28 September 2017 from http://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Skincare_for_babies_and_young_children/.


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Gorchakov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, Prince
Gorchakov, Aleksandr Mikhailovich, Prince əlyĭksän´dər mēkhī´ləvĭch, gərchəkôf´ [key], 1798–1883, Russian diplomat. After serving (1854–56) as ambassador at Vienna, he became Alexander II's foreign minister and chancellor (1867). His wit and oratorical gifts made him known as a brilliant diplomat. Gorchakov's chief aim was to nullify the Treaty of Paris that closed the Crimean War (1854–56) and to find allies against Austria and England, who had been mainly responsible for the treaty, which thwarted Russian expansion in SE Europe. A rapprochement with France failed when Napoleon III gave diplomatic support to the Poles in their rebellion (1863) against the Russians. Gorchakov maintained neutrality in the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71) in return for Bismarck's support of Russian intervention in Poland. He unilaterally ended (1870) the limitations imposed in the Treaty of Paris on Russia's Black Sea fleet. He attended the Congress of Berlin (1878), where most advantages gained in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 were lost. From 1879, N. K. Giers guided Russian foreign policy, and in 1882, Gorchakov resigned.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Russian, Soviet, and CIS History: Biographies
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TORONTO — DeMar DeRozan spent his New Year's Day watching basketball history and making some, too.
DeRozan scored a franchise-record 52 points, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 131-127 in overtime on Monday night, matching the team record with their 12th consecutive home victory.
DeRozan said he spent some time earlier in the day watching the final few minutes of Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, in which Hall of Famer Michael Jordan beat the Utah Jazz with a late jump shot, giving the Chicago Bulls their sixth title in eight seasons.
"I remember being a kid and wishing to be in moments like that," DeRozan said. "When you come out here and you're in those moments, you've got to make the best out of them."
DeRozan sure did, becoming the third player in Raptors history to score 50 or more in a single game. The others are Vince Carter and Terrence Ross, who each had 51.
"I for sure wanted to beat T-Ross," DeRozan said, joking about eclipsing his former teammate.
DeRozan scored the first nine points of the game and had 21 in the first, the most by a Raptors player in a single quarter this season.
"He was playing with a lot of juice," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "You could see the bounce in his step. Tonight, DeMar DeRozan played like a superstar."
DeRozan made 17 of 29 field-goal attempts and went 13-for-13 at the free throw line. His five 3-pointers were one shy of his career high.
"He's dangerous any time he puts on a uniform," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "Now to be able to expand his range out to the 3-point line just makes the game easier for him."
Kyle Lowry had 26 points and Serge Ibaka added 11 for the Raptors, who also won 12 straight at Air Canada Centre between Jan. 18 and March 6, 2016. Toronto is an NBA-best 14-1 at home.
Eric Bledsoe scored 29 points, including 11 in overtime, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points for the Bucks, who had won their previous two games.
Khris Middleton finished with 18 points in the entertaining rematch between first-round playoff opponents from last season, a series Toronto won in six games.
Fred VanVleet gave Toronto the lead for good with a 3-pointer at 3:51 of overtime, and DeRozan followed with a jump shot, making it 121-117 Raptors.
DeRozan made a pair of free throws to tie it at 114 with 37 seconds left in regulation, and Toronto got the ball back when Lowry stripped Matthew Dellavedova. Lowry's 3-point attempt with the shot clock winding down missed the rim, giving the Bucks 3.2 seconds to try to win it. With DeRozan defending him, Malcolm Brogdon couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer sounded, sending it to overtime.
"We were looking at Khris and Giannis," Kidd said. "We had two options and Malcolm was the safety. We knew they were going to switch, we just didn't make the right read."
In the paint
Milwaukee assigned forward Jabari Parker to its G-League team, the Wisconsin Herd. Parker, who also practiced with the Herd last month, has not played this season as he recovers from left knee surgery. ... Dellavedova had a season-high 10 assists. ... The Bucks next host Indiana on Wednesday. It's the first of four meetings this season between the Central Division rivals.
Milwaukee 30 26 28 30 13 — 127
Toronto 35 25 28 26 17 — 131
MILWAUKEE — Middleton 7-17 4-4 18, Antetokounmpo 9-18 7-9 26, Henson 4-8 2-2 10, Bledsoe 9-15 6-6 29, Snell 1-4 0-0 2, Maker 4-8 5-5 16, Dellavedova 2-5 0-0 6, Terry 0-2 0-0 0, Kilpatrick 1-3 2-2 5, Brogdon 7-13 0-0 15. Totals 44-93 26-28 127.
TORONTO — Anunoby 0-0 1-2 1, Ibaka 5-19 1-1 11, Valanciunas 2-3 2-2 6, Lowry 7-13 7-10 26, DeRozan 17-29 13-13 52, Miles 3-7 0-0 8, Siakam 2-3 0-0 4, Poeltl 2-3 0-0 4, Wright 3-7 2-3 8, VanVleet 4-7 1-2 11. Totals 45-91 27-33 131.
3-point goals — M 13-27 (Bledsoe 5-7, Maker 3-4, Dellavedova 2-4, Kilpatrick 1-2, Brogdon 1-2, Antetokounmpo 1-3, Snell 0-1, Middleton 0-4), T 14-33 (DeRozan 5-9, Lowry 5-10, VanVleet 2-3, Miles 2-4, Wright 0-2, Ibaka 0-5). Rebounds — M 43 (Antetokounmpo 9), T 40 (Ibaka 8). Assists — M 27 (Dellavedova 10), T 25 (DeRozan 8). Total fouls — M 23, T 20. Att. — 19,800.


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Society Takanashi LS T-Shirt White Society on Sale UK Stockist Sale stock
Editor's review
The Takanashi LS T-Shirt in White is a boxy-cut top from the new-to-Wellgosh brand Society for AW17. This piece is constructed from 100% cotton and features screen printed graphics on the front and its inside face; the same graphic as their Takanashi Hoodie has been applied to the chest, whilst the sleeve and back are internally printed with brand signatures. The crew neck collar and cuffs are finely rib-bound, and the straight-cut hem is finished with neat top-stitching.
- Society Takanashi LS T-Shirt
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Our model is 6'0" with a 36" chest and a 30" waist and wears a size Medium.


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Talk and thought of hijabs have resurfaced in my life once again with the appearance of Ibtihaj Muhammad upon the world stage representing the USA in the Olympics. (To hear my thoughts on Ms. Muhammad and the Olympics, a podcast done by myself and a friend can be found here.) In this post, I merely wish to address a complaint commonly made by hijabis (those who wear the hijab) which is that they feel that some of us non-Muslims may give them strange looks or even stare at them. They often deduce from these regards that there are many people out there who simply cannot – or will not – tolerate the hijab, seeing it as a symbol of Islamic terrorism. While folks like this undoubtedly do exist, I honestly think that this is becoming a bit of a straw man and that much in the same way that quite literally any criticism of Islam is now deemed "Islamophobic," any glance at a hijabi is quickly characterized as the behavior of an intolerant bigot. Moreover, I believe that the number of people in America who wish to rip hijabs off of the heads of Muslim women is dwindling and dying – yes, even with Donald Trump's "hateful rhetoric." The fact is, if you live in or close to a large or major city, people are likely well aware of hijabis and that they are nothing to fear. But, as one who is guilty of staring – perhaps even leering – at hijabis, please allow me to make a few points in defense of this behavior.
If you are a Muslim woman who wears the hijab and feel that you are being looked at or stared at often, it could very well be because you are hot – yes, attractive, beautiful, easy on the eyes. Are you telling me that if you saw one of these three beauties on a bus or train, you wouldn't steal glances at them?
What if this group of Persian women sashayed on by? My god, look at the second from the left! Look at those pants! These women are all nines!
One must also keep in mind that you can wear the hijab and still have a great body. Look at this girl:
Also, if you are a naturally pretty girl with some makeup skills and a knack for accessorizing, you'll attract eyes with or without a hijab:
And dear god, let's not forget about the power of tall boots and high heels. Fucking hell, if either one of these two were to stride past me I'd bite my fist and moan longingly:
Now, I am a guy who already – for some reason – finds himself drawn to hijabis. I find them attractive. I don't know what it is exactly, but I'll tell you it's not that cheap thought that many have which is that there's an element of "mystery" involved since one knows not what's 'neath the scarf. Honestly, though, that's not the case. All the women pictured above are hot with the scarf on. I'm not dying to see what's underneath. What the hijab adds is what I find attractive. But the aesthetics of the hijab and it's many stylistic variations is another topic for another time and could probably fill a book. Now don't misunderstand me, there are also boring and ugly ways to wear the hijab, but I'm not even going to put pictures of these styles in this post – look it up. I'm sure anyone can imagine the bland women of Islam. The bottom line is this: if you're hot and you wear the hijab, you're still hot; if you're ugly and you wear the hijab, you're still ugly. And hot girls get attention whether they want it or not. I'm sorry.
As I said above, if you live in a metropolitan area, the people around you are most likely aware of the hijab and don't even give it much thought. I'm speaking generally here, in the same way that America is not racist but racist people exist, there are of course some people who disdain the hijab while the population as a whole remains tolerant. However, if you wear a hijab and end up in some small town in the middle of Missouri of Montana, you will likely be stared at. And why not? This is something the inhabitants of these locales have probably never seen in person before. As somewhat of a parallel, the first time I saw a woman wearing a burqa in person was, for me, a bit of a shock. Here I am, a kid about 12 years of age who grew up in the suburbs and has only had a few Muslim schoolmates, none of whom wore a hijab. Suddenly in a Chuck E. Cheese I see two women who seem to be gliding over the ground completely swallowed up in long, flowing, anthracite fabric. This is the sort of sight that a child like me would have only seen around Halloween. I remember simply standing there and staring. Another kid near me was jeering at the women and one of them turned to him while pulling her son along and said that she'd hit the loudmouth if his parents wouldn't do it. This was an all-around bizarre experience.
Now the climate these days is that we (white Americans) ought to feel somewhat ashamed when we are shocked by contact with a culture we've never seen in person before. But why shouldn't we be? I originally planned to use as an analogy a woman dressed like this
or this
walking down the streets of Riyadh, but then it occurred to me that the Saudis are already well aware that women dress like this, for they see their sisters and mothers without their burqa. So instead let's imagine a woman in a hijab or burqa is dropped in a random city in Peru or El Salvador. The Hispanic people there would probably react just as I did, having most likely never seen anybody like this in person, before their eyes. And why shouldn't they? It's completely normal.
One last point: if someone stares, jeers, or harasses you as you happen to be wearing a hijab, please keep in mind that you may have simply had an encounter with a crazy ass hole, and their behavior does not reflect fairly upon the country as a whole. Our Olympian Ibtihaj Muhammad once related a story of being followed around New York by someone threatening to call the police. Big deal. Get over it. The guy's an idiot. My brother-in-law was recently in a Target in downtown Chicago and a woman walked up to him and yelled out to the store while she pointed at him "Somebody suck his dick!" He didn't take this as an attack against men by some crazy feminist or anything. It was simply an encounter with a stupid, crazy person in a major metropolitan area – a regular occurrence.
So, if you wear a hijab and feel that people stare at you, first ask yourself "Am I an attractive woman?" If yes, that is probably why people are staring. If you're ugly, they may be staring because they simply are seeing something, or somebody, they don't often see in their daily life. Or perhaps you happened to cross paths with one stupid, crazy person. That's all. Just deal with it and move on. We all get attention we don't want from time to time, but we can't stay holed up in our homes to avoid it, only going out into the world with a chaperone or something. That'd be no way to live.


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Belief = An intellectual agreement with the facts that we have learned
Faith = We prove that our belief is real by acting on it (James 2:14-26). That action is Faith.
Forbearance = Having Patience with people; longsuffering; an attitude of grace, living with their faults and remembering how much God has forgiven us.
Hope = Hope is not a wishful, maybe someday longing. In the Bible, Hope means a confident expectation, looking forward to something that will definitely happen; it just hasn't happened yet. Waiting on the Lord is really Hoping with Faith.
NT = New Testament
OT = Old Testament
Patience = Endurance; waiting with a good attitude through hard trials or suffering.
Relationship = Two people having influence on one another, a friendship that comes from spending time together
Trust = head knowledge has found its way into our heart. We have placed our trust in God. We know that He knows what is best for us as a good Father and a Good Shepherd. We wait for Him to work for us and in us and through us.
Truth = Biblical truth, both facts and Biblical principles; proven to be real
Waiting on the Lord = Hoping with Faith; persevering through trials; endurance.
The Word = the Bible (as a whole)
If I have left something out, please comment below or email me at firstname.lastname@example.com! If there is a word or abbreviation that I have used in past posts that you don't completely understand, please comment below, and I'll add it to the list.


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And if anyone can make being a Brummie in the 80s seem like fun, it has to be these. Ah, my lost youth
And if anyone can make being a Brummie in the 80s seem like fun, it has to be these. Ah, my lost youth
A few words on religion from the master, Sigmund Freud:
"In my Future of an Illusion I was concerned much less with the deepest sources of the religious feeling than with what the common man understands by his religion with the system of doctrines and promises which on the one hand explains to him the riddles of this world with enviable completeness, and, on the other, assures him that a careful Providence will watch over his life and will compensate him in a future existence for any frustrations he suffers here. The common man cannot imagine this
Chew your bollocks off, Hitchens!
A few days ago I received a gift from two very smartly and conservatively dressed young men – my very own Book of Mormon. The Mormons, for some reason, seem to have quite a presence here in the
I have to say I have a certain amount of respect for the Mormons, not only for their commitment but also for their tactics. Unlike the bothersome, half-witted Jehova's Witnesses they don't try and force themselves upon you, unlike those foul, creepy hypocrites the Hare Krishnas they don't tell you they'd like to "give" you books and then try and emotionally blackmail you into making a donation once you're in possession of a load of naff, rambling tosh you didn't want to read anyway. My Book of Mormon was given to me completely free of charge, no questions asked. Indeed, very often when I've ended up speaking to them in town they haven't even mentioned their religion at all, merely making polite conversation, us all being fellow ex-pats and all that.
This time, however, it was a full, sit-down chat of well over an hour long and we did talk about religion, not only theirs but also some of their potential rivals. Pretty interesting it was too. It was me, rather than them, who was asking most of the questions. I knew virtually nothing of their religion before, and so was surprised to find that there is a prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, alive and well on this earth today. Previous to our conversation I was also unaware of their theory that the native Americans are actually descended from a Jewish tribe who travelled to the
One of the questions they did ask me was if I'd ever tried praying. Well, yes, was my response – not only did we pray at primary school assemblies, but when I was very young I was forced to go to church with my mother and for a few years didn't question Christian teaching (very few in fact, I became an atheist at the age of 8 as I remember). On the other hand I distinctly remember questioning my mum about praying even back then, and have asked her and other religious people about it since. Invariably I've found their answers deeply unsatisfying. I admitted to the Mormons that when I had tried to pray all those years ago it had left me utterly cold and I'd felt rather confused and a little silly about what I was actually doing. Again I turned the question on them – what is praying? They explained (I didn't tell them this, but it really did sound silly to me), and told me what they felt during prayer – either a kind of voice or warm glow which confirmed to them that what they were doing, what they believed, and above all their Book, were indeed right. I told them that on the occasions I had tried praying I had felt nothing of the sort, which I conceded might well be my fault, since God was unable to make contact with me due to my lack of genuine faith.
Well, since then I have read a couple of passages from the Book of Mormon, before its diverting oddness wore off and dissipated into tedium. I haven't been converted yet. However, this is naturally not the only thing I've read over the last few days – believer in redemption that I am, I have also checked out a few passages from Christopher Hitchens's "God Is Not Great – How Religion Poisons Everything", including one on the Mormons. Maybe a little repentance is due on my part – although I still feel exasperated at his position on
Keep praying for me boys by all means, but that road's looking mighty long.
The quest for authenticity in politics is a frustrating one these days with everyone going all squeaky clean. In Britain Labour are probably the most shining example – after all it's not that long since there were fully fledged Marxists in the party such as Coventry's own Dave Nellist (expelled at the beginning of the 90s) and Labour Party conferences ended with a chorus of the Red Flag, complete with Old Labour and trade union veterans in cheap suits, looking more likely candidates for a heart attack than for a seat in parliament, punching the air in stubborn defiance of the new reality. But times have changed, Labour added the New to their name, went slick and right wing. They may not have been the first – the Tories hired Saatchi & Saatchi to give them the makeover back in the 70s – and were certainly not the last. Labour have picked up plenty of flak for their spin and soundbite politics, but only because they've been the most successful at a game almost everyone seems to be playing. More recently the Tories have also tried to be nice, meekly backtracking and contritely acknowledging that "there is such a thing as society", whilst eco-friendly
But don't despair all you Nazis! Fellow race warriors are still out there, you just might have to look further to find them. To
Ignore the silly bit at the beginning, it gets better.
Last night I was lucky enough to catch the Plastic People of the Universe live, not far off their 40th anniversary as a band, albeit with changing personnel over the years. Usually I'm pretty sceptical about going to see anyone that… old basically, having had a few bitter, should-have-known-better experiences seeing drug-addled or merely bereft-of-ideas/dignity old punks doing the rounds. But all this cynicism is no way to go through life! And the Plastics are indeed different. Though musically less radical than their sister band Dg. 307, the Plastics are indisputably the most important Czech band of all time in terms of their historical impact, evidence of which is the fact that they figure as a central part of Tom Stoppard's play Rock n Roll. Although back in the days they claimed not to be a dissident band, they were nevertheless forced into that role, and their lyrics and music have a disturbing quality which was certainly enough for them to be considered a threat by the communist elite: perhaps simply failing to acknowledge the regime was seen as the greatest insult.
Most of the male members still sporting variations on the classic "Czech former dissident" chic, which these days means long, straggly grey hair unravelling out of a frequently sparse and unevenly distributed array of remaining follicles, an abundance of beards and jam-jar glasses accompanied by an avowedly scruffy dress sense (none of them, perhaps reassuringly, look anywhere near as cool as ultimate rock star Pavel Zajíček), they remain the Bohemian art-rock band par excellence. This look, in combination with the band's vocal style – the vocalists themselves alternate, none of them actually singing but all with a remarkably similar, scathingly weird style, at times even vaguely reminiscent of Mark E. Smith – lends them an image of something like deranged, admonishing preachers, hippies gone badly wrong. All, that is, except for the younger Eva Turnová, replacement for deceased bassist Milan Hlavsa, whose husky delivery is strangely rather sexy, an odd counterpoint to their uncomfortable sounding music. The music itself is clearly influenced in part by post-hippy experimental rock like Beefheart, the VU, the Doors, but with enough of their own warped input to make them quite unique and not only limited to one particular period in time, with similarities not only to the aforementioned Fall but sometimes also Killing Joke and other post-punk, as well as incorporating free jazz elements in the form of Vráťa Brabenec's sax playing, plus bizarre synth noise and classical string instruments.
In this country the Plastics have spawned hundreds of imitators, but remain head and shoulders above them – although the clones capture the Plastics' sinister dissonance, they invariably sound turgid and lumbering, whilst the Plastics themselves still manage to sound quite light on their feet, often approaching funky. Last night was a perfect example – despite their advanced years they sounded youthful and relevant. The old regime may no longer be around, but they know there's plenty left to kick against. Either that or they just carry on ploughing their own furrow regardless. A Czech legend.
Vanity Unfair?
Probably not very original or pithy of me to refer to Christopher Hitchens's "Unfairenheit 9/11" attack on Michael Moore as such, but in this case both words do seem highly appropriate, and anyway, you started it with the clumsy, smartarse titles Chris. For some reason I ended up flicking through Hitchens's "Love, Poverty and War" (a pompous book title if I ever heard one) the other day, upon which I noticed the following two passages, in two separate essays. First, regarding Michael Moore and Farenheit 9/11:
"We are introduced to
And in a later essay on the aftermath of the 2003 invasion of
"…Local people are getting used to the sight of professional young American women, white and black and Hispanic, effectively on patrol… I ran into civilian advisors who were supervising voter registration and a census, rebuilding the electrical generators that now run at close to melting-point, reopening the long-closed Iraqi National Museum and irrigating the parched and drained habitat of the southern marshes, dried out and burned by Saddam Hussein in an ecocidal attempt to punish the stubborn resistance to his awful will… driving through Baghdad one day I was amazed to come upon a demonstration against pollution sponsored by the local Green Party. Perhaps
Well we all know now, don't we Chris?
The sad truth is that Hitchens, who has in the past produced some thoroughly entertaining and often painfully accurate, bombastic journalism – for example his devastating Trial of Henry Kissinger, or on a lighter note the hilarious kicking he dished out regarding all the sentimental bullshit surrounding Princess Diana's death – has disappeared up his own arse and fallen into the same trap as Irving. Michael Moore too undoubtedly, but at least he still has a sense of humour, whereas these days Hitchens, who snipes at
The result of all this hubris is that this once fine polemicist exposes himself to humiliation by rabble rousers like the ubiquitous George Galloway, a tawdry attention seeker with only a fraction of Hitchens's intellect and integrity, who can, now that Hitchens has become such a lugubrious, bloated beast, out-smart him in public debates by playing to the gallery. How the mighty fall. I don't doubt Hitchens's sincerity or even his fundamental decency, but he has, as the quotes above show, succumbed to lazy hypocrisy. The mind is a terrible thing to waste, Chris. Wake up, grow up, and say it loud: Sorry!


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Internet, Technology
Is streaming really the future of the music industry? Will it be the saviour of record labels? I doubt it very much myself, but is a dang good approach if you are Daniel Ek, boss of Spotify. Now less than seven months after launching his digital music service in the US, Ek found himself rubbing elbows with the "upper echelon" of record industry executives who have descended on Los Angeles for this Sunday's Grammy Awards and the 28-year-old Swedish entrepreneur addressed a ballroom full of entertainment attorneys telling them all about the brave new world of digital music and boldly predicting that revenue from streaming services such as Spotify will in two years return as much revenue to the industry as iTunes does today. Since launching its service in 2008, the Stockholm-based company says it has has remunerated more than $200 million, roughly 70% of its revenue, to labels and publishers. It has also grown into a valuable company with a tie in to Facebook (and making Ek a darn sight more money than the music industry – and artistes!)
"The value of music is not $15 billion," an estimate of annual music sales, Ek told his audience at the Grammy Foundation's Entertainment Law Initiative luncheon adding "It's worth much, much more than that."
Spotify's service has caught on worldwide with more than 10 million listeners who tune in at least once a month — 3 million of whom pay around $5 to $15 a month to access premium versions.
Though music labels have embraced Spotify's unusual approach — of offering a generous free version that gives users online access to millions of tracks on demand — the company continues to face scepticism from some bands and musicians who fear that streaming music services eat into album sales. Bands such as Coldplay and the Black Keys, and performers like Mac Miller, have opted to withhold their new albums from streaming services such as Spotify — at least for the first few weeks after the albums' releases. Ek emphatically disagreed with those decisions. Well he would wouldn't he! "There is no cannibalization," Ek said before a packed audience in the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. "At the end of the day, I want the music industry to be larger than what it is today. And I believe that the two models [streaming and sales] can co-exist side by side."
As if to punctuate a contrast with Ek's youthful approach, John Branca, veteran lawyer to the stars, followed him on stage with the following remark that drew chuckles from the crowd: "It's a popular belief that the music industry is over, that it's seen better days. Some would say that we lawyers are the dinosaurs of the legal landscape, that paleontology is a better subject for us and that a better forum for this would be the La Brea Tar Pits." As a prominent music attorney, Branca's clients have included the Beach Boys, the Doors, the Rolling Stones and Carlos Santana. He is also the executor of the Michael Jackson estate. Having told guests that two years out of law school, Branca said, he found himself presiding over a meeting of the band's "board of directors"—which just meant the band. The five members were deciding whether to fire Steve Love as their manager. Naturally, Mike Love was in favor of keeping his brother, as was Al Jardine. Brian's brothers Dennis and Carl wanted to fire Steve Love. Holding the deciding vote in his hands, Brian Wilson was face-down on the conference table, possibly asleep. Branca shook the musician's shoulder and told him to knock on the table one time if he supported Steve's dismissal, and twice if he opposed it. "He knocked three times," Branca recalled, chuckling. "So I did what any good lawyer would. I called for an adjournment and persuaded Steve to resign." Branca summed up the challenge for the music industry, pointing out that many of music's greatest stars created their music "before the digital age." "How do we present these great artists to a new generation of fans?" Branca said. One could almost hear Ek replying, "Through Spotify."
But the biggest cheers were for videotaped remarks by Ryanne E. Perio, a student at Columbia Law School, who was one of five winning students presenting papers at the luncheon who wrote about Android smartphone apps that facilitate piracy. During remarks describing her paper, Perio wondered aloud why offering those apps hadn't generated lawsuits against Android parent Google, for "secondary copyright infringement" — i.e. facilitating piracy – and the crowd burst into spontaneous applause.


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Welcome to day 362 of 365 photos.. I did not take a photo today for a number of reasons that we won't go into and I struggled to find something to post. I decided to go back though photos to find something to post. Can you believe that I made it all the way to last February when we were in Florida before finding something that I wanted to post!! These raccoons just seemed ... Click to continue reading & see more photos
365 photos - I started this project to enhance my photo skills. It was challenging and time-consuming but I did it. Looking back at the project, I think it was well worth my while.
Day 361…Evening Sky
Welcome to day 361 of 365 photos...the evening sky was simply spectacular tonight. Mr. B got home from Durham around 4 PM and wanted a coffee so we went for an afternoon drive to Dunkin' Donuts. We got his coffee and did a couple of errands and I started looking for something to photograph. I didn't know what that something would be. We drove through Swansboro and nothing ... Click to continue reading & see more photos
Day 360…Clouds at days end
Welcome to day 360 of 365 photos...The clouds at days end were pretty spectacular. I went out for just a short time in the late afternoon. It is the first time I have been out since the 1st. This bug really dragged me down. I only have five days left in this project so I thought that I should get out and see what I could find. The clouds at days end were pretty darn ... Click to continue reading & see more photos
Day 359…Hawk Hunting In Fog
Welcome to day 359 of 365 photos...A hawk hunting was all I got for a photo today. I thought that I was going to have to go through my old photos for todays pick when I looked across the road and noticed a red-shouldered hawk hunting from the swing set. It was quite foggy out and he was very intent on watching the ground. I missed the swoop to the ground because I was fiddling ... Click to continue reading & see more photos